Every vegan knows that non-vegans tend to get confused when it comes to what is vegan and what is not. For many, the word vegan itself is unfamiliar, and they use it interchangeably with dietary lacto-ovo-vegetarianism.
So what is vegan anyway? To start, the word vegan is pronounced "vee-gun". It is not vay-jun. It is not vay-gun. It's vee-gun! Veganism is an ethical stand not to exploit animals in any way. It is not just a diet. The dietary part of it is the most prominent because it is that aspect of our lives where we get to exercise our vegan choices the most often. To be vegan is to boycott animal products, including but not limited to meat (meat of any animal including fish and other sea animals), dairy, eggs, honey, animal skin/fur, products tested on animals, places that exploit animals for entertainment such as zoos, circuses, dolphin shows etc. It is not about purity or making sure that no animal products enter our body. It is about using our money, resources, and consumer power to tell the world that we will not stand for the exploitation, rape, abuse, and murder of animals. Food labels and ingredients lists are our best friend. Reading them is one of the skills we pick up as vegans. Many of us learn quickly that dairy-free does not necessarily mean vegan (case in point: non-dairy creamers like Coffee Mate or non-dairy ice creams would often contain casein), and what is marketed as healthy versions are not necessarily vegan either (another case in point: not all margarine are vegetable-based. In fact, most local brands that I encountered in the Philippines are NOT vegan, possibly with the exception of a brand called Bambi which I only found at a supermarket in Surigao). Whenever we can, we also look into how products are processed and avoid those wherein animals may have been used even if they're not part of the final ingredients list (such as beer, wine, sugar, etc). Non-vegans also tend to get confused with the presence of the word butter, as in coca butter, peanut butter, and shea butter, which are all conventionally vegan and contain no dairy. In any case, vegans read ingredients lists to be sure. Some companies make their peanut butter not vegan. I don't understand why, but that's beside the point. Here are common animal products and by-products to watch out for when you're transitioning to veganism. NONE of these are vegan: Food Ingredients Casein or Caseinate or Sodium Caseinate- Animal milk protein Gelatin- Protein from animal skins, tendons, ligaments, and/or bones Honey- Derived from bees through regurgitation (in laymen's terms, vomit) Lactic Acid- Found in blood and muscle tissue of animals Lactose- Milk sugar from the milk of mammals Natural Sources- Can mean animal elastin, glands, fat, protein, and oil Rennet- Enzyme from calves’ stomachs Whey- A serum from milk Cosmetic Ingredients Beeswax or Honeycomb- Wax obtained from melting a honeycomb Collagen- Fibrous protein in vertebrates usually derived from animal tissue Glycerin or Glycerol- A byproduct of soap manufacture that normally uses animal fat Keratin- Protein from the ground-up horns, hooves, feathers, quills, and animal hair Lanolin or Lanolin Acids - A product of the oil glands of sheep extracted from their wool Placenta or Placenta Polypeptides Protein- Contains waste matter eliminated by the fetus derived from the uterus of slaughtered animals Squalene- Oil from shark livers Stearyl Alcohol or Sterols- Can be prepared from sperm whale oil Clothing and Accessories Cashmere- Wool from the Kashmir or “Cashmere” goat Down- Goose or duck insulating feathers from slaughtered or cruelly exploited geese Feathers- From exploited and slaughtered birds Fur- Hair from foxes, rabbits, minks, beavers, ermines, otters, sables, seals, cats, dogs, coyotes, chinchillas, and possums Silk or Silk Powder- Shiny fiber made by silkworms to form their cocoons Wool- From sheep Leather or Suede or Calfskin or Sheepskin or Alligator Skin or Other Types of Skin- Animal skin that subsidizes the meat industry and not a by-product There are tons of resources to help you read labels. Some that I use myself are: Animal-Free App for iPhone Animal-Free App for Android Animal Ingredients List Beer, Wine, Liquor Guide If you've read through all of this and still wonder "why vegan anyway?", look into any (or all) of these resources: Earthlings documentary From Farm to Fridge I Am Animal documentary Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine The Abolitionist Approach by Gary Francione The Animals Film documentary The Cove documentary The Food Revolution by John Robbins The World Peace Diet by Will Tuttle Vegan. For the People. For the Planet. For the Animals Vegan Outreach Vegetarian Food for Thought Podcast Veganism in Nonviolence. Simple as that. No ifs and buts!
2 Comments
3/8/2013 05:43:24 am
Just learned the flu vaccine is made from...guess what? Eggs! Declined to get it (arranged by the office). Plus I am allergic to it.
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Nancy Siy
3/13/2013 01:52:10 am
Vaccines are nasty, as it turns out! I'm not getting them anymore either!
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