How do you recognize animal ingredients on the label?
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It is sometimes difficult to click on a label to see if food and drink contain animal E numbers or ingredients origin. As a vegetarian or vegan, do you want animal E-numbers and ingredients? avoid in food? Or do you want to eat less or no animal products because of do you believe for some other reason? Below we give tips on how to recognize these ingredients on the label. E numbers with (possibly) animal components In some cases an E number is made with substances from nature. These can be of vegetable but also animal origin. E numbers that may contain animal components: E120; E160a; E160d; E160e; E161g; E234: E304: E322: E422; E431 to E436; E442; E445; E470a; E470b; E471; E472a to f; E473 to E477; E479b; E481 to E483; E491 to E495; E570; E626 to E635; E640; E901; E904; E920; E966; E1518. The origin of some of them is clear, but a number of E numbers contain fatty acids, for example. These can be animal. Vegetarians and vegans should avoid these E numbers. Or they can contact the manufacturer of the product to find out if the E number used for the product in question actually contains animal components.
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Handy: the E-number finder Would you like more information about a specific E-number? Then take a look at our E-number tool.
Vegetarian, Kosher and Halal labels
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Products with a vegetarian or vegan quality mark do not contain any ingredients or additives from the killed animal. Products with the vegan variant do not contain any substances of animal origin at all. This is especially useful for people who eat vegetarian or vegan. For people with certain beliefs it is important to know if the slaughter methods follow proper rituals have been performed. For Judaism there is the Kosher quality mark and for Islam there are various Halal quality marks. Give these quality marks does not know whether or not there are animal products in the food, but whether religious standards have been adhered to in food production.
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11 minMain dishpeanut oil, tofu stir-fry cubes finely seasoned, stir fry sauce sweet and sour, thick noodles, carrot julienne, beetroot julienne, yellow bell pepper, watercress,rainbow salad with tofu -
45 minMain dishRed cabbage, mild olive oil, quinoa plus, forest outing, lemon, sesame oil, soy sauce less salt, Bio Today tahini white in pot, tap water,grilled red cabbage with quinoa salad -
30 minDessertBrie, Roquefort, port salut, gruyere, Camembert, walnut, garlic, thyme, honey, grape, baguette, Red onion, red grape, raisins, Red wine, Red wine vinegar, Brown sugar,generous cheese plate with onion marmalade -
30 minDessertFull Milk, whipped cream, macaroon, custard powder, vanilla sugar, sugar, protein, amaretto, almond liqueur, basic recipe cooking pears,macaroon pastry with casserole
Gelatin
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Gelatin is an ingredient which is prepared from animal collagen. So if there is gelatin with the ingredients, it is of animal origin. It doesn't have to be mentioned to become of which animal. By the way: gelatin does not have an E number.
Rennet (cheese)
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To make cheese from milk, rennet is added. It is an auxiliary substance used to thicken cheese. Rennet usually comes from the stomach of a dead calf. But rennet can also be made from plant extracts or microorganisms such as bacteria that may or may not be genetically modified. A label does not have to say whether the rennet is animal or not. Sometimes a label reads "vegetarian rennet" or "microbial rennet". These are then of non-animal origin. With cheeses with the vegetarian label, you can assume that they are made from vegetarian rennet.
Gotcha
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Some products do not need to state ingredients on the packaging. Examples: Bread: From a legal point of view, fresh bread does not have to contain an overview of the ingredients. So you cannot see what is in the bread. Often some fat (bread improver) is added to bread, and this can be of animal origin. You can ask the seller if this is of animal origin. Sometimes they unfortunately do not know. Alternatively, you can buy prepackaged bread from the supermarket. This must contain an ingredients overview. It must also indicate whether the fat used is of animal or vegetable origin. Wine and fruit juices: During production, wine and fruit juice are clarified, this removes the turbidity from the liquid. Gelatin may have been used for this. This does not have to be on the packaging. If you want to know whether gelatin has been used for this, please contact the manufacturer. Eggs: Eggs from a biodynamic farm may be fertilized, so there may be a very small ovary in the egg. You can recognize eggs from a biodynamic farm by the Demeter quality mark. Eggs from other farms are vegetarian. Chewing gum: Gelatin may be used in the production of chewing gum. This does not have to be on the packaging. If you want to be sure that no animal products have been used, buy chewing gum with a vegetarian or vegan quality mark.
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Some products do not need to state ingredients on the packaging. Examples: Bread: From a legal point of view, fresh bread does not have to contain an overview of the ingredients. So you can
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5 minDrink without alcoholbananas, cool fresh apple-pear raspberry juice, Soy drink vanilla,soy fruit shake -
20 minMain dishsauerkraut, sticking potato, liquid baking product, half-to-half minced, Spice meatballs, pineapple, olive oil, liquid baking product,gratin sauerkraut dish with minced meat -
40 minMain dishlemongrass, fresh ginger, Red peppers, onions, tomato cubes, fresh cod fillet, coriander, oil, ground turmeric (koenjit), coconut milk, salt,fish in creamy coconut sauce -
15 minSide dishsweet potato, soft goat cheese, egg, spring / forest onion,stuffed sweet potato with egg