Kitchen Contamination

[majorbloodnok]

The point @LoreD makes about allergies is important and goes further. A restaurant has absolutely no idea about why someone is choosing an option labelled as vegan so the avoidance of cross contamination is far more important than accommodating preferences; it's a health and safety issue. As a result, at least in the UK, any food outlet stating that something they cook is vegan is legally required to take all necessary steps to ensure there is no cross contamination - at least at any levels that might be medically significant, which includes avoiding traces. That doesn't just mean using separate boards for chopping different food groups but separation and isolation in terms of storage, preparation, cooking, serving and environmental cleanliness and demonstrably enforced processes and training that ensure those practices are followed as a matter of course and not just reliant on someone remembering. The only thing they're not legally required to do is remove the idea from diners' minds that plant based and non plant based ingredients are used in the same kitchen.

I'm well aware that many vegans are turned off by the notion of consuming non plant based items as well as the reality of doing so, but in any UK restaurant adhering to the law any cross contamination of vegan dishes with non plant based traces is almost certainly from an errant invertebrate that evaded even the best efforts of cleaning the fruit and veg.

I do not, of course, try to claim that all UK restaurants always abide by the law; that's why we have regular inspections in place. Nonetheless, the penalties for transgressions can be pretty punitive and the power to shut a restaurant down is certainly used when necessary.

 

[Clairey]

There are vegan brands available here. I'm not sure you can find them in Sweden though.

I usually buy this brand:
View attachment 28309

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Thank you. I never knew there were other Worcester Sauce's. I like thr picture of the Wizard. If i can find the contact details i am going to send an email (or letter) to see if it can be sold in the UK. Ive just got up out of bed and this is a nice start to the day.

 

[majorbloodnok]

Thank you. I never knew there were other Worcester Sauce's. I like thr picture of the Wizard. If i can find the contact details i am going to send an email (or letter) to see if it can be sold in the UK. Ive just got up out of bed and this is a nice start to the day.

There are certainly a number of different vegan products that call themselves Worcestershire Sauce, some good some not so. The best and most widely available alternative I have found in the UK, though, doesn't call itself Worcestershire Sauce at all; it's Henderson's relish. Nonetheless, I find it's an excellent substitute, particularly in my home-made barbecue sauce.

 

[Ydobon777]

I was raised vegetarian and have never eaten meat or fish. Until I went fully vegan in 2015 I would still eat from restaurants and kitchens which served meat, but after eliminating eggs, dairy, and avoiding non-vegan wine and beer, I quickly realized the contamination problem which is everywhere. For me, the purpose of being vegan is to avoid eating animal products because I’m completely turned off and disgusted by eating even small amounts of animal grease, traces, byproducts etc. It seems to me like most people are ok with eating at ‘vegan friendly’ restaurants even though it’s highly probable that the food contains traces of animal products due to shared deep fryers, burger grills, and even tools such as knives and pizza cutters. I’m curious just how many of us care about completely avoiding animal products in our food?!

To be honest... I am from a very rural place and the thought of '' all vegan restaurant '' is crazy to me. We do not even have a proper restaurant, no disrespect to you at all, but it seems like y'all are living on another planet when you make comments like that :/
The privilege to be able to choose, having choice is not acknowledged by a lot of Vegans. I totally understand your point and I may never have this view if I weren't born and raised in rural places my whole life, but seeing how miserable we are, it makes me conscious that we don't get to pick and choose, because we can't even if we want to ! If a Vegan is concerned, I would advise them to take their privilege and shop / eat at '' Vegan only '' places, so there will be no issues with cross contamination. But even then ... There is scandals of cross contamination here in France in Dark-kitchen Vegan spots and oat milk being contaminated by Dairy. It feels like it's hard to avoid c:

 

[nuheir]

I've always had problems with kitchen contamination. I wish other people in general would understand the objections vegans have to cross-contamination from a culinary standpoint as well as from a lifestyle choice standpoint.

 

[FredVegrox]

I reduced trouble from that with making my meals in my own place, and more certainty that I just eat what comes from plants buying almost all I use as whole foods.

 

[Clairey]

If people do things properly eg wrapping food in the kitchen and clean up after themselves when they have used the kitchen there would be slightly less of a problem.
If people do not take care of that you are going to be at risk of cross contamination from germs even if you were all vegan.
I personally do not like the thought of raw meat in my kitchen and i am unsure that i would even allow it through my front door.

 

[Clairey]

I was raised vegetarian and have never eaten meat or fish. Until I went fully vegan in 2015 I would still eat from restaurants and kitchens which served meat, but after eliminating eggs, dairy, and avoiding non-vegan wine and beer, I quickly realized the contamination problem which is everywhere. For me, the purpose of being vegan is to avoid eating animal products because I’m completely turned off and disgusted by eating even small amounts of animal grease, traces, byproducts etc. It seems to me like most people are ok with eating at ‘vegan friendly’ restaurants even though it’s highly probable that the food contains traces of animal products due to shared deep fryers, burger grills, and even tools such as knives and pizza cutters. I’m curious just how many of us care about completely avoiding animal products in our food?!

I bought a 'flower farm' so called plant based spread. The smell and taste reminded me of an old fashioned cake meaning milk and eggs and butter . I read the small print and it had 'egg yolk' in little tiny letters on the side of the carton.
There were probably loads of people conned into buying it.
In fact, yes, it put me off the vegan foods in the supermarket which i dont really want anyway.
Safer to stay around whole foods and put your choice of ingredients together.
That only really leaves the fresh fruit and vegetables in the supermarket .
At least the fresh fruit and vegetables are genuine.
(Unless you're really unlucky and get a creepy crawly)

 

[FredVegrox]

I bought a 'flower farm' so called plant based spread. The smell and taste reminded me of an old fashioned cake meaning milk and eggs and butter . I read the small print and it had 'egg yolk' in little tiny letters on the side of the carton.
There were probably loads of people conned into buying it.
In fact, yes, it put me off the vegan foods in the supermarket which i dont really want anyway.
Safer to stay around whole foods and put your choice of ingredients together.
That only really leaves the fresh fruit and vegetables in the supermarket .
At least the fresh fruit and vegetables are genuine.
(Unless you're really unlucky and get a creepy crawly)

It is a hard lesson and I sympathize. Plant-based shown is not quite good enough for certainty, and unless what packaged item shows it is vegan certified, I would look carefully over the ingredients. It really is a relief to me to get most of what I eat from the produce section in the store, mostly organic from that, and knowing the healthy way I was blessed to learn about.

 

[Clairey]

It is a hard lesson and I sympathize. Plant-based shown is not quite good enough for certainty, and unless what packaged item shows it is vegan certified, I would look carefully over the ingredients. It really is a relief to me to get most of what I eat from the produce section in the store, mostly organic from that, and knowing the healthy way I was blessed to learn about.

Thank you for the advice about being vegan certified. I do already look to see if it says vegan. If not i do not buy it. The problem is the egg yolk on the flower farm so called vegan plant based spread was its thickener. If i see thickener or stabiliser now on the ingredients i do not know if it is egg yolk even if it says it is vegan.
There are a list of ingredients i can buy that are definitely vegan and healthy.

 

[shyvas]

I bought a 'flower farm' so called plant based spread. The smell and taste reminded me of an old fashioned cake meaning milk and eggs and butter . I read the small print and it had 'egg yolk' in little tiny letters on the side of the carton.
There were probably loads of people conned into buying it.
In fact, yes, it put me off the vegan foods in the supermarket which i dont really want anyway.
Safer to stay around whole foods and put your choice of ingredients together.
That only really leaves the fresh fruit and vegetables in the supermarket .
At least the fresh fruit and vegetables are genuine.
(Unless you're really unlucky and get a creepy crawly)

I`ve never seen this brand before (Dutch?) and the only version that I`ve found is 100 % plant based/vegan.
Moreover, it has some excellent reviews.

Sainsbury's online Grocery Shopping and Fresh Food Delivery

www.sainsburys.co.uk

 

[Clairey]

I`ve never seen this brand before (Dutch?) and the only version that I`ve found is 100 % plant based/vegan.
Moreover, it has some excellent reviews.

Sainsbury's online Grocery Shopping and Fresh Food Delivery

www.sainsburys.co.uk

Look again at the side of the carton underneath the sea salt.
The second line/sentence. Egg yolk.
Thanks for replying. I am pleased to see this subject of things. I read reviews. A real con.

 

[shyvas]

Look again at the side of the carton underneath the sea salt.
The second line/sentence. Egg yolk.
Thanks for replying. I am pleased to see this subject of things. I read reviews. A real con.

As I`ve previously stated I have never seen this product in a supermarket> However their website does stipulate that the products
are 100% plant based. I wonder whether there has been something lost in translation as it`s a Dutch company. They do state that if you use
the list of ingredients and substitute egg yolk as an emulsifier, this spread can be made at home.

It`s virtually impossible to put out false information on packaging these days because of allergy risks to consumers which would simply result in huge court proceedings. You do not need a product to have the Vegan or Vegan society label on it to be sure that it`s vegan.

The Flower Farm - Spread with a mission

 

[Clairey]

As I`ve previously stated I have never seen this product in a supermarket> However their website does stipulate that the products
are 100% plant based. I wonder whether there has been something lost in translation as it`s a Dutch company. They do state that if you use
the list of ingredients and substitute egg yolk as an emulsifier, this spread can be made at home.

It`s virtually impossible to put out false information on packaging these days because of allergy risks to consumers which would simply result in huge court proceedings. You do not need a product to have the Vegan or Vegan society label on it to be sure that it`s vegan.

The Flower Farm - Spread with a mission

Notice the spoonful of egg yolk ingredient is in tiny writing. The rest of the ingredients are in bigger letters.

 

[silva]

Notice the spoonful of egg yolk ingredient is in tiny writing. The rest of the ingredients are in bigger letters.

As Shyvas stated it talks about how you would make at home-"using a tiny amount of egg yolk but then it would not be vegan"
In ingredients it lists:
Ingredients: vegetable oils and fats (sunflower oil (62%), shea butter (38%)), water, carrot juice, sea salt, emulsifier: mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, lemon juice, natural flavouring, vitamins: A, D.

 

[Clairey]

As Shyvas stated it talks about how you would make at home-"using a tiny amount of egg yolk but then it would not be vegan"
In ingredients it lists:
Ingredients: vegetable oils and fats (sunflower oil (62%), shea butter (38%)), water, carrot juice, sea salt, emulsifier: mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, lemon juice, natural flavouring, vitamins: A, D.

I am not so sure about. What ingredient did they use themself then?
From what i have read from Shyvas's links somebody wanted to create a spread with no palm oil to try and save the trees.

 

[silva]

I am not so sure about. What ingredient did they use themself then?
From what i have read from Shyvas's links somebody wanted to create a spread with no palm oil to try and save the trees.

I listed the ingredients from their site:
emulsifier: mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, lemon juice

Mono and diglycerides can be either animal or plant based. This is listed as vegan so...plant based
It is odd to see a product with how you'd make yourself, but I appreciate that as it's how I explain vegan subs.
When I've made vegan butter I used soy lecithin as emulsifier.

 

[Clairey]

Oh i see.

 

[silva]

A lot of packaged bread have mono or diglycerides.
I'm glad to see their caring about palm oil--it's so hard to avoid!
Never had shea in food before, only see as moisturizer

 

[Clairey]

why don't they give lemon juice as the ingredient to use at home then?
I have also seen shea butter as a moisturiser.
The flower farm spread smelled like an old fashioned cake mixture margarine.
Eg margarine, eggs and sugar.
I never used it.
I tried to post it on here about a year ago but could not remember my password then forgot all about it.