vegans angry about "vegan" baked goods

[prioritarian]

The Rational Vegan | Facebook

My Face Is On Fire: On Sprinkles and Integrity

During one visit in the spring we noticed that you use Sprinkle King brand sprinkles. My daughter is a baker and stated that Sprinkle King is not vegan as they contain confectioner's glaze (with insect shellac).
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More on shellac:
Why I Don't Support Eating Insects

Obessions with trivial contaminants is, IMO, missing the forest for the trees. Vegans who eat bone char sugar, palm oil, generic chocolate, and drive motorized couches should not be casting stones!

 

[ledboots]

The Rational Vegan | Facebook

My Face Is On Fire: On Sprinkles and Integrity

During one visit in the spring we noticed that you use Sprinkle King brand sprinkles. My daughter is a baker and stated that Sprinkle King is not vegan as they contain confectioner's glaze (with insect shellac).
​

More on shellac:
Why I Don't Support Eating Insects

Obessions with trivial contaminants is, IMO, missing the forest for the trees. Vegans who eat bone char sugar, palm oil, generic chocolate, and drive motorized couches should not be casting stones!

That vegan bakery lied to its customers, though, by using non-vegan ingredients like Chex cereal, and shellac on sprinkles. Vegans would not expect to find these things at a vegan bakery, so those that choose not to eat these items should have been informed.

 

[flyingsnail]

In the case of shellac, I think its more about consistency than the issue with " trivial contaminants", I just can't wrap my head around the vegan position on insects. For example, I often have issues with ants....would I have to allow them to crawl throughout my home to be vegan? Since shellac isn't vegan, I can't imagine why the use of ant spray and poisons would be vegan and ants really don't pose any health risk (at least, not the small black ones around here) When I spray for ants I reckon I kill far more insects than I would by eating a vegan baked good made with a small amount of shellac.

The cereal thing is interesting too, I see a lot of vegans eating commercially made cereals nearly all of which contain animal derived vitamin D. I guess these are fake vegans?

What do you call someone that is vegan except shellac and animal derived vitamin D? A vegetarian? Too bad there aren't more terms to better characterize the positions people have on these issues.

 

[PTree15]

That vegan bakery lied to its customers, though, by using non-vegan ingredients like Chex cereal, and shellac on sprinkles. Vegans would not expect to find these things at a vegan bakery, so those that choose not to eat these items should have been informed.

Amen, full disclosure allows for customers to make their own decisions regarding what they will and will not consume. I used to buy Vegan Treats desserts all the time when I lived in Philly. If all of this deception is true, I will cross that company off my list and no longer support it with my dollars.

 

[prioritarian]

That vegan bakery lied to its customers, though, by using non-vegan ingredients like Chex cereal, and shellac on sprinkles. Vegans would not expect to find these things at a vegan bakery, so those that choose not to eat these items should have been informed.

I think you have a point when it comes to chex cereal but shellac is used in many foods and is almost never listed as an ingredient. Getting worked up over shellac is similar to getting worked up over bone-char sugar...and how many vegans avoid all baked goods made with bleached cane sugar?

 

[Calliegirl]

I see it listed on a lot of foods, especially candy, usually as confectioner's glaze.

It's very disappointing to hear about Vegan Treats stance, and blaming PETA for their use of animal products. Sprinkles and chex cereal are not required ingredients for baked goods, so their choice to use animal ingredients and not inform customers, shows they put profits over compassion and integrity. They are being removed from my directory.

 

[PTree15]

I see it listed on a lot of foods, especially candy, usually as confectioner's glaze.

It's very disappointing to hear about Vegan Treats stance, and blaming PETA for their use of animal products. Sprinkles and chex cereal are not required ingredients for baked goods, so their choice to use animal ingredients and not inform customers, shows they put profits over compassion and integrity. They are being removed from my directory.

Yep, many kinds of shiny-looking candy, especially chocolate-covered whatever and jelly beans, almost always list confectioner's glaze as an ingredient.

 

[prioritarian]

Yep, many kinds of shiny-looking candy, especially chocolate-covered whatever and jelly beans, almost always list confectioner's glaze as an ingredient.

And it's ubiquitously used as a coating for fruit, nuts, coffee beans, and 70%+ dark chocolate (especially organic fruit since petroleum-derived waxes are not "organic"). Confectioner's glaze is listed as ingredient because it uses a mix of volatile organic compounds as a carrier for the resin. Pure shellac wax has FDA GRAS status so there is no requirement to list it as an ingredient.

 

[prioritarian]

redacted

 

[Second Summer]

I think you have a point when it comes to chex cereal but shellac is used in many foods and is almost never listed as an ingredient. Getting worked up over shellac is similar to getting worked up over bone-char sugar...and how many vegans avoid all baked goods made with bleached cane sugar?

The fact that many vegans might eat products with shellac and bone-char sugar, knowingly and/or unknowingly, does not make these products any more vegan. If we aim to rid the world of these products, then we can't put the vegan stamp of approval on them. And I'm probably one of those vegans who have (to some extent) unknowingly consumed such products, but I still refuse to accept them as vegan products. There is a difference between vegan products and product a vegan might consume/use.

 

[prioritarian]

The fact that many vegans might eat products with shellac and bone-char sugar, knowingly and/or unknowingly, does not make these products any more vegan.

Since many products are generally acceptable for vegans even though they have trivial amounts of animal product contaminants I believe a consistent position would be to accept all foods with trivial contaminants. It's a fairly common position too.

 

[Second Summer]

Since many products are generally acceptable for vegans even though they have trivial amounts of animal product contaminants I believe a consistent position would be to accept all foods with trivial contaminants. It's a fairly common position too.

What do you mean by "accept" and "acceptable"? I will not accept that such products are vegan. And I'm not sure "contaminants" is the best term to describe the substances if they have are a necessary ingredient in the production, or have been deliberately added to make the product appear more appealing.

 

[ledboots]

If I eat oreos, I have accepted that I might be eating bone char sugar.

If I eat a chocolate cookie from a vegan bakery, marked vegan, I expect no bone char sugar or shiny bug lacquer.

 

[flyingsnail]

I think a vegan bakery would drive themselves nuts trying to avoid shellac and I doubt many bother. Wouldn't it be ironic if vegans drove a successful vegan businesses out of business.....due to some shellac?

There is a business issue here as well, businesses need a consistent supply of ingredients at a consistent costs and get that from a variety of distributors....but none of these distributors are vegan friendly. As such, insisting on this level of vegan purity puts these businesses in a difficult position. Its a bit strange, I think, that many vegans allow these sorts of things in their diet because they are too difficult to avoid but think a food businesses is in a better position to avoid them.

 

[prioritarian]

What do you mean by "accept" and "acceptable"?

I personally am fine with someone who eats foods made with bone char sugar or trivial amounts of contaminants (e.g. dough conditioners, fining agents, or shellac) calling themselves vegan. In fact, I think bone char sugar is arguably a more significant ethical issue than shellac. Since the confectionery sprinkles used by vegan treats were almost certainly made with bone char sugar I personally believe it does not make much sense to become upset about shellac.

 

[prioritarian]

If I eat oreos, I have accepted that I might be eating bone char sugar.
If I eat a chocolate cookie from a vegan bakery, marked vegan, I expect no bone char sugar or shiny bug lacquer.

i prefer a "possible and practical" standard that is applied the same whether the food comes from a vegan or non-vegan company.