A journalist recently asked us about L-cysteine for an article she was doing on food additives. For others interested in L-cysteine, here’s a summary in question and answer format based on information relayed to us by several food industry employees over the past few years.

Q. Is L-cysteine a softening agent that is used in many types of bread?

A. L-cysteine is best described, (as it is in the FDA’s Code of Federal Regulations), as a dough conditioner or dough strengthener. It makes the dough more manageable, (i.e., able to be stretched out and unlikely to bounce back to its original ball-like state when making a pizza crust, for example).

It is most common in pizza dough and bagels. It may be present in other types of bread products, too.

Q. Can it be derived from hog hair, human hair, and feathers?

A. The major commercial sources of L-cysteine today are Chinese and Indian avian feathers and human hair. Hog’s hair as a source is likely when the hair/feather supply is low. Because the industrial plants needed to extract L-cysteine exist in China, most of the extraction is done there (i.e., it’s too costly for companies to ship feathers/hair and extract it here when the feathers, hair and industrial plants are already there).

Dark hair is richer in L-cysteine than light hair. Although there is no technical difference between L-cysteine derived from feathers versus that derived from human hair, industry sources have told us that human hair-derived L-cysteine is considered better and preferred in Europe.

Q. Is it sometimes, but not always, listed on labels?

A. According to the CFR (http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=101.4) under paragraph 18, L-cysteine is listed on labels, usually in a parenthetical expression after the term “dough conditioner.” However, it need not be listed if L-cysteine is an ingredient used to make other ingredients which are in a final product. For example, L-cysteine used as a “reaction flavor” (http://askfsis.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/465/related/1 see #7) need not be labeled. Another example is in a pizza kit in which there are individual packets of dough, sauce, and seasonings in a larger box. L-cysteine may be in the dough but not labeled as an ingredient in the kit.

Q. Is it safe (but possibly undesirable) to eat?

A. L-cysteine has GRAS status (Generally Recognized as Safe) http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=184.1271.

FDA considers it safe when used at suggested levels for dough conditioning. Human or animal sources may be undesirable to some people. Synthetic and microbial versions of L-cysteine exist and are used in products with an approximately 10% total market share, but at present are more costly than hair- or feather-derived L-cysteine.

For more information on ingredients, visit http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

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The contents of this article, our website, and our other publications, including the Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company employees or company statements. Information changes and mistakes are always possible. Please use your own best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. Further research or confirmation may be warranted.

Long-time VRG members recently asked us why “…almost every item we pick up to read the ingredients have a disclaimer saying that the item was made on shared equipment that also processes eggs, soy, peanuts and wheat.”

The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004, (FALCPA), is the reason why manufacturers must list on food labels any of the eight allergens, (milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans), determined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be potentially harmful to the majority of allergy sufferers. Because highly sensitive individuals could have adverse reactions to even very small quantities of allergen present in food due to cross-contamination from equipment on which food containing the allergen was previously manufactured, some companies voluntarily indicate that shared equipment was used. Doing so may protect the manufacturer from legal liability if an adverse reaction occurs from a food product which does not contain the allergen as an intended ingredient but was produced on shared equipment.

Currently FALCPA does not require a “may contain” statement or anything similar such as a shared equipment disclaimer. (Question 13 on this FAQ page: http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/FoodAllergensLabeling/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/ucm106890.htm#q10 and Question 16 on this one: http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/GuidanceDocuments/FoodLabelingNutrition/ucm059116.htm) FDA emphasizes only that

FDA advised that advisory labeling such as “may contain [allergen]” should not be used as a substitute for adherence to current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs). In addition, any advisory statement such as “may contain [allergen]” must be truthful and not misleading.

However, in the statement of the Act, there is a paragraph that states that FDA is aware of cross-contamination of major allergens due to shared equipment and requires further research into the subject. (Section 204 on this page: http://www.fda.gov/food/labelingnutrition/FoodAllergensLabeling/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/ucm106187.htm).

In December 2005, FDA added this further clarification to its FAQ page (Question 18): http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/GuidanceDocuments/FoodLabelingNutrition/ucm059116.htm:
Is a major food allergen that has been unintentionally added to a food as the result of cross-contact subject to FALCPA’s labeling requirements?
No. FALCPA’s labeling requirements do not apply to major food allergens that are unintentionally added to a food as the result of cross-contact. In the context of food allergens, “cross-contact ” occurs when a residue or other trace amount of an allergenic food is unintentionally incorporated into another food that is not intended to contain that allergenic food. Cross-contact may result from customary methods of growing and harvesting crops, as well as from the use of shared storage, transportation, or production equipment.

The Act states in Section 202 that undeclared allergens have become more frequent resulting in more FDA food recalls. FDA provides current information about undeclared allergens in specific food products on its website: http://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls/default.htm. According to Food Safety News, undeclared allergens accounted for more than one in three food recalls during the last quarter of 2011: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/02/recalls-of-fda-regulated-foods-spiked-up-last-quarter/#.UT0aCjdhuSp

The contents of this article, our website, and our other publications, including the Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company employees or company statements. Information does change and mistakes are always possible. Please use your own best judgement about whether a product is suitable for you. Further research or confirmation may be warranted.

To purchase our Guide to Food Ingredients, please visit our website: http://www.vrg.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=8

For information on food ingredients, fast food, and for other information of interest to vegetarians and vegans, please subscribe to our enewsletter at http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/

To support VRG research, you can donate at http://www.vrg.org/donate

Lipases are enzymes used to impart distinct aromas and flavors to certain cheeses through the breakdown of milkfat.

Traditionally, most lipases originated from cow and pig pancreatic glands as well as the pre-gastric juices of calves, lambs or baby goats. Animal lipases are predominantly used in artisanal European cheeses that traditionally contained lipases and are very common in the United States in certain cheese varieties possessing lipase-derived flavors.

Microbial lipases derived exclusively from yeast, bacteria or fungi without any animal genetic origin have become commercially available and are commonly used in a wide variety of industries including several food industries. Lipase researchers reported in a 2011 article in the Indian Journal of Science and Technology that mostly microbial lipases are used commercially today while animal lipases are used in approximately 18% of all applications.

Kraft told us in August 2012 that animal lipase and animal rennet are common in many Kraft products. If “lipase” appears on their label, it is animal lipase. Their customer service representative said “microbial enzymes” on a Kraft package means that more than one type of enzyme may be present; if so, one type could be animal while the other is microbial. Organic Valley told us in August 2012 that animal lipases are used in certain Organic Valley cheeses.

Dairy cheese-eating vegetarians should keep in mind that most European and many American cheese varieties including Parmesan, Romano, and provolone are made with animal lipase. Microbial lipases created without any animal gene recombinant technology are not preferred by most cheese makers due to poor taste results in the final cheese products. However, large cheese companies may still use microbial lipase because they want the byproduct of cheese production: kosher whey used widely in packaged foods.

Lipases are critical in the production of concentrated cheese flavors known as enzyme modified cheeses (EMC) and enzyme modified dairy ingredients (EMDI). EMC and EMDI are found in many types of packaged foods. It appears that they may be labeled as “natural flavors” with no mention of enzymes on an ingredient statement. (By contrast, when lipases are used in cheese, the ingredient label must state “enzyme” although further information on enzyme type is not mandatory.)

From our informal survey of vegan cheese crafters and companies in November 2012, non-dairy cheeses are not typically flavored with lipases. Companies are generally unwilling to share specific information about their flavor profiles.

The contents of this article, our website, and our other publications, including the Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company employees or company statements. Information does change and mistakes are always possible. Please use your own best judgement about whether a product is suitable for you. Further research or confirmation may be warranted.

To purchase our Guide to Food Ingredients, please visit our website: http://www.vrg.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=8

For information on food ingredients, fast food, and for other information of interest to vegetarians and vegans, please subscribe to our enewsletter at http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/

To support VRG research, you can donate at http://www.vrg.org/donate

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The VRG received an email in January 2013 from a reader inquiring about Starbucks® Vanilla Spice Latte He wanted to know if the natural flavors in the new drink were all-vegetable.

We called the Seattle Starbucks® corporate headquarters and were told by a customer service representative that information on natural flavors was proprietary. He said that “I don’t know if they’re animal or not, and I have no access to information other than what is on the company’s website.” http://www.starbucks.com/ He consulted with his supervisor at our request who told him that no further information was available.

The VRG asked if it were possible to provide a list of Starbucks® menu items that were completely all-vegetable. We were told that no such list was available to him on the Starbucks® website nor on the internal website used by Starbucks® staff.

The rep suggested that we contact a local Starbucks® manager who would at least have the syrup bottles with ingredient lists displayed on the label.

So the VRG called a Baltimore-area Starbucks® in January 2013. We spoke to the manager who was very willing to look into the matter for us among the resources she had at her store. Unfortunately, after looking, she had no information regarding the natural flavors in Starbucks® products. She read off the label from the syrup used in the Vanilla Spice Latte: “sugar, water, natural flavor, citric acid, potassium sorbate.” She also read from the label that the syrup had been manufactured by another company for Starbucks® but had no further information on it.

The VRG emailed Starbucks® in January 2013 to see if we’d get any further information on vegan menu items. We asked specifically whether the natural flavors in the Vanilla Spice Latte were plant- or animal-derived. We also requested a list of vegan products. Within ten hours we received the following response from a customer service representative:

We use the term “natural flavors” in compliance with the labeling requirements of the Food and Drug Administration. (These can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations Book 21 CFR 101.22) If you have concerns about a product possibly containing ingredients that you do not wish to consume, we would recommend that you not consume that menu item and instead try a different option.

I can confirm that the following beverages and food items are currently suitable for vegans.
Drinks:
Tazo Tea
Filter Coffee
Café Misto with Soy
Steamed Soy with or without syrups
Espresso
Espresso Macchiato with Soy
Café Americano black or with Soy
Soy Lattes with or without syrups
Soy Cappuccinos with or without syrups
Mocha with Soy
Classic Hot chocolate with Soy
Tea based Frappuccinos
Frappuccinos made with Soy milk without whipped cream (excluding our Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino due to the Chocolate Chips in the beverage recipe as they contain dairy. Our Caramel Drizzle topping is also not suitable for vegans as it contains dairy.)
Food:
Perfect Porridge with Soy Milk and dried fruit
Very Berry Compote
Fresh Fruit Salad
Fruit Salad
Fairtrade Banana
Roasted Almonds
Nut Mix
Fairtrade Chocolate bar – dark
Sea Salt Potato Chips
Sea Salt and Cider Vinegar Potato Chips
Lollipops
After Coffee Mints
Please ask the barista in store if you are unable to locate these items.

The contents of this article, our website, and our other publications, including the Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company employees or company statements. Information does change and mistakes are always possible. Please use your own best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. Further research or confirmation may be warranted.

The VRG received an inquiry from a food company in January 2013 about vegan sugar defined as sugar that had not been processed through cow bone char. As we reported in a 2007 update, most United States cane sugar continues to be decolorized through cow bone char.

We spoke with two employees at C&H® Sugar in January 2013 who told us that most of their sugar not certified USDA Organic is processed through “natural charcoal” (i.e., cow bone char). Their Washed Raw Sugar has not been decolorized using bone char but it is only produced at its Hawaii plant and not available for widespread distribution especially in large quantities. However, the company is looking into purchasing cane sugar from other nations in order to expand production of the Washed Raw Sugar.

C&H® directed us to its sister companies: Florida Crystals® and Domino® Sugar. Florida Crystals sugar, both conventional and USDA Organic varieties, has not been processed through cow bone char. It is widely available in both large and small quantities.

Comparatively speaking, Florida Crystals® is more expensive than other sugar brands. For example, in January 2013 The VRG noticed several online stores selling their own store brand conventional sugar for approximately $3/4 lbs. while Florida Crystals® sugar sells for approximately $6/4 lbs. http://shop.floridacrystals.com/Natural-Sugar

Similarly, large quantities of sugar differ significantly in price. Conventional cane sugar at several online stores sells for approximately $23/50 lbs. while Florida Crystals® cane sugar sells for approximately $36/25 lbs. Florida Crystals® Demerara Sugar costs approximately $58/50 lbs.

The VRG spoke with Shannon, a customer service representative at Domino® Sugar. She explained that although most Domino® Sugar has been processed through cow bone char, it is possible to tell from the sugar bag label whether is came from one of two of its nine North American plants in which processing does not involve cow bone char. One of the plants is located in Yonkers, NY and the other is in Orlando, FL.

The first number/letter on the package code reveals the plant in which the sugar was processed. The number “1” identifies the Yonkers plant as the processing location. The letter “X” means that the sugar was processed at the Orlando plant.

The second number refers to the year in which the sugar was packaged (“2” for 2012). The third refers to the week in that year when the sugar was processed (“8” means the eighth week). The following number refers to the day of the week on which the sugar was processed (“2” refers to Tuesday). The following “A, B, or C” indicates the shift (morning, afternoon, or night) when the sugar underwent processing. The last number identifies the machine on which the sugar was processed.

Shannon could not specify whether sugar is only sold close to its plant of origin or whether it may travel long distances before being sold. Therefore, we cannot say that only stores close to Yonkers or Orlando carry Domino® Sugar that has not been processed through cow bone char.

In December 2012, The VRG reported that Australia has not used cow bone char to decolorize its sugar since 1990. Instead, Australians use non-animal activated carbon filters. The major Australian sugar company told us that they do not distribute to North or South America. http://www.vrg.org/blog/2012/12/19/non-animal-coal-filters-used-to-process-cane-sugar-in-australia/

The contents of this article, our website, and our other publications, including The Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company employees or company statements. Information does change and mistakes are always possible. Please use your own best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. Further research or confirmation may be warranted.

To purchase our Guide to Food Ingredients, please visit our website: http://www.vrg.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=8

For information on food ingredients, fast food, and for other information of interest to vegetarians and vegans, please subscribe to our enewsletter at http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/

To support VRG research, you can donate at http://www.vrg.org/donate

There are many ways to stay connected to The Vegetarian Resource Group!
Get our blog delivered right to your inbox: http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheVRGBlog
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An online reader asked us if a cow bone char filter is used in the manufacture of SPLENDA® Brand Sweetener (a brand name for sucralose), an artificial sweetener found in a wide variety of foods and beverages.

According to http://www.splenda.com/faq/no-calorie-sweetener#3, SPLENDA® Brand Sweetener is made “…through a patented, multi-step process that starts with sugar and converts it to a no-calorie, non-carbohydrate sweetener. The process selectively replaces three hydrogen-oxygen groups on the sugar molecule with three chlorine atoms.” http://www.splenda.com/faq/no-calorie-sweetener#19 also indicates that SPLENDA® contains small amounts of dextrose and/or maltodextrin (VRG note: both usually corn-derived).

Tate & Lyle, the British creator and current major manufacturer of SPLENDA® Brand Sweetener, describes its production methods on its website. http://www.tateandlyle.com/aboutus/ourindustry/pages/sucralose.aspx
This page specifies that the company “…uses ordinary granulated sugar, similar to that used in the home, as the starting material.”

A specialist in the technical resource division for bulk ingredients at Tate & Lyle in August, 2012 when talking about SPLENDA® told us that “no animal-sourced carbon is used in the processing of the sugar or the manufacturing process of our sucralose.”

The Tate & Lyle resource specialist told us by phone in October 2012 that he had contacted his supplier and was told that “…no bone char is used. The cane sugar comes from Australia and is further processed in Singapore.”

In November 2012 The VRG contacted CSR/Sugar Australia, http://www.sugaraustralia.com.au/, a company which described itself to us by email as “…the leading supplier of quality refined sugar products. We service the industrial and consumer sugar market and market the CSR Sugar brand. Sugar Australia produces over 700,000 tons of refined sugar a year, from our two refineries in Melbourne and Mackay.

Refined sugar is produced from raw sugar and the Australian raw sugar industry is one of the largest in the world. The Australian industry produces 4.6 million [metric] tons (10.1 billion pounds) of raw sugar annually and over 70 percent of this is exported. Sugar Australia is the largest domestic customer of Australian raw sugar, and the largest exporter of Australian refined sugar.” (By comparison according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/sugar-sweeteners/background.aspx, the United States produces approximately 3.6 million short tons (7.2 billion pounds) of raw sugarcane annually.)

Sugar Australia also told us that they “…export to many different countries; however, we do not export to South or North America.”
When asked about their decolorization methods, Sugar Australia told us that “[O]ur CSR/Sugar Australia refined white sugar is made at our Sugar Australia refineries in Melbourne, Victoria, and Mackay, Queensland. Both sites use a number of purification steps towards converting the bulk non-food grade raw sugar into the food grade white refined sugar product. The major decolourising step uses granular activated carbon that is derived from coal. This replaced the bone charcoal decolourisation step (which used to use roasted cow bones) that was used until about 1990.

I assume your concern is in relation to the use of animal products. I can state that no animal products at all are used in the sugar refining process by us.

We also have Halal certification and Kosher certifications for our range of sugar products.”

The VRG contacted the Australian Vegetarian Society to see if they could confirm our findings. The AVS president received a reply from Sugar Australia to his inquiry: “I would like to know if you use cow bone char as a refining process, or indeed if you use any animal products at any stage of processing.”

Narelle in the Customer Service Department at Sugar Australia in November 2012 replied to AVS: “I can confirm that we do not use any animal products in our refining process. We use carbon in our processes however this is not sourced from any animal products or byproducts.”

We also asked JK Sucralose, Inc., http://www.jksucralose.com/, the second major sucralose company based in China. An employee at the New Jersey office of JK Sucralose told The VRG by phone in July 2012 that “cane sugar is always used.” No further information was available on how the cane sugar used to make sucralose was processed.

Interested readers may find our 2007 sugar article of interest: http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2007issue4/2007_issue4_sugar.php. In this article, The VRG reported that leading sugar companies in the United States process most cane sugar through cow bone char filters in order to decolorize it.

The contents of this article, our website, and our other publications, including The Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company employees or company statements. Information does change and mistakes are always possible. Please use your own best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. Further research or confirmation may be warranted.

To purchase our Guide to Food Ingredients, please visit our website: http://www.vrg.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=8

For information on food ingredients, fast food, and for other information of interest to vegetarians and vegans, please subscribe to our enewsletter at http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/

To support VRG research, you can donate at http://www.vrg.org/donate

There are many ways to stay connected to The Vegetarian Resource Group!
Get our blog delivered right to your inbox: http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheVRGBlog
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Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/VegResourceGrp

In August 2012, The VRG received a question from a Canadian reader about butter oil. She saw it listed as an ingredient in several chocolate bar brands that appeared otherwise dairy-free. The reader was concerned that dairy-derived butter oil would make some of her favorite dark chocolate bars non-vegan and thus unsuitable for her.

The VRG contacted several chocolate companies in both the USA and Canada in September and October 2012 about butter oil. Based on what we’ve been told by phone and email correspondence, butter oil used in chocolate bars is dairy-derived. (Note: The VRG discovered one blog on the Internet which claimed that butter oil is derived from canola oil. No chocolate company using butter oil today whom we contacted substantiated this claim during research for this report.)

One of the chocolate bars in question was Godiva’s 72% Extra Dark Chocolate Bar. We learned that the butter oil in their 72% Extra Dark Chocolate Bar is “derived from dairy butter.” There are no other dairy-derived ingredients in this bar. The word “milk” does not appear in parentheses after “butter oil” as it does on the labels of some other brands.

Godiva does not state that any of their chocolate is vegan since the same equipment is used to make all of their products, most of which contain milk or milk products. As an example, the Godiva Santo Domingo Bar, available only in a few select boutiques, where there are …no direct milk ingredients…and is 85% cocoa, is not called vegan…It’s made on the same equipment as their milk chocolate bars. (Butter oil is not listed as an ingredient in this bar either.)

Barkleys Natural Confectionery based in British Columbia sells several flavors of Kayer Dark Chocolate Truffle Bars containing butter oil. Barkleys’ Director told us that “…our butter oil is derived from milk.” There are no other dairy-derived ingredients in this bar.

Barkley’s also stated that they will be “…launching three new flavors in the brand that will be vegan – using no butter oil.” The Kayer bars contain “organic coconut palm sugar” which is, according to their website, “a 100% organic, minimally processed, unfiltered, unbleached natural sweetener and contains no preservatives…no cane sugar added…just pure, unadulterated palm sugar made from 100% coconut nectar from Coco Nucifera.” For more information: http://www.barkleys.ca/page/1smyg/Kayer_Organic_Chocolate_Bars.html

Trader Joe’s carries several chocolate products listed on their Vegan Products page including 70% Dark Chocolate Bars and 72% Dark Chocolate: http://www.traderjoes.com/lists/vegan.asp. The VRG emailed Trader Joe’s about these bars’ ingredients asking specifically if butter oil was an ingredient. Nicki in Customer Relations emailed us a response: “There is no dairy used in our Trader Joe’s 70% Dark Chocolate Bars. Please know that we fully disclose all ingredients used in our TJ’S products.”

The VRG also asked a few other chocolate companies identified by our Canadian reader as those listing butter oil as an ingredient in their chocolate bars. We called Seattle Chocolates, Marich, and Maisie Jane’s. All three told us by phone that the butter oil used in their chocolate bars is derived from dairy butter.

VRG readers may like to know that Seattle Chocolates sells an Extreme Dark Truffle Bar which does not list butter oil or any other dairy ingredient in its ingredients statement: http://shop.seattlechocolates.com/scc/shop-chocolate/truffle-bars/extreme-dark-truffle-bar.html

Kristen of the Marich Confectionery Company told us by phone that their quality assurance manager confirmed that “the butter oil [in our chocolate products] is from dairy butter.” Kristen emailed The VRG with this information: “A few of our hand-packed products are vegan: Jelly Beans, Licorice Pastels, Celestial Sours, Black Heart Black & Black Cherry Licorice.” Ingredients are listed on their website: https://www.marich.com/

Della the office manager at Maisie Jane’s California Sunshine Products told us by phone and email that “No, we do not have any chocolate products that are vegan.” She stated that the “butter oil [in our chocolate products] is from dairy butter.” Della also said “Several of Maisie Jane’s items are vegan…: Almond Butter, Natural Almonds, Natural Organic Pistachios, Natural Organic Cashews, and our Tamari Almonds.” Ingredient information on Maisie Jane’s products can be found here: http://www.maisiejanes.com/

For more information about butter oil, readers may find the website of the Canadian Dairy Commission helpful. There it states that one advantage of using butter oil is the “control of fat bloom in chocolate candy:” http://www.milkingredients.ca/index-eng.php?id=173

The contents of this article, our website, and our other publications, including the Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company employees or company statements.Information does change and mistakes are always possible. Please use your own best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. Further research or confirmation may be warranted.

To learn more about the commercial sources of food ingredients or to purchase our Guide to Food Ingredients, please visit our website:
http://www.vrg.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=8

For information on food ingredients, fast food, and for other information of interest to vegetarians and vegans, please subscribe to our enewsletter at http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/

There are many ways to stay connected to The Vegetarian Resource Group!
Get our blog delivered right to your inbox: http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheVRGBlog
Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thevegetarianresourcegroup
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/VegResourceGrp

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An online reader at www.vrg.org recently asked us if the oligofructose and the fructooligosaccharides she noticed listed as ingredients in a few cereal bars were vegan. She also wondered what these ingredients were and what they were doing in cereal bars.

Oligofructose and fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are soluble (i.e., able to dissolve in water) dietary fibers. A definition of “fiber” developed in 2001 by the Dietary Fiber Technical Committee of the American Association of Cereal Chemists reads as follows:

“Dietary fiber is the edible parts of plants or analogous carbohydrates that are resistant to digestion and absorption in the human small intestine with complete or partial fermentation in the large intestine. Dietary fiber includes polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, lignin, and associated plant substances…”

Natural sources of soluble dietary fibers include legumes, oats, citrus fruits, apples, and root vegetables. Bananas, garlic, onions, leeks, and artichokes contain high levels of oligofructose and FOS.

Because oligofructose and FOS remain unchanged in the body until they reach the large intestine where they undergo fermentation, they act as food sources for probiotic (i.e., beneficial) microorganisms. As a result, oligofructose and FOS are considered “prebiotics.” The fermentation of oligofructose and FOS yields short-chain fatty acids which aid in digestive health by lowering the pH, making it difficult for pathogenic bacteria (E. coli and Salmonella) to survive while the “good” microorganisms continue to live. There are some studies that report that oligofructose and FOS also lead to increased calcium absorption because calcium remains soluble longer at lower pH.

Oligofructose and FOS often serve as sweeteners, replacing sugar or used in combination with soy, whey, or artificial sweeteners to reduce the bitter aftertaste sometimes associated with these ingredients. They may act as humectants (i.e., retaining moisture) to keep the foods (such as cereal bars) pliable and chewy. Because of their low caloric value, longer-chain oligofructose and FOS are also used as fat replacers in a variety of spreads and dairy beverages.

Oligofructose and FOS are linear chains (known as polymers) of fructose molecules, usually between two to ten units. Fructooligosaccharides always terminate with a glucose molecule while oligofructose most often contains only fructose molecules but may end with a glucose molecule. (Fructose and glucose are sugars. Fructose, found in fruits, vegetables, and honey, is considered the sweetest of all natural sugars.)

What oligofructose and FOS have in common is a very specific type of bonding (beta (2,1) glycosidic linkage) between individual molecules that is not broken by human enzymes or gastric juices.

A common commercial source of oligofructose and FOS is inulin, a fructose polymer, (also referred to as fructan or a polysaccharide), containing between 2 and 60 units, derived from chicory root. Longer-chained inulins work better at replacing fats (in yogurt, spreads and dressings) while shorter ones function well as sugar replacers or sweetener enhancers (in chocolate or confections). They all may be purchased as dietary supplements.

One type of oligofructose supplement is branded Orafti™ by Beneo. Chicory root is used as their starting material: http://www.beneo-orafti.com/Our-Products/Natural-Food-Ingredients Inulin is extracted from chicory root by hot water. Then inulin is split into shorter fragments of oligofructose by enzymes. Activated carbon is used to decolorize.

Beneo’s oligofructose received Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status for use in infant formula by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2012. The document linked below details production methods. (GRAS status means an ingredient may be used in all food categories, following good manufacturing practices, with only a few exceptions).

http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodIngredientsPackaging/GenerallyRecognizedasSafeGRAS/GRASListings/ucm307720.htm

Another company, Sensus America, received similar FDA GRAS status approval in 2002 for its inulin product derived from chicory root: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/fcn/gras_notices/219363a.pdf

The VRG contacted other companies in August 2012 about their FOS starting materials. Source Naturals, UAS Labs, Jarrow, and Food Science of Vermont use chicory root in their FOS products.

For more on oligofructose derived from chicory root:
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Chicory-root-fibre-could-trigger-weight-loss-finds-new-research

It is possible to create in a lab through a fermentation process short-chain fructans between two and five units long known as scFOS. These are derived from sucrose (from cane or beet sugar) and consist of fructose chains that always terminate in a glucose molecule. Of the companies that The VRG contacted in August 2012, Nutricology and American Ingredients stated that their source is sugar cane. VegLife (under Solaray) told us “sugar” but could not be more specific. NOW Foods said “sucrose.”

Interested readers may note that cane sugar and sugar beets are the two leading sources of sucrose (table sugar). The large majority of sugar produced globally is derived from sugar cane. As The VRG reported in 2007, most cane sugar is decolorized using cow bone char filter. http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2007issue4/2007_issue4_sugar.php

Readers who wish to learn more about inulin, oligofructose, and fructooligosaccharides may view:
http://www.foodproductdesign.com/articles/2007/09/the-ins-and-outs-of-oligosaccharides.aspx

The contents of this article, our website, and our other publications, including The Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company employees or company statements. Information does change and mistakes are always possible. Please use your own best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. Further research or confirmation may be warranted.

To purchase our Guide to Food Ingredients, please visit our website: http://www.vrg.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=8

For information on food ingredients, fast food, and for other information of interest to vegetarians and vegans, please subscribe to our enewsletter at http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/

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An online reader asked us if maltitol was a vegan ingredient. Maltitol is one of many polyols (sugar alcohols) used as sugar substitutes. Sugar alcohols are common in confections and baked goods. They are also widely used in the pharmaceutical industry. The VRG reported on another common polyol, glycerol, in September 2012: http://www.vrg.org/blog/2012/09/24/glycerol-and-mono-and-diglyceride-updates-mostly-vegetable-derived/

Here is a list of some common polyols (other than glycerol) found in food:

• Erythritol
• Isomalt
• Lactitol
• Maltitol
• Mannitol
• Sorbitol
• Xylitol

In July and August 2012, The VRG contacted several companies which manufacture polyols. The unanimous opinion was that they are all vegetable-derived. The notable exception is lactitol which is derived from cow’s milk.

A marketing department representative from Ingredion, (formerly Corn Products International, Inc.), a manufacturer of several polyols, told us that they use corn. Cargill told us: “Besides the isomalt which is only produced in Germany from sugar, the rest of the polyols in the United States are produced from corn. Erythritol can be produced from other carbohydrate sources (i.e. sugar), but currently is only produced from corn.” A sales representative from Danisco stated that xylitol may be a by-product of the paper industry, coming from hardwood trees.

A general manager at Mitsubishi Shoji Foodtech Co., Ltd. based in Japan told us by email that “all of the [following] polyols are of non-animal/vegetable origin:
maltitol, sorbitol: from corn or cassava starch; erythritol, mannitol: from sugar; xylitol: from xylose or corn cob.”

A document that we received in August 2012 from a Customer Care Assistant from DuPont Danisco, one of only a few manufacturers of lactitol, stated that they use lactose from cow’s milk to manufacture lactitol. Another employee of the company told The VRG that lactitol “…is becoming very common in oral health products, and in the food industry…there is a growing demand for it.”

A polyol specialist at Cargill told us in July 2012 when we asked if cow bone char filters were ever used in polyol processing: “I am not aware of bone char being used. Decolorization is normally done via activated carbon and ion exchange resin.”

The contents of this article, our website, and our other publications, including The Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company employees or company statements.Information does change and mistakes are always possible. Please use your own best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. Further research or confirmation may be warranted.

To purchase our Guide to Food Ingredients, please visit our website: http://www.vrg.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=8

For information on food ingredients, fast food, and for other information of interest to vegetarians and vegans, please subscribe to our enewsletter at http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/

There are many ways to stay connected to The Vegetarian Resource Group!
Get our blog delivered right to your inbox: http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheVRGBlog
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Glycerol, (also known as glycerin or glycerine), is a common ingredient or common starting material of other ingredients found in many foods and personal care products. When fat molecules, such as triglycerides, are broken down in a chemical reaction, glycerol is formed. Animal fats (e.g., beef tallow) or vegetable oils are the common starting materials for glycerin formation.

The VRG wanted to determine how much of the commercial production of glycerol today is from animal fats. We contacted Cargill, a leading glycerin manufacturer, in July 2012. We spoke with a senior employee in the Dressings, Sauces, and Oils division. We were told that “…ever since the 1950s, when animal-based sources were becoming less popular, vegetable oils have been used to produce the vast majority of glycerol today…In the last thirty years, palm oil from Indonesia has become a common source today…Personal care products may still use tallow but it’s small, too, today.”

A glycerin product manager at Cargill provided some data to support the general trends noted above. He wrote in a July 2012 email that “[T]otal glycerin usage in the United States is about 45 million lbs. per month. Approximately 30% is non-kosher tallow-based and 70% would be vegetable-based. That includes imports of vegetable-based glycerol and all the glycerin made here in the United States.”
Mono- and diglycerides, used in most breads and baked goods as well as in a wide variety of other foods, are formed by chemically joining glycerol to fatty acids found in animal fats or vegetable oils. The mono-and diglycerides principally act as emulsifiers, preventing breads and baked goods from crumbling or going stale, and/or keeping oil and water components of a food together (e.g., in salad dressings). Based on the data given above, the percentage of vegetable oil-sourced mono- and diglycerides commercially used today in the United States is also approximately 70%. Collected data from other sources are in agreement with this estimation (see our Guide to Food Ingredients).

Glycerol also has many industrial uses. There is renewed interest in it as an antifreeze component because it is a renewable resource unlike other common antifreeze components. http://www.astmnewsroom.org/default.aspx?pageid=2115&year=2010&category=Standards%2FTechnical

Glycerin is a by-product of biodiesel production. This “waste glycerin,” (and, to a lesser extent, that produced from used cooking oil, which is increasingly being used as a biofuel today), has greatly increased the supply of glycerin in the market. Much work is currently being done on ways to produce biofuels from waste glycerol. See, for example: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070626115246.htm, http://www.environmental-expert.com/news/is-glycerine-primed-to-end-fossil-fuel-domination-250532, and http://www.asme.org/kb/news—articles/articles/renewable-energy/waste-not-used-cooking-oil-energy-source

To purchase our Guide to Food Ingredients, please visit: http://www.vrg.org/ingredients

The contents of this article, our website, and our other publications, including the Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company employees or company statements. Information does change and mistakes are always possible. Please use your own best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. Further research or confirmation may be warranted.

For information on food ingredients, fast food, and for other information of interest to vegetarians and vegans, please subscribe to our e-newsletter at http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/

There are many ways to stay connected to The Vegetarian Resource Group!
Get our blog delivered right to your inbox: http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheVRGBlog
Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thevegetarianresourcegroup
And follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/VegResourceGrp