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

For vegetarian- or vegan-related information on a wide variety of topics, please subscribe to our e-newsletter at http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/

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

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.

Cafe Rio opened in 1997 in six Utah locations. Currently, there are fifty-seven locations in ten states: Arizona, California, Montana, Wyoming. Nevada, Colorado, Idaho, and Utah in the West and in Maryland and Virginia on the East Coast. A list of locations may be found at http://www.caferio.com/locations.

The VRG spoke with Aubrie in the Support Center at Cafe Rio. She told us that neither the black beans, the pinto beans nor the rice contain any animal flavors or broths. None of their bread products were made with L-cysteine as a dough conditioner. The guacamole does not contain gelatin. A soybean-based shortening is used in the kitchen where vegetarian and vegan menu items are prepared separately from meat products.

Aubrie told us that Cafe Rio’s purchasing director is a vegetarian and so is aware of many of the ingredient concerns of vegetarians and vegans. She has developed lists (previously available online) of all menu items that are vegetarian or vegan and is currently updating them. In mid-March 2013, Aubrie said that “the [updated] vegan and vegetarian information should be available on our website shortly.”

The update was needed because of a recent ingredient change. Aubrie informed The VRG that

…there was a change made recently with the margarine that is used in our California, Maryland, and Virginia locations. Previously the margarine was dairy-free, but with the change made the new margarine does contain dairy…If you are looking for vegan or animal-free products in the California, Maryland, and Virginia markets here is a list of items that are safe:

• black beans
• pinto beans
• flour tortillas
• corn tortillas
• corn chips
• corn strips for salads
• tostada shells
• guacamole
• Pico de Gallo sauce
• Salsa Fresca
• romaine lettuce

To clarify the margarine change, we asked Aubrie if Cafe Rio restaurants in other states use margarine containing dairy. She replied by stating that “all of our other markets do not use dairy-free margarine and we do not anticipate that any changes will be made in the near future.”

On its website, Cafe Rio states that all of its food is “fresh and made daily. There aren’t any microwaves or freezers in any of our locations. Nothing is premade. We don’t have mechanized processed food.” Readers interested in learning more about Cafe Rio may visit its website: http://www.caferio.com/

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 the latest news on fast food and quick service chains, visit The VRG at http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

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

An online reader commented on our website that a P.F. Chang’s employee had told her that ghee was an ingredient in all of their vegetarian dishes except the steamed vegetables and rice. Ghee is clarified butter that is commonly used in South Asian cuisine. Since this was contradictory to what P.F. Chang’s told us in 2011, we contacted P.F. Chang’s to see if there had been an ingredient change.

The Director of Media Relations at P.F. Chang’s told us in October 2012 that “P.F. Chang’s only uses wok oil and not ghee.”

Similarly, P.F. Chang’s Marketing Coordinator replied by saying:

“I talked to our training department and…our Director of Culinary Operations about your inquiry. I was informed we do not use ghee in any of our dishes and it’s not something in any of our recipes nor is it kept in our restaurants.
Regarding the wok oil and wondering if it could contain animal- or dairy-derived flavors or be processed on equipment where residual animal or dairy ingredients could have been in contact with the wok oil, the Marketing Coordinator at P.F. Chang’s told us in February 2013 that
[o]ur wok oil is a soy-based oil. It is considered a safe oil for persons allergic…to soy as it contains no soy protein. We have never asked the supplier about animal contamination. We would expect it not to be an issue. We are looking into this further for you.”

A week later he informed us after hearing from his supplier that “No animal oil is processed in the plants that make our wok oil.”

More information about the vegetarian menu options at P.F. Chang’s is on their website: http://www.pfchangs.com/menu/

Other recent VRG articles about P.F. Chang’s:
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2012/09/07/p-f-chang%E2%80%99s-vegetarian-labeled-dishes-oyster-sauce-is-all-vegetable-no-honey-egg-or-dairy-present/
http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2011issue1/2011_issue1_pf_changs.php

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 the latest news on fast food and quick service chains, visit The VRG at http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

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

The VRG received a question in February 2013 from a supermarket which asked if gelatin derived from the bones and hides of cows, pigs or fish was used to clarify (fine or make clear) apple juice. We contacted several companies for an answer. They all said “no gelatin.”

A customer service representative at Apple & Eve told us by phone that “no gelatin or anything from animals is used at all in clarification.” A representative at Mott’s Apple Juice informed us that “no animal substance including gelatin is ever used in clarification…we use ultrafiltration techniques with ceramic membrane cartridges.”

Juicy Juice stated through a live chat that “Our product is a 100% juice product; therefore there is no gelatin in our product.” Another Juicy Juice consumer response representative replied to us by email with further information:

We use a variety of filters as well as thermo processing… During the filtration process, Juicy Juice does employ enzymes to clarify our juice. However, all enzymes are extracted from bacteria and do not contain animal byproducts.

The VRG found a 2004 article from the Indian Journal of Biotechnology that stated mostly fungal polygalacturonases (pectinolytic enzymes that break down the cloudiness-stabilizing pectins in the juice) are used today in industrial processes for juice clarification. The article described on page 573 the preparation of the fungal growth medium used in the experiments as containing a small amount of casein hydrosylate (a dairy ingredient): http://nopr.niscair.res.in/bitstream/123456789/5903/1/IJBT%203%284%29%20573-576.pdf
It is not known how common dairy ingredients are in the preparation of microbial enzymes used in juice clarification.
More information on the types and uses of enzymes in fruit juice production may be found here: http://www.enzymes.co.uk/fruit-juices.php

Additional information about the juice clarification process may be found in a 2007 article published in Latin American Applied Research: http://www.scielo.org.ar/pdf/laar/v37n4/v37n4a06.pdf According to this article, fining (clarifying) agents

modify clarity, color, flavor and/or stability of juices. They are grouped according to their general nature in (i) Earths (bentonite, kaolin); (ii) Proteins (gelatin, isinglass, casein, albumen); (iii) Polysaccharides (agars); (iv) Carbons; (v) Synthetic polymers (PVPP, nylon); (vi) Silicon dioxide (kieselsols); and (vii) Others, including metal chelators, enzymes, etc.

Readers may be interested in a related VRG blog post on gelatin used in some UK beverages: http://www.vrg.org/blog/2012/02/15/beta-carotene-in-us-beverages-not-stabilized-with-gelatin-unlike-some-products-in-the-uk/

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.

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

There are many ways to stay connected to The Vegetarian Resource Group!
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In 1971, Togo’s began serving made-to-order sandwiches in California. The chain grew quickly and began offering soups and salads in the 80s. In 2007, Togo’s debuted wraps and in 2010, toasted sandwiches. Togo’s currently has nearly 250 locations in the western United States with plans to expand further.

Togo’s offers several menu options that vegetarians and vegans may enjoy. The West Coast chain serves an Avocado & Cucumber Sandwich on a choice of breads with a variety of vegetable condiments, always made to order.

Their San Francisco Style Sourdough and Classic White Breads contain no animal products whatsoever. Milk and honey are in the 100% Honey Whole Wheat Bread. The Parmesan Cheese Bread contains cheese. The whole wheat wrap contains honey powder. The spinach wrap is all-vegetable. This West Coast chain told us in October 2012 that they now use a non-animal sourced dough conditioner in its breads.

Togo’s all-vegetable hummus according to a senior staff member has been formulated with the utmost attention given to every single ingredient in order to “make it the best hummus we possibly could create.” The hummus may be ordered as a stand-alone menu item.

According to Togo’s website, the Viva Veggie Wrap consists of a “…spinach wrap filled with hummus, roasted red peppers, feta cheese, red onions, shredded lettuce & balsamic vinaigrette.” This sandwich may be ordered without feta cheese (or any other condiment). Togo’s informed The VRG in October 2012 that the rennet used in their cheeses is non-animal. The balsamic vinaigrette is all-vegetable.

Togo’s Garden Vegetable Soup is all-vegetable with no animal-based broths used. The cookies and brownies served at Togo’s contain eggs and milk.

Those looking for more information about menu offerings including nutritional and allergen information or to locate a restaurant may visit Togo’s website: http://www.togos.com

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/

For more quick service chain information, see: http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

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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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
Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thevegetarianresourcegroup
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/VegResourceGrp

by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

Introduction

Consumer demand for natural, non-insect-derived red food and beverage color has grown rapidly in recent months. As observed in April 2012 in the case of Starbucks, (http://www.vrg.org/blog/2012/04/10/starbucks-%E2%80%9Creviewing-alternatives%E2%80%9D-to-cochineal/), people are becoming more vocal. Vegetarians and vegans join people with carmine allergies, people following kosher dietary restrictions, and people just disgusted by the thought of an insect ingredient in their food and beverages in requesting that companies change their red coloring source. Many companies are responding to the request by reformulating ingredient profiles using vegetable-based red coloring agents instead of carmine (also known as cochineal). Here are two vegan and natural carmine alternatives that are currently commercially available.

Tomat-O-Red®

Starbucks announced in April 2012 that it will use lycopene as a carmine alternative in its red and pink foods and drinks. http://blogs.starbucks.com/blogs/customer/archive/2012/04/19/cochineal-extract-update.aspx.

According to a May 2012 article in FoodNavigator-USA, LycoRed, maker of Tomat-O-Red®, a lycopene red coloring agent, reports “…a ten-fold increase in inquiries in a two-month period” by food, beverage, and cosmetic companies, both large and small, looking to replace carmine with Tomat-O-Red®. As a result, LycoRed has doubled production levels to keep up with the demand for a vegan, halal- and kosher-certified natural red food and beverage coloring.

LycoRed, a global corporation headquartered in Israel, began production of Tomat-O-Red® from tomatoes several years ago. According to the company, “It is vegan, kosher and halal. It is also a highly stable red food coloring that is quickly replacing synthetics and other red colorings around the globe.” In Tomat-O-Red®, lycopene is the carotenoid responsible for the red color. Carotenoids are a large class of compounds that have antioxidant properties (i.e., they terminate or inhibit chemical reactions in the body that may result in cell damage or death).

LycoRed told us by email in July 2012 that Tomat-O-Red® is coated with a system of emulsifiers that “are derived from sugar, palm oil, and sunflower oil.” The emulsifiers induce color stability of Tomat-O-Red® through different temperature, pH, light or various processing conditions. It is also stable in the presence of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) unlike anthocyanins (see below). Ready-to-use formulations of Tomat-O-Red® produce shades from cherry to strawberry red. Tomat-O-Red® oleoresin (an oil-based extract) may produce yellow to orange shades. It may be used in soft drinks, juices, yogurt, smoothies, ice cream, confectionery, chewing gums, sauces, cake icings, and meat analogs. Tomat-O-Red® is listed on ingredient labels as “tomato concentrate” or “tomato lycopene color.”

The VRG asked LycoRed how well their product compares with carmine in different food and beverage applications. They responded:
Lycopene becomes orange in high content of fat and is sensitive to oxygen, therefore we developed unique formulations to resolve these issues. Our formulations can replace carmine in viscous food products even with high fat levels (up to 18%). Tomat-O-Red® is more stable for long exposure to heat than carmine and is not sensitive to low pH [as carmine is].

On the company’s The Red Blog, LycoRed posted an entry specifically about how Tomat-O-Red® is a carmine alternative: http://www.lycored.com/site/LiveBlog/TabId/152/PostId/2/Tomato-Lycopene—carmine-alternative.aspx
A May 2012 LycoRed press release is also informative: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lycoreds-production-of-tomat-o-red-doubles-to-meet-growing-demand-153111095.html LycoRed told us that their product is “price competitive” with carmine although they pointed out that the price of carmine fluctuates according to supply.

Price and Usage Comparison with Carmine

To find out more specific details on price and usage, we looked to other companies for answers. A senior employee of Food Ingredient Solutions told The VRG in July 2012 that for “…the standard intermediate grade > 50% [carmine]…the price is around $80-90/kg. It was a bit lower several years ago, then spiked up to several times this for a couple of years.”

When asked how much carmine versus vegetable pigment would be needed to produce a pink color in strawberry yogurt, the Food Ingredient Solutions employee calculated that approximately ten times more vegetable pigment than carmine would be used “…to obtain the same depth of shade, though the color might not be as bright i.e. have as high an L* value.” (As an example, for a 6 oz. container of strawberry yogurt, 0.2 oz. of carmine would be needed as compared to 2 oz. of vegetable pigment based on his projection of a 0.03% (w/v) solution of carminic acid or a 0.3% (w/v) solution of the vegetable pigment needed to give a pink hue.)

Food Ingredient Solutions also told us about how they formulate their vegetable-based colors and offered a general price comparison to carmine:

We basically encapsulate vegetable dyes (beet juice or red radish juice) in a rice protein matrix and micronize it. This allows us to make a suitable replacement for carmine in tablet coatings, panned candies, seasoning and other powder blends, frostings, cosmetics, compound coatings (aka white chocolate) and certain other applications where lakes would be used, though not beverages which sometimes uses the lake version of carmine though we have other alternatives for this. The cost in use of the pigments is several times that of carmine, and the stability is good but not the same.

Lastly, we received Food Ingredient Solutions’ comments on carmine as a food and beverage colorant: “Carmine has a number of issues from an allergen, kosher and origin perspective. However, it is a very stable color which has been used in foods and textiles for several thousand years and it remains a good option for replacing synthetic azo dyes (cf. Southampton study) in certain applications where nothing else works and a color is preferred.”

Ultra Stable Red™
Chr. Hansen a global company headquartered in Denmark introduced Ultra Stable RedTM in late August 2012: http://www.chr-hansen.com/news-media/singlenews/ensure-the-attractiveness-of-your-naturally-colored-red-beverages.html and http://www.foodnavigator.com/Science-Nutrition/Chr-Hansen-breakthrough-for-natural-reds

Made only from plant materials, Ultra Stable Red™ compounds “…are based on new…anthocyanin blends combining stabilizing technology. The solutions are ideal for coloring…carbonated soft drinks, juice-based drinks, sports and energy drinks, and vitamin waters,” according to the company press release introducing this range of natural, plant-based color ingredients. Ultra Stable Red™ is said to be 30-40% more stable (i.e., less likely to fade or change color), compared to other anthocyanin colors. Moreover, the greater color stability of Ultra Stable Red™ eliminates the need for expensive UV filters in beverage bottles to prevent or deter fading of natural red colors.

Chr. Hansen also reports that they “…have secured the supply of the new Ultra Stable Red™ colors from day one. Because we control the entire value chain from raw materials to customer delivery we can scale supply up and down according to customer demand.” Common sources of anthocyanins include several types of berries, red grapes, black carrot, and purple corn. No further information was available from Chr. Hansen about the specific fruits and/or vegetables present in Ultra Stable Red™.

The VRG spoke with a Chr. Hansen natural colors technical division employee located in Wisconsin in October 2012. She emphasized that because Ultra Stable Red™ is a new product developed in another country, she had limited knowledge about it. She stated that the coloring agent is “application…and…low pH dependent.” Thus far, she knew only of it being tested in beverages but predicted that it might work in yogurt. She thought that Ultra Stable Red™ was “less expensive than carmine but higher in price than artificial [red colorants].”

A Chr. Hansen account manager in the color department in Wisconsin responded to our November 2012 email inquiry regarding how well Ultra Stable Red™ would impart a stable, red color in candy or baked goods at neutral or higher pH. She replied in this manner: “I have contacted our R&D and had them test the product. The Ultra Stable Red™ would work in low pH candy but at a neutral to basic pH it would not work.”

Readers may visit http://www.beveragedaily.com/Formulation/Chr.-Hansen-sees-red-in-Asia-as-vibrant-natural-colors-step-off-the-shelf for more information on Ultra Stable Red™.

Consumers may want to ask companies using insect-based colorings in their products to try some of these alternatives.

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

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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
Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thevegetarianresourcegroup
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/VegResourceGrp