By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

The Vegetarian Resource Group received an email from a reader in April 2020 asking: “Is yellow prussiate of soda vegan?”

Here is our answer:

Yellow prussiate of soda (YPS) is a hydrated cyanide salt approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in table salt as an anti-caking agent, giving it Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS) status. It may appear on an ingredient label as sodium ferrocyanide decahydrate. Other ways the name appears on a label are possible.

NOTE: Inhalation or ingestion of cyanide salts can be fatal. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) states: “Ingestion of hydrogen cyanide solutions or cyanide salts can be rapidly fatal…Treatment of ingested cyanide salts is similar to treatment of oral hydrogen cyanide poisoning because cyanide salts form hydrogen cyanide in acidic conditions.” (Stomach pH is acidic.)

The estimate of the daily acceptable limit of YPS in humans at which no toxicological effects are observed (extrapolated from rat studies) is 0.025 mg/kg of body weight.

Although The VRG hasn’t seen YPS on most table salt brands or varieties recently, we found a photo of the ingredients label of Morton’s^® Kosher Salt that does contain YPS.

The VRG contacted three companies that manufacture or distribute YPS or products that contain it to find out its vegan status.

This is what we learned:

1. Morton® Salt

We sent an email to Morton Salt asking about its Star-Flake® Dendritic Salt that contains YPS. We asked if it was completely mineral-based with no processing by animal- or dairy-derived ingredients. The consumer representative did not have information on this, and said it was an industrial product. Upon closer inspection of their website, we found an email address for inquiries into the company’s industrial products. We asked, “… I’d like to know if the yellow prussiate of soda in your dendritic salt is completely mineral-based? In other words, it contains no animal or dairy ingredients and wasn’t manufactured with animal or dairy-derived processing aids?” The next morning, we received an email response from the industrial products division at Morton Salt. Technical Documentation Specialist Claudia told us:

“YPS is synthetic but is ultimately derived from minerals. I’ve included a copy of our vegetarian/vegan statement.”

Here is the statement from Morton Salt:

“The following products manufactured by Morton Salt, Inc. are suitable for consumption by individuals following a vegan, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, or lacto-vegetarian diet. There is no exposure or contact to foods of animal origin in processing equipment, storage or handling procedures.

Food Processing

Coarse Sea Salt

Culinox® 999® Fine Salt

Culinox® 999® Food Grade

Salt

Dried Coarse Salt

Extra Coarse Sea Salt

Extra Fine 200 Salt

Extra Fine 325 Salt

Flour Sea Salt

Flour Salt

H.G. Blending Salt

H.G. Blending Prepared Salt

Iodized Salt

Iodized Flour Salt (Mexico)

Iodized Snack Flour Salt

(Mexico)

Iodized Star Flake® Dendritic

ES Salt

Iodized Table Salt (Mexico)

Iodized PureSunTM Culinary

Crystals

KaliSel

Lite Salt® Mixture

Medium Sea Salt

Potassium Chloride, USP

PureSunTM Culinary Crystals

Purex® Salt

Purex® All Purpose Salt

Purex® Fine Prepared Salt

Reagent Grade Sodium

Chloride

Rock Koshering Salt

Rock Pretzel Salt

Sea Salt

Select Sea Salt

Snack Flour Salt

Star Flake® Dendritic ES Salt

Star Flake® Dendritic Salt

TCP Extra Fine 70 Sea Salt

TFC 999® Fine Salt

TFC 999® Salt

TFC Extra Fine 50 Sea Salt

TFC H.G. Blending Salt

TFC Lite Salt® Mixture

TFC Medium Sea Salt

TFC PureSunTM Culinary

Crystals

TFC Purex® Salt

TFC Sea Salt

TFC Select Sea Salt

Top Flake Coarse Salt

Top Flake Extra Coarse Salt

Top Flake Fine Salt

Top Flake Topping Salt

USP Salt (Sodium Chloride)

White Pretzel Coarse Salt

White Pretzel Medium Salt

Consumer/Food Service

All-Purpose Iodized Sea Salt

All-Purpose Natural Sea Salt

Canning/Pickling Salt

Coarse Kosher Salt

Evaporated Granulated Salt

Extra Fine Sea Salt

Iodized Table Salt

Iodized Salt

Lite Salt® Mixture

Popcorn Salt

Salt Balance

Salt Substitute

Sea Salt –Coarse Salt

Sea Salt – Fine Salt

Sea Salt Grinder

Sea Salt Grinder Refill

Table Salt, Non-Iodized

Vacuum Granulated Salt”

1. Davis Wholesale Supply^®

An online search for YPS led The VRG to Davis Wholesale Supply, distributors of Alberger® Shur-Flo® Fine Flakes and Flour Salts with YPS listed as an ingredient.

Company employee Kim sent us a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) on YPS that did not have ingredient source information. The SDS stated recommended use:

“Salt may be intended for food or animal feed (agricultural) as well as several industrial applications including deicing and water conditioning.”

Upon our request, Davis employee Kim contacted Cargill, the manufacturer of the salt, about its vegan status. She specifically asked if animal or dairy ingredients were used in the manufacture of Alberger Shur-Flo Fine Flake Salt. In response, Cargill sent Kim this statement titled “Vegetarian/Vegan Statement: Cargill Salt.”

In its entirety:

“The US FDA has not defined vegetarian or vegan. The Cargill ingredients covered by this letter have not been produced from animal (including fish), dairy, or egg products and these products have not been added by Cargill to the Cargill ingredients.”

1. American Elements^®

The VRG also inquired about YPS manufactured by American Elements. Product Engineer Kristi told us: “As far as I know, none of our materials are animal- or dairy-based/derived.” Currently, they are offering only research-grade materials, not food-grade YPS.

VRG Conclusion about YPS

According to three companies that manufacture YPS or make products containing it, yellow prussiate of soda is vegan. It is derived from minerals with no animal- or dairy-derived processing aids.

For more information on other food ingredients, please see VRG’s Guide to Food Ingredients.

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including 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 statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

Whether you’re new to the veggie life-style or have been vegan for 20+ years, you’ll enjoy The Vegetarian Resource Group Online Quiz Game. You simply choose your level (Easy, Medium, or Hard) and your category of interest (environment, ethics, famous vegetarians, food, health or nutrition, or potluck – a mixture of all these topics). Then click play.

To see the quiz game, go to: http://www.vrg.org/game/

Christine Kasum Sexton, MPH wrote an article for The Vegetarian Resource Group titled “Vegan Menus for Adults 51+” to meet the needs of older vegans. These easy-to-prepare menus are designed specifically for older vegans (51+ years). Four different calorie levels – 1600, 1800, 2000, and 2200 – are presented in order to meet the needs of men and women of varying activity levels and budgets.

Read the article here: https://www.vrg.org/seniors/veganmenusfor51+.pdf

To subscribe to Vegetarian Journal in the USA, see: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php You can also subscribe to the Kindle version of Vegetarian Journal in the USA and United Kingdom. In the USA, visit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LBY2Y7K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544727482&sr=8-1&keywords=B07LBY2Y7K  In the United Kingdom, visit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07LBY2Y7K/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1544731957&sr=8-1&keywords=B07LBY2Y7K

Support vegan restaurants in Maryland during Vegan Restaurant Week which runs August 1^st through 9^th in 2020. Details to come.

See: https://www.mdveganeats.com/ 

https://facebook.com/events/s/maryland-vegan-restaurant-week/307528703959792/?ti=ia

By Eric C. Sharer, MPH, RD, CDN

VRG recently received this question:
I’m an oncology dietitian and have a patient who is trying to follow a vegan diet, but also has short bowel syndrome due to several intestinal resections. Do you have any information about how someone could follow a vegan short bowel syndrome diet?

Here are some suggestions.

Where I used to work, we had a fair number of significant bowel resections and short bowel syndrome. We often recommended that they follow as close to a plant-based diet as possible. However, a whole-foods plant based diet can be tricky with bowel resections. Everyone was different, but often they were able to build up pretty good tolerance to whole plant foods. 

Fiber

• This can be one of the trickiest components of a vegan diet for patients with bowel resections. I have found that generally soluble fiber is more tolerated than insoluble fiber due to the function of the insoluble putting a lot of pressure on the digestive tract. I would recommend small amounts of fiber spread out through the day in small and frequent meals instead of just a few large meals per day. Soups can be a great place to start. Getting the vegetables well cooked and even blending the soups can help. For extreme cases of  bowel resections, the blended soup can also be strained through a cheesecloth to remove most of the fiber.
• The patient may need to focus on more of the processed grains/grain products (white rice, white bread, white rice pasta, etc.) for now until they can determine how they handle whole grains. I have found that many patients tolerate starchy vegetables, especially  potatoes and sweet potatoes/yams better than grains.
• In terms of legumes/pulses, often people tolerate the smaller legumes/pulses better than larger legumes. They can try split red lentils cooked and puréed into a soup or tomato sauce or well cooked black beans. They can try techniques to reduce the gas from the beans such as cooking the beans in kombu, rinsing the beans before and after soaking, and buying canned beans that contain kombu such as the Eden brand. Beans can be tricky for some, so usually recommend that people start with a very small amount at a time such as 1 Tbsp. Depending on symptoms they can gradually increase the volume over time.

Protein

• See above for discussion on beans. Often patients have to rely on low fiber plant-based protein options such as protein powder used in smoothies, cooking with protein powders such as pea protein (which often has 0g of fiber per serving).
• Tofu is often well tolerated
• A low fiber moderate to low fat veggie burger or meat alternative can also be a great option.

Fat

• Too much fat at one time can also exacerbate their symptoms, so they want to have small amounts of fat throughout the day instead of concentrated high fat meals..
• Some patients do not tolerate plant fats very well so I would recommend they try 100% coconut based MCT oil. It can be added to smoothies, sauces, soups, starch side, etc. The MCT generally require very little digestion/lipase so it often is a great option to help get nourishment in.

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including 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 statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

As an older person living in a state with ever-increasing cases of COVID-19, I try to limit my errand to those that are essential. I’ve chosen to continue to physically going to the grocery store but am doing my best to minimize both the number of trips I make and the time I spend in the store. I recognize that I am very fortunate to have enough space to store food and the money to buy several weeks’ worth of food at a time. Also, I’m only shopping for myself and my husband, not for a large family, which makes things easier. That said, I hope that some of these ideas that allow me to limit grocery shopping to once or twice a month will be helpful to others.

Spend more time planning in order to spend less time in the store.

Gone are the days when I planned the menu for that night or even for the next few days as I walked through the food store, zigging and zagging from the produce department to the pasta aisle and back to produce. Now, while I don’t extensively plan 2-3 weeks’ worth of meals, I have a sense that I will need 6 packages of tofu, 10 cans of assorted beans, some quinoa and rice, 5 cartons of soy milk, a couple of jars of peanut butter, and so forth. I think about recipes I might want to make and if there are any specialty ingredients I’ll need to get for them. I estimate how much fresh fruit and vegetables and bread we’ll need. I look at staples – are we running low on soy sauce or spices or flour? Are there some things I should buy a bit extra of in case plans change – like canned tomato products or pasta?

Make a list.

When I make my grocery list, I do it with the store’s lay-out in mind so that I don’t have to double back and pick up something I forgot. Like many stores, the one where I shop has one-way aisles, adding to the challenge of going back to pick an item I missed on the first pass. Because I never know which shelves will be bare, I try to think of alternatives before going to the store. If there’s no pasta, do we have enough rice or other grains that we can use instead, or do I need to pick up more of these in place of pasta? 

Fruits and Vegetables

Unless you belong to a CSA or go to a farmer’s market, it can be challenging to buy enough fresh produce to last 2 or more weeks. Here’s the way that I approach it.

     I think of produce in 2 categories:

• Products that should be used within a week or 10 days – including lettuce, stone fruit, most leafy greens, summer squash, herbs, peppers, bananas
• Sturdier produce that can last for 10 days to 3 weeks or longer – such as cabbage, carrots, winter squash, onions, cauliflower, melon, citrus fruit, apples, beets

     For the first week post shopping trip we focus on food from the first category. We might have lettuce-based salads most days; later in the cycle salads will be coleslaw or carrot-raisin salad.

     Produce lasts longer if stored properly. The Ecology Center has a helpful handout on produce storage. If I notice that vegetables are starting to look tired before we can eat them, I often make a pot of soup or another dish that can be frozen or refrigerated. If all the fruit ripens at once, some can be sliced and frozen to use later in crisps, smoothies, or on oatmeal. Having some frozen vegetables on hand, like frozen sliced peppers or frozen spinach, can add interest to meals when fresh produce is running low.

     When I think about grocery shopping pre-COVID-19, I realize that many of our trips to the store were to pick up cartons of soy or almond milk or a loaf of bread. Now, I’m more likely to buy shelf-stable packages of plant milk for cooking and use the refrigerator space for the refrigerated cartons my husband likes for cereal. We freeze bread before the use-by date, so it doesn’t get moldy and bake our own if we want fresh bread. These ideas aren’t unique to the current situation. They’re ways I can minimize the time I spend on food shopping and minimize food waste.

Chef Nancy Berkoff’s book Vegan Meals for One or Two is published by The Vegetarian Resource Group. Each recipe is written to serve one or two people. Recipes are designed so that you can realistically use ingredients the way they come packaged in the store. Here are two recipes from this cookbook featuring summer produce.

Pasta in Paradise

(Makes 2 servings)

This dish is colorful, with an unexpected secret ingredient (psst… it’s the mango).

4 ounces uncooked vermicelli, rice noodles, or spaghetti

1/4 cup red or yellow bell pepper strips (about 1 medium pepper)

1 cup ripe chopped papaya (about 1 small papaya)

1 cup ripe chopped tomatoes (about 1 medium tomato)

1/2 cup ripe, chopped mango (about 1 half mango or look for frozen cubes)

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or flat leafed parsley

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

2 Tablespoons chopped peanuts

Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse, drain, and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, combine pepper, papaya, tomatoes, mango, cilantro, oil, cinnamon, and white pepper and toss to mix. Add pasta and toss to mix. Top with peanuts.

Total Calories Per Serving Using Rice Noodles and Cilantro: 376

Total Fat as % of Daily Value: 15%     

Protein: 7 gm      Fat: 10 gm      Carbohydrates: 68 gm      Calcium: 44 mg     

Iron: 2 mg      Sodium: 19 mg      Dietary Fiber: 4 gm

Grilled Corn on the Cob, Curry Style

(Makes 3 ears or 3 servings)

This dish is so luscious! You’ll never eat plain corn on the cob again.

3 ears unhusked corn on the cob

3 Tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk

3 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro (or fresh parsley) 

3 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Peel back the husks from the corn and remove the silk (but keep the husks intact). In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Brush mixture on the corn and pull husks back over the corn, so kernels are covered. If husks won’t stay, use thin strips of foil as closures. Place the corn on the grill, turning frequently for approximately 15 minutes or until the husks have dried out and the kernels begin to brown.

Note: If there’s no barbecue grill available, you can use the same technique in a 475-degree oven.

Total Calories Per Serving: 90      Total Fat as % of Daily Value: 2%     

Protein: 3 gm      Fat:  2gm      Carbohydrates: 19 gm      Calcium: 17 mg     

Iron: 1 mg      Sodium: 22 mg      Dietary Fiber: 4 gm

In the USA only you can purchase this paperback book here: vrg.org/catalog/

The book is also available on Kindle here: Vegan Meals for 1 or 2 on Kindle 

By Kavitha Shankar, VRG intern

Enjoy this Indian vegan curry dish!

Ingredients

15.5 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained

½ Tablespoon turmeric powder

1 large lemon

Salt, to taste

2 Tablespoons sesame oil, divided (gingely oil preferred)

1 Tablespoon coriander seeds

½ teaspoon cloves

½ Tablespoon cumin seeds

1 Tablespoon black peppercorn

3-6 dried red chilies (adjust for your spice level)

1 stone flower (dried) – critical for flavor

1 mace flower (dried)

2 bay leaves

2 green cardamoms

1 black cardamom

8 garlic cloves

½ cup coconut powder

1 Tablespoon sliced ginger

½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds – critical for flavor

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

2 teaspoons tamarind extract/paste (or a small ball of fresh tamarind)

1 medium red onion, chopped fine

2 sprigs fresh curry leaves

1 star-anise

Instructions

Cube the tofu, add turmeric powder, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Leave to marinate for 1 hour.

Add 1 Tablespoon sesame oil to a heavy bottomed pan. Add coriander, cloves, cumin, peppercorn, red chili, stone flower, mace, bay leaves, green cardamoms, and black cardamoms. Roast for 2 minutes. Add garlic cloves and roast until deep brown. Transfer the roasted spices to a plate and allow to cool.

Add ½ Tablespoon of sesame oil to the same pan. Roast the coconut powder until medium to deep brown. Keep stirring. Take care not to char. Transfer the coconut to the plate with roasted spices and allow to cool.

Once the spices and coconut have cooled down fully, transfer to a processor. Add ginger slices, fenugreek, poppy seeds, and tamarind to the processor with spice mix. Grind to a paste.

     Add 1 Tablespoon of sesame oil to the pan and sauté chopped onions until golden brown. Add curry leaves and sauté for a minute. Add marinated tofu and sauté for about 2-3 minutes on medium high flame.

Add the spice and coconut paste from the processor.  Add salt to taste if desired. Add water to bring it to a curry consistency. Close the pan and cook for 7-10 minutes.

Serve with homemade Indian whole wheat bread for best results.

by Lucia Rivera, VRG Intern

As I wrap up another portion of my long-distance internship with the Vegetarian Resource Group, I remain very appreciative of this unique opportunity and experience. I have continued to learn about the lives and experiences of other vegan activists, have improved my writing and editing skills, and have developed a deeper appreciation for and understanding of vegetarianism.

    Since I began the second “phase” of my internship, I have worked on numerous pieces ranging across many different subjects. Not only was I able to help inform others by writing blog posts, but I have been able to expand my own knowledge. Examples of projects that allowed me to do so include an article on how to feed large groups vegan food on a budget, a piece on vegan cake decorating, and an article about eating vegan in Abu Dhabi. Especially for the latter I was excited by the information I found out in my interviews, whether they were conducted over the phone or through email. It is definitely inspiring to see how many vegetarians and vegans throughout the world — from a variety of backgrounds — are putting in whatever effort they can to help change the world around them. I was also able to see the truth in that in my work reviewing VRG scholarship applications. I really enjoyed hearing other people’s stories and what vegetarianism or veganism means to them.

    Another way that I have contributed and also grown in the past six months has been through completing translations for both my articles and those by other VRG contributors. Although I am bilingual, I am usually in English-speaking spaces, so it was always a welcomed challenge to do translations from English to Spanish for the VRG website. I also am glad that I can help VRG expand its audience to Spanish-speakers!

    In addition to written contributions, I have also been able to partake in other projects like photography assignments. I was able to challenge myself in another area, which I found really enjoyable. Through VRG I was also able to be interviewed by a podcast for an episode on vegetarianism. This was not a platform I was used to sharing on, but I am glad I was able to help add to the discussion in the media about vegetarian lifestyles. I hope that at least one person heard the podcast episode and was inspired to change their eating habits too. This was also an experience where I was able to acknowledge the importance of planning in advance and being well-prepared, two things that I think served me well during my interview.

    Lastly, working with the VRG has helped me improve my networking and professional skills. Even during this pandemic, I have been able to get to know other young interns with similar passions and goals in life. As a rising high school senior, I will soon enough be thrust into many more professional atmospheres, and my work at VRG will have helped prepare me for those occasions. Whether it be by communicating over email, organizing interviews, or collaborating with others on projects, I have been able to utilize my skills and improve them. Overall, my time thus far with VRG has led to surprises, challenges, successes, and many final products that hopefully make a difference in promoting and informing others about vegetarianism!

For information about The Vegetarian Resource Group internships, see: https://www.vrg.org/student/index.php

In June, Beyond Meat announced that that they will be offering for a limited time packs of ten burgers at $15.99. Call your store ahead of time to see if available. They may be at:

• ACME
• Giant Foods
• Giant Martins
• Hannaford
• Harris Teeter
• HEB
• HyVee
• Jewel
• Lidl
• Mariano’s
• Military
• Publix (available in August)
• Redner’s
• Rouses
• Safeway NorCal, Portland
• ShopRite
• Stew Leonards
• Stop & Shop
• SuperValu  (Mountain West and Pacific Northwest)
• Target (see full store list here)
• Walmart (see full store list here)
• Wegmans
• Woodman’s
• Westside Foods