Research by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

The Vegetarian Resource Group received comments from two readers regarding xanthan gum in Annie’s salad dressings. Our readers reported that several of Annie’s dressings contain xanthan gum made using an enzyme from chicken eggs.

Annie’s told one reader:
“For Annie’s dressings where an animal enzyme is used to make the xanthan gum, the enzyme is derived from chicken. We do not make a vegan claim on these dressings for this reason. The dressings that contain xanthan gum made from chicken enzymes are:
1. Asian Sesame Dressing – Organic 8 oz.
2. Chile Lime Vinaigrette – Organic 8 oz.
3. Oil & Vinegar – Organic 8 oz.
4. Red Wine & Olive Oil Vinaigrette – Organic 8 oz.
5. Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette – Organic 8 oz.
6. Shiitake & Sesame Vinaigrette 8 oz.
7. Shiitake & Sesame Vinaigrette – Organic 8 oz.
8. Shiitake & Sesame Vinaigrette 16 oz.”

Annie’s also said, “We chose to change our xanthan gum so that we could meet the Non-GMO Projects Standards.”

In addition, Annie’s relayed: “Our dressings contain several types of xanthan gums that have different functionality based on the type of dressing. During the making of xanthan gum, an enzyme is used. Some xanthan gums use a vegetable enzyme, and some use an animal enzyme. While the enzyme is no longer present in the final product, we only label our dressings “vegan” if all ingredients, including the xanthan gum processing enzyme, come from non-animal sources.”

“For Annie’s Dressings where an animal enzyme is used to make the xanthan gum, the enzyme comes from a chicken egg. We do not make a vegan claim on these dressings for this reason.”

Because xanthan gum is usually considered vegan, we were curious to find out more about Annie’s xanthan gum, seemingly made with a chicken egg enzyme. (It appears that the enzyme is from the egg, not from a chicken that has hatched.) From a multitude of inquiries, rephrasing of questions, putting together responses we and our readers received, and talking to a food scientist knowledgeable about xanthan gum, this is information we pieced together.

When using the filter tool for “vegan” on Annie’s website, we generated the following list of salad dressings, which all were labeled as vegan, contained xanthan gum, and were non-GMO certified: Poppy Papaya Seed, Green Garlic, Goddess, French, Lemon Chive Vinaigrette, Lite Goddess, and Tuscany Italian. Other dressings that are not identified as vegan also contain xanthan gum and are non-GMO certified. This seems consistent with Annie’s statement that “Our dressings contain several types of xanthan gums that have different functionality based on the type of dressing. … Some xanthan gums use a vegetable enzyme, and some use an animal enzyme.”

According to a knowledgeable food scientist, xanthan gum is used in salad dressing to:

•    add viscosity so that when you stop shaking the bottle, the dressing thickens and when you shake it, the dressing thins.
•    help it “cling” to the salad.
•    promote enhanced mouthfeel
•    suspend spices.

Production of xanthan gum does not require the use of enzymes. Enzymes are used to make the purification process more efficient. The enzymes used to produce xanthan gum (called proteases and lysozymes) originally came from dairy but today are commonly from bacterial, fungal, or plant sources. As processing aids, enzymes are not in finished food products except possibly in very small (i.e., residual) amounts.

Several companies told us that xanthan gum is not commercially manufactured today from egg whites as a starting material. Even considering what we were told by Annie’s, this statement is still true.

Those companies also told us that egg enzymes aren’t used as processing aids.

However, if what Annie’s is saying is happening, at least one company is using egg enzymes as a processing aid in the manufacture of xanthan gum. If a reader can locate this company, please let us know.

GMO
“GMO” is an abbreviation for genetically modified organism. This means that genetic material from one organism was inserted into that of another. After replication, the receiving organism expresses the new genetic information in appearance or in the production of a certain desired substance. In this case, it would be xanthan gum.

The Non-GMO Project, which certifies products with its non-GMO Project Standard told us: “If there were GMO material in either the microbes or the corn, but in the finished product the xanthan gum made up less than 0.9% of the product, by weight percentage, the ingredient could be “micro-exempted”, and the product would also be compliant with the Standard.”

A food scientist told us: A manufacturer would rarely use xanthan gum at 0.9% or above. From a product development perspective, xanthan gum is typically used in most products, not just salad dressings, at 0.5% or less due to its high viscosity.

ALLERGY LABELING
Annie’s does not claim on its labels that any of its salad dressings discussed in this article contains an egg ingredient. Such a statement is required under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA) if an egg ingredient is present in the final product, because egg is considered a major allergen. See: https://www.fda.gov/food/food-allergensgluten-free-guidance-documents-regulatory-information/food-allergen-labeling-and-consumer-protection-act-2004-falcpa

Some food companies will alert consumers to the fact that a major allergen was involved in the manufacturing process – and possibly present, if at all, only residually in the final product – by stating it on the label. Annie’s has not taken this step concerning its xanthan gum. As mentioned above, Annie’s has said that the enzyme from the xanthan gum processing is not in the final product.

NOTE: The VRG thanks our readers who alerted us that a food company is using xanthan gum that’s been processed with an egg enzyme even though the egg enzyme does not appear to be present in the final product.

For information about other ingredients, see: https://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

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. We live in an imperfect world and humans are not perfect. Do the best you can in your situation but remember that since veganism is about creating a more peaceful and healthier society, ingredient information should never be used to be discouraged about what you can do, to be critical or judgmental of others, or to justify a diet bad for your health.

Recent discussion topics include:

– A person was looking for 5 parents to review her new vegan children’s book called “The Turtle Who Fights for Animal Rights.”

– Several book reviews of teen-appropriate novels were posted.

– More parents contributed to our discussion on vegan-friendly summer camps for kids.

-Shared a list of online stores selling vegan shoes for babies and kids.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/VRGparentsandkids/ is intended to be a group that offers support for families raising children on vegan diets and for vegan kids. We envision it as a place to get advice about a wide-variety of topics: pregnancy, birthday parties, school lunches, Halloween, non-leather apparel, cruelty-free products, summer camps, and more. Please use it as a place to share your wisdom, seek advice, or just find a sympathetic ear. The goal is to offer support.

Consequently, any profane, defamatory, offensive, or violent language will be removed. Feel free to disagree, but do so respectfully. Hateful or discriminatory comments regarding race, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or political beliefs will not be tolerated. We expect that posts should relate to vegan diets and lifestyles. The Vegetarian Resource Group reserves the right to monitor all content and ban any user who posts in violation of the above rules, any law or regulation, SPAM, or anything otherwise off topic.

Please share this information with any veggie families that you know! Thanks.

The Vegetarian Resource Group is a vegan activist non-profit organization that does outreach all-year-long. For example, VRG tables at different events throughout the USA and also sends literature free of charge to other groups/individuals doing educational activities in schools, hospitals, camps, restaurants, libraries, offices, etc. Our ability to continue doing this depends on people like you! Your donations allow us to promote the vegan message whenever we’re called upon for assistance. Please consider becoming a monthly or quarterly donor to The Vegetarian Resource Group.

Thanks so much for your support. You can donate online here: vrg.org/donate

Are you still looking for a Valentine’s Day gift? If so, you might want to prepare a vegan meal for your family, friends, co-worker, etc. to show your love. Nothing beats comfort food, and we have published many articles on this topic throughout the years in Vegetarian Journal. Delicious vegan recipes can be found in the articles below. Enjoy!

Baby Boomer Cooking (Nov 2010)

Comfort Foods (Feb 2019)

Comforting Casseroles (Feb 2007)

Modern Vegan Comfort Food (Feb 2016)

Vegan Comfort Foods (Jan 98)

Vegan Versions of Familiar Favorites (Jan 2000)

Subscribe to Vegetarian Journal in the USA only by visiting 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

Are you planning a wedding or other event in the greater Washington, DC area and looking for a caterer? DC Vegan Catering offers a wide variety of food including Breakfast/Brunch items such as pastries, wraps, French toast, scrambled tofu, quinoa hash browns, and more. They also offer Small Bites such as beet burgers, BBQ jack fruit, classic sliders, cauliflower wings, plus a lot more options. Additionally, they cater sandwiches, risotto bowls, salads, deli side dishes, pasta with a wide variety of sauces, and a huge selection of entrée dishes including classic lasagna, baked ziti, wild mushroom ragout & polenta, vegetable and tofu skewers, Chesapeake cutlets, and cashew & butternut mac.   

For more information see: http://www.dc-vegan.com/catering-menu

For a list of caterers in other areas see: https://www.vrg.org/links/CateringPersonalChefServicesAndMealDeliveryServices.htm

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

I was last in Portland, Oregon a couple of years ago when I spoke at Northwest VEG’s wildly successful Portland VegFest and Northwest Health & Nutrition Conference.  That trip was a whirlwind and I didn’t have enough time to explore, so I was delighted to be able to spend a few days last month in Portland with one of my daughters.

Portland has so many vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants that choosing where to eat was both daunting and exciting.

One night, we ate at Ichiza Kitchen. This cozy, pan-Asian vegan restaurant features small dishes (including dumplings and buns) and large bowls (rice bowls, stews, soups).  I opted for Cheung Fun – super-wide rice noodles wrapped around a flavorful filling that included mock shrimp, bacon, and pork. The shrimp looked so much like, well, shrimp, that we asked our server if they were a commercial product. We were told that all Ichiza Kitchen’s mock meats are made by the owner’s mother. Hmm – noodles as a wrap for fillings – can’t wait to try that idea. My daughter, who was getting over a cold, went for Ichiza Noodle Soup which was a huge bowl of noodles, “chicken,” and vegetables in a broth with “13 medicinal herbs and spices.” Something worked – she didn’t cough through the night for the first time in a while.

While at Ichiza Kitchen, we noticed their next-door neighbor, Vtopia. Finding ourselves nearby and hungry the next day, we stopped in for a light lunch that included a colorful cheese plate with a variety of flavors. On the day that we were there, the plate included sliced carrots, crackers, bread, olives, dolmas, blueberries with a drizzle of jam, and a wedge of Vtopia’s vegan House Cheddar Cheese. The cheese was one of the best I’ve tasted, with a lot of umami and a smooth mouthfeel. It spread easily. Vtopia also sells their cheese by the pound. After tasting a green Scarborough Fair cheddar (flavored with parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme) and a roasted garlic cheddar, we opted for a whiskey-smoked cheddar that we ate later with apples.

The last time that I was in Portland, I had a memorable brunch at Blossoming Lotus, a vegan restaurant featuring organic, locally-grown food.  We made a return visit on a rainy Thursday night. Despite the rain, every table was filled – a testimony to this restaurant’s popularity. I had a simple meal of Chickpea Soup and a salad and my daughter enjoyed the Roasted Beet and Apple Salad which came with a house-made chèvre and massaged kale.

Weekend brunch is a Portland tradition. We opted for Sweetpea Baking Company’s brunch. Menu choices include waffles, scrambled tofu, breakfast sandwiches, bagels, doughnuts, Danish, croissants, and biscuits – all vegan. We ordered the Breakfast Quiche which had a mild, savory taste and a creamy texture. Sweetpea Baking Company was Portland’s first all-vegan retail bakery; they also serve lunch and sell all sorts of vegan baked goods.

In the same block as Sweetpea, we found Herbivore, a vegan clothing company (loved the pomegranate earrings!), and Food Fight! Grocery – a great place to pick up vegan treats for the folks back home. 

We had heard of a pop up featuring vegan cinnamon rolls so we headed for Hail Snail, a queer, family owned cinnamon roll shop. The owners hope to open a permanent shop soon. We were faced with choices – 1 large or 5 mini rolls? Toppings? Think sprinkles, peanut butter, pretzels, bananas, marshmallows, nuts, carrot bacon. How to decide? The rolls are tasty (we both thought a bit more cinnamon would be good) and it’s fun figuring out your topping combination. Hail Snail has sold out every time it’s been open – a good omen for a new vegan business.

After a long walk by the Willamette River, we went for vegan pizza and ice cream at Virtuous Pie.  We shared the Ultraviolet Pizza which has an arugula pesto, cashew mozzarella, dried tomatoes, kale, and caramelized onions. We couldn’t resist a scoop of vegan ice cream for dessert. I’m a vanilla person and appreciated the clean flavor with no aftertaste. I heard the Mint and Dark Chocolate was superb.

Lest you think that we did nothing but eat, we also enjoyed exploring Portland. One highlight was the serene Portland Japanese Garden in Washington Park where plantings are planned so that there is beauty for each season. Another highlight was Powell’s Bookstore, Portland’s legendary independent bookstore which has 2 floor-to-ceiling shelves of vegan books including some of The Vegetarian Resource Group’s.

There’s so much more to explore and I am looking forward to returning to Portland. If you’re planning to go, be sure to check out Northwest VEG’s Plant-based Restaurant Guide.

Review by Marcia Schveibinz

Words on a Killing by Will Lowrey is a very short story based on actual events about the author’s experience visiting an animal production facility in rural New England. The facility he visited was supposedly one of the more “humane” slaughterhouses. The book is broken into small chapters and Lowrey is very descriptive to help the reader to “see” as close to what the author is seeing firsthand. The author refers to each animal as “her” to signify that every living being in the factory is an individual and not just someone’s dinner.

This story is very important and contributes to helping others become aware and exposes the reality of what happens behind the scenes in an animal slaughterhouse.

Words on a Killing by Will Lowrey is a 41-page paperback book. It is published by Lomack Publishing and is available for retail on Amazon in paperback and kindle edition. This book may be suitable for ages 14 to adult.

For a list of other children’s books, see: https://www.vrg.org/family/young_peoples_books_with_vegetarian_or_animal_rights_themes.pdf

Due to the generosity of an anonymous donor, The Vegetarian Resource Group each year will award $20,000 in college scholarship money to graduating U.S. high school students who have promoted veganism/vegetarianism in their schools and/or communities. Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or fowl. Vegans are vegetarians who do not use other animal products such as dairy or eggs.

One award of $10,000 and two awards of $5,000 will be given. Entries may only be sent by students graduating from high school in spring 2019. Deadline is February 20, 2020. We will accept applications postmarked on or before February 20, 2020. Early submission is encouraged!

Applicants will be judged on having shown compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful world through a vegan/vegetarian diet/lifestyle. Payment will be made to the student’s college (U.S. based only). Winners of the scholarships give permission to release their names to the media. Applications and essays become property of The Vegetarian Resource Group. We may ask finalists for more information. Scholarship winners are contacted by e-mail or telephone. Please look at your e-mail.

For details on the contest, see: http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

The tax legislation approved by Congress in December included several changes to federal retirement law. One provision raises the age when individuals must start making minimum distributions from their individual retirement accounts (IRAs) from 70½ to 72 years of age. The tax law did not, however, alter the giving incentive known as the IRA charitable rollover. Individuals aged 70½ and older may still make tax-free distributions to nonprofits (such as The Vegetarian Resource Group) from their IRAs, even if they are not required to make distributions from their IRAs because they have not yet turned 72.

This is not tax or legal advice. Please speak to your tax or legal advisor.

The Vegetarian Resource Group maintains an online Guide to Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants in the USA and Canada. Here are some recent vegan restaurant additions. The entire guide can be found here: http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

To support the updating of this online restaurant guide, please donate at: www.vrg.org/donate

Here are some new additions to VRG’s guide:

BeetBox

1074 Davie St., Vancouver, BC V6E 1M3 Canada

Customers can have either cold or warm sides to accompany their main dishes that feature plant-based patties and Mexican influences. A variety of vegan cocktails, kombucha, or organic sodas can accompany a meal at this restaurant that also offers delivery and pick-up options.

Good Health To Be Hail

1920 8th Ave. North, Bessemer, AL 35020

Offering living food for those who desire to provide their system with live foods! Made to order, menu includes exotic burgers, raw wraps, spice snacks, smoothie cups, teas, and coffees. You are certain to leave with happy feelings and feeling mighty good!

Gud Eats

2917 Early Dr., Saskatoon, SK S7H 3K5 Canada

Gud Eats has a number of fun and interesting options for those seeking out vegan comfort food. The menu includes a wide array of dishes like burgers, brats, and drummies. Those with a sweet tooth can satisfy cravings with shakes and floats. Be sure to check out the take-away goodies as well! You can even pick up some treats and food to take home to your four-legged friends at home.

Paterson Vegan Restaurant & Bar

108 NE 28th Ave., Portland, OR 97232

Paterson Vegan Restaurant & Bar brings vegan snacks and comfort food, stiff drinks, and a lot of live music to the Portland area. This family-friendly restaurant allows children until 9:00 pm and has a menu that all ages can enjoy, including TVP nachos and sloppy Joe’s, and mushroom biscuits and gravy. Stop by the next time you’re in the area to try vegan drinks, enjoy the live music, and try their ultra-popular potato pierogi.

Reverie Café and Bar

1517 East 35th St., Minneapolis, MN 55407

Beginning as a food truck, Reverie now offers café and bar options that include sandwiches, tacos, bowls, and more! Less than a block away from Powderhorn Park.

Stem: Farm + Kitchen

R House, 301 West 29th St., Baltimore, MD 21211

Stem: Farm + Kitchen is located inside R House (a European style food hall with several “Stalls”). The goal of Stem: Farm + Kitchen is to provide sustainable plant based foods. Many ingredients are sourced from local biodynamic farms. Bowl options include Rainbow Pad Thai, Korean Barbeque Cauliflower, Plant Power, Pura Vida, and Mezze. They also offer a Kale Caesar salad and Green Goddess salad. Shared plates include Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries, Falafel Plate, Hummus Plate, Seasonal Soup, and more. Fresh juices, smoothies, and Acai Bowls are also offered.

The Heavenly Vegan

6070 S. Rainbow Blvd., Ste. 7, Las Vegas, NV 89118

Started as an all-vegan meal service, The Heavenly Vegan has started branching out with a storefront restaurant. Gluten-free, oil-free, and raw options are often available. Selections have included: taquitos, penne ratatouille, and raw curry kelp noodles. Words can’t do it justice, however. Check out their Instagram for mouthwatering pictures.