By Julia Mathew

Last April, around Easter, I visited Switzerland and went on my usual search for vegan-friendly establishments. I spent a few days in Geneva then went to Zürich, where I heard much hype, from both vegans and non-vegans, about a well-renowned restaurant called “Hiltl.” According to the Guinness World Records, Haus Hiltl is known as the oldest continuously run vegetarian restaurant in the world. Hiltl is a rather upscale but down to earth restaurant, offering a wide variety of buffet-style vegetarian food and a vast amount of vegan options as well. The buffet is priced based on weight per plate, so Hiltl can be quite expensive. I spent around 30 CHF ($30) on my dinner plate and another 20 CHF ($20) on dessert. I had also completely submerged both my dinner and dessert plates with as many vegan options as possible. However, it is important to note that Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in the world. My entire trip to Switzerland was quite pricey due to high-living costs and a nearly equal dollar to Swiss franc ratio.

For dinner, I had an assortment of cooked and roasted vegetables, such as carrots, beets, artichoke, and spinach, as well as a small serving of daal, or lentils. Hiltl offers many other satiating Indian inspired vegetarian and vegan dishes. My favor dinner selection was the vegan meatballs and tomato sauce. The ravioli and macaroni with pasta sauce were also really nice and were well complimented by the roasted vegetables. The couscous and rice dishes were well seasoned and went well with the vegan chicken bites.

Much to my surprise, there was a wide selection of vegan desserts available. I loaded my dessert plate with an assortment of cakes, pastries, and puddings. I tried a vegan rhubarb crisp for the first time, which I surprisingly really enjoyed. The chocolate mousse was very light and fluffy and went well with the banana bread. I also had a creamy Jello-like peach mouse topped with fruit sauce which was delicious. The berry cobbler was rather tart but paired nicely with the other modestly sweet desserts.

Overall, I was really impressed by Hiltl and would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Switzerland who’s willing to spend extra for a high quality vegan meal at a world-renowned restaurant. The food was wonderful and each dish was flavorful and well prepared despite being buffet-styled. My dinner at Hiltl was easily one of the best meals I’ve had in my entire life. The atmosphere of the restaurant is very welcoming and the quality of the food is superb, making it a very memorable and worthwhile experience.

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

Moe’s FAQ page presents some relevant information for its vegan guests (scrolling down to the last question under “Menu Inquiries” on this page): http://www.moes.com/faqs/

Q: I am a vegetarian/vegan. What are my menu options at Moe’s?

A: Do you like your tofu medium-rare or well done? Just kidding, but our commitment to vegetarians and vegans is no joke. We use only soybean oil and vegetable stock. Our organic tofu, beans, tortillas and rice are all vegan. Also there is no gelatin in the guacamole.

On the interactive nutrition page of Moe’s website, visitors select ingredients for burritos, tacos, quesadillas, nachos, stacks, burrito bowls, salads or breakfast offerings. The nutritional profile of their customized menu choice automatically populates in a template as they add components (such as tofu, black beans or guacamole). Increasing values in each nutrition category (for example: calories, grams of fat or protein) appear as guests add each component to their entrée: http://www.moes.com/food/nutrition/burritos/

Patrons may determine if there are animal allergens such as eggs or dairy in their menu preferences: http://www.moes.com/public/pdf/allergen.pdf

Moe’s general statement on potential cross-contamination of menu components also appears on the allergen page: http://www.moes.com/food/allergens

The VRG wished to learn more about the vegan menu options at Moe’s. We corresponded with Guest Relations Specialist Michael Corbett at Moe’s corporate office in March 2017. Here are our questions and Michael’s responses:

Q: Is your tofu prepared on a surface away from meat products?
A: Yes, it is cooked on a completely different grill than our meats and fish.

Q: Are your grilled vegetables prepared away from meat products?
A: Yes, they are cooked on a completely different grill than our meats and fish.

Q: Are your shells and/or chips fried in oil used to prepared animal products?
A: Our shells and chips are not prepared with the same oil or tools as our proteins. [VRG Note: Bolded and underlined “not” is Michael’s.]

Q: Do your tortillas contain any animal ingredients such as L-cysteine (which is usually animal-derived)?
A: No, they do not.

Q: Does your whole-grain tortilla contain honey?
A: Honey is not an ingredient in any of our products.

Q: Does your seasoned rice or beans (pinto and black) contain any animal-based flavors or fats?
A: No, they do not contain any animal-based flavors or fats.

Q: Is calcium stearate (which could be from animal fat) still an ingredient in Moe’s beans?
A: Yes, it is still an ingredient but it is not from animal fat.

Q: Which dressings and salsas contain only vegetable ingredients?
A: Moe’s Southwest vinaigrette, Hard Rock & Roll Sauce and all current salsas on the salsa bar are considered vegetarian friendly.

Q: When you call them “vegetarian friendly,” do you mean that the dressing, the sauce and the salsas are vegan (no animal ingredients at all; made only with all-vegetable ingredients)?
A: Our dressings, sauce, and salsas absolutely contain no animal ingredients.

Q: Is there any added sugar in the salsas, Southwest vinaigrette or in the Hard Rock and Roll Sauce?
A: Additionally, the dressings, sauces and salsas do not contain any added sugar.

Q: Which foods at Moe’s contain added sugar?
A: Moe’s desserts, rice, and beans contains added sugar.

Q: Do you know how your sugar’s been processed? Has it been filtered through cow bone char?
A: In the U.S., sugar companies use bone char derived from cows for this filtering and bleaching process. To make bone char, animal bones are heated at incredibly high temperatures and are reduced to carbon before being used in a refinery. The sugar does not actually contain bone char particles, but it does come into contact with them. “Refined sugar does not contain any bone particles and is therefore kosher certified. The bone char simply removes impurities from the sugar, but does not become a part of the sugar,” Caroline Pyevich reports in The Vegetarian Journal.

Q: Do you mean that the added sugar could have been filtered through cow bone char but you just don’t know for sure? 
A: Any added sugar in our products has been filtered through bone char. This is the most common method used by sugar companies in the U.S.

Q: Your FAQ page states that there is no gelatin in Moe’s guacamole. Does it contain any animal flavors or added sugar?
A: No, it does not contain any animal flavors or added sugar.

Since complete ingredient statements of entrée components do not appear on Moe’s website, guests with any other ingredient questions should contact this restaurant chain directly.

A feature of Moe’s website that we have not found on the sites of other fast casual chains is their presentation of how to find a Moe’s location in the US. To see a clickable listing of all restaurants with additional information on special offers (such as Moe Monday or if kids eat free) and services (such as Wi-Fi or catering) available at each one, guests should visit and scroll down to “Find a Moe’s”: http://www.moes.com/site-map/

For information on more restaurant chains, see http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php
For information on vegetarian and vegan restaurants, see http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/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 judgement about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group research, donate at www.vrg.org/donate

To join The Vegetarian Resource Group, go to http://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

The Vegetarian Resource Group will be exhibiting at the events below. If you’re attending any of these festivities, please stop by and say hello!

 Harford County Earth Day
60 N. Parke Street
Aberdeen MD 21001
Saturday, April 22nd from 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

 Charlottesville Eco Fair
Located at the Downtown Mall and Sprint Pavilion
700 E Main St
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Sunday, April 23rd 2017 from 11 AM to 5 PM

 Paul’s Place “Spring Into Good Health” Fair
1118 Ward St
Baltimore, MD 21230
Saturday, April 29th from 1-4 PM

 New England VegFest
DCU Center
50 Foster St
Worcester, MA 01608
Sunday, April 30, 2017 from 11 AM-5 PM

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

In 2015, Guinness announced that it would remove isinglass from its beer-brewing process by the end of 2016. The Vegetarian Resource Group wrote about it here:

http://www.vrg.org/blog/2016/04/14/guinness-to-remove-isinglass-from-its-beer-brewing-in-2016-regrained-nutritional-bars-from-beer-production-by-jeanne-yacoubou-ms/

We checked with the company in April 2017 to see if their new system were functional yet. Within 10 minutes The VRG received this email reply from Peter Venegas, Consumer Care Manager – North America, for Diageo® which owns the Guinness brand:

“We are continuing to work through the installation and commissioning of a new filtration system at St. James’s Gate that will remove isinglass from the Guinness brewing process. We are making good progress on the installation and the project remains fully on track…we will provide a further update as soon as we are able to do so.”

Isinglass and other animal-sourced clarifying agents including gelatin and egg white are not used in most commercial beer brewing today in the United States. Beer clarifying agents do not need to be identified on labels, however, so always do a company inquiry when in doubt.

A few US beers may contain honey or clam juice; if included these ingredient names would appear on a bottle label. Readers may consult http://www.barnivore.com/beer for the latest information on vegan domestic and foreign beers.

Animal ingredients are more likely to be used for beer clarification in other countries notably those in the UK and in the EU. However, some brewers in those countries are following Guinness’ example.

While researching this Guinness update, The VRG noticed that in October 2016 Cheshire Brewhouse® made a similar announcement. The company stated: “We have now removed isinglass finings from the brewing process for our cask beers. However, we have always been fish-product-free on our bottled and keg beers.” http://www.cheshirebrewhouse.co.uk/isinglass-free-cask-beer/?age-verified=0ceb0bc9f0

According to Ian L. Ward in his isinglass definition from the Oxford Companion to Beer: “With the advances in centrifugation and filtration technologies, the use of isinglass has declined and today it is largely confined to cask-conditioned ales, although some American craft brewers also use it…” https://beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/szToZUocgW/isinglass/

For information about gelatin, isinglass, and other ingredients, see:
vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

To support The Vegetarian Research, join at:
www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.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 judgement about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

By Julia Mathew, VRG Intern

Last April, I visited Helsinki during the spring for about a week. Although it was quite chilly, I really enjoyed my time in Finland and was fascinated by not only the amount of vegan options in Helsinki, but of the blend of Scandinavian and Russian roots found throughout the city. Although the general structure of the inner city appeared to feel quite Scandinavian, there were Russian architectural touches throughout the city. A striking example of this is Uspenski Cathedral, an Eastern Orthodox Cathedral overlooking the Pohjoissatama Harbor. It was designed by the Russian architect Aleksey Gornostayev and was completed in 1898.

Helsinki is the capital of Finland and is located in the very south of the nation, just short of the Gulf of Finland. It is the largest city in Finland with around 600,000 inhabitants. The Nordic nation has a population of about 5.5 million people. Known for Nokia, Moomin, Eero Aarnio’s ball chair, Angry Birds, Fiskars scissors, Linux, and saunas, Finland is never short of innovation or creativity. The vegan movement has even emerged in Finland and has especially expanded in Helsinki in recent years. The official Visit Finland website even has an article about veganism in Helsinki! See: http://www.visitfinland.com/article/helsinki-goes-vegan/

Last year, I visited a couple health food stores and vegan-friendly establishments in the city. Silvoplee is the largest buffet-style vegetarian restaurant in Helsinki. It is well-known and revered among vegans and vegetarians in the area. The buffet offers a variety of flavorful raw and hot vegetarian dishes and has a small smoothie bar with premade sandwiches.The buffet is charged based on weight per plate. Vegan cakes and other small desserts are also available. I really enjoyed Silvoplee and understand why it’s known as one of the best vegetarian restaurants in Helsinki. They have so many delicious options in the buffet and their smoothies are so refreshing.

I was greeted with a smile at a little raw café in Taka-Töölö called Raw n’ More. I had a raspberry chia pudding with a soy latte in the bright, minimalistic café. Raw n’ More had many beautiful raw vegan cakes on display as well. I actually found that many cafes in Helsinki, such as Johan & Nyström, have raw vegan cakes. Johan & Nyström is a Swedish coffee roaster beautifully located right by Uspenski Cathedral on the Pohjoissatama Harbor. Café Kahvila Sävy also had a daily special of vegan banana bread. I was pleased to find that most, if not all, of the cafés I went to in Helsinki had Oatly’s oat milk or some other type of plant-based milk available.

Just Vege is a small vegetarian joint right off the Sörnäinen metro station. It is a three-minute walk from the vegan-friendly café, Kahvila Sävy. Just Vege offers many Mediterranean falafel dishes and has a separate vegan menu available online. The staff is also very friendly and knowledgeable about making the vegetarian dishes vegan. I really enjoyed their vegan meze plate and seitan/veggie döner kebab dish. I definitely recommend visiting Just Vege, as well as Vegekauppa, the vegan grocery store next door. Kotiharjun Sauna Oy, an old, traditional public Finnish sauna, is also nearby and is a great place to unwind after a long day in the city. The Finnish sauna culture is well-established, as saunas are thought to have originated in Finland.

There are many other vegan-friendly establishments throughout Helsinki that are worth visiting, such as Café Kippo, a vegan sandwich and smoothie shop in the shopping center, Forum. It’s a good place to get a light sandwich or refreshing smoothie. Ruohonjuuri is a small Finnish health food store chain with some prepared foods such as raw lasagna, salads, and smoothies. There are multiple locations throughout Helsinki, as well as in Tampere, Espoo, Raisio, and Oulu. This year I also heard about, Jänö, a new co-op kiosk specializing in vegan delicacies such as burgers, hot dogs, tacos, pies, cakes, and “Pulled Oats.” Pulled Oats is a new Finnish meat substitute made from oats and beans. Hietsun Kauppahalli is a market hall filled with many vendors, such as Kitty’s Milkshake Bar. The bar has some delicious vegan milkshake options available, such as Classic Vanilla, Peanut Butter Cup, Blushing Blueberry, Mary Cherry, Rebellious Rhubarb, and Harri the Cookie Monster. Fafa’s has multiple locations throughout Helsinki and offers a variety of vegan-friendly falafel, hummus, and mezze dishes. Roots is a popular vegan café that hosts yoga classes and offers salads, burgers, flatbreads, and soup. They also serve waffles, a breakfast special, and raw ice cream.

As veganism continues to become more widely recognized by the Finnish food industry, the number of vegan-friendly establishments will only continue to increase.

By Anna Lam

Some college students are intimidated by the logistics of eating a vegan diet while studying at a university. After all, the typical Western diet, and particularly that of Americans, has tended to emphasize meat as centerpiece items to a proper meal. I’ve even heard people express the sentiment that you’re not eating a meal unless there’s meat in it. However, with vegetarianism on the rise in recent decades, I’m here to say that eating only plants has never been easier, and can be accomplished by the vast majority. As a vegan college student myself, I’ve experienced no problems since making the switch. With the help of abundant online resources, some great vegan friends, and a minimal college budget, it’s been entirely possible for me to sustain this diet and stay focused on my studies.

If you’re concerned about cost, cheap and healthy staples for myself include: bulk purchases of grains such as whole rolled oats, brown or white rice; canned or dried beans such as black beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, and lentils; vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, leafy greens, and cruciferous vegetables; frozen vegetables like peas, collard greens, or vegetable medleys; and fruits like bananas, oranges, and melons.

Interested in comparing my palate with those of other college vegans, I surveyed my peers from the university vegetarian club, as well as a Facebook group dedicated to discussing vegan food. I asked both group members to say what their favorite vegan foods to eat in college were, and I’ve arranged a list below of the top 10 foods according to popularity.

1. Potatoes (including sweet potatoes)

2. Avocados

3. Tempeh

4. Hummus

5. Vegetarian sushi

6. Toast with various toppings (nut butters, fruits, avocados, etc.)

7. Oatmeal

8. Burritos

9. Chickpeas

10. Nachos

Some honorable mentions include vegetable curries and fried rice, tofu, pad Thai, non-dairy ice-cream, and date bars. Popular restaurants were Chipotle and Qdoba.

So, as you can see, there are bountiful options for the college student considering a vegan, or even more plant-based, lifestyle. So pop some potatoes in the oven, grab a pint of non-dairy ice-cream from your local supermarket, and enjoy your college years with plenty of cruelty-free foods.

Also see:
http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2013issue1/2013_issue1_college_survey.php

http://www.vrg.org/vote/index.php

Salata lists these items as vegan proteins on their menu:

Quinoa: Pre-Washed White, Black, Red Quinoa, Parsley

Baked Tofu: Baked Tofu (Soy Beans, Water, Soy Sauce (Water, Soy Beans, Wheat Flour, Salt), Soy Oil, Calcium Sulfate), Canola Oil, Parsley

Falafel: Garbanzo Beans, Roasted Garlic, Onion, Parsley, Salt, Baking Soda, Jalapeños, Spices, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil.

See: https://www.salata.com/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.

For information about other restaurant chains, see:
http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php
For a list of vegan and vegetarian restaurants, see: http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

To Join The Vegetarian Resource Group, go to: http://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

In order to produce a high calcium product for people allergic to dairy,
Flinders University is promoting a seaweed jelly made with lobster shells.

See:
https://research.flinders.edu.au/RP/Blog/673/research-engagement-and-impact-pitching-on-tasty-seaweed-jelly

We wonder if many individuals that are allergic to dairy or don’t consume dairy for other reasons, would want to consume lobster or other shellfish?

For sources of calcium from vegan sources, see:
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/calcium.php

The Vegetarian Resource Group has started a new Facebook group for families. We’d love to have you join! Here’s what it’s all about:

“My name is Samantha and I’m the Senior Editor of Vegetarian Journal, a publication of The Vegetarian Resource Group. We are a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about vegan diets.

As a child, answering questions about my diet was easy. “Animals are my friends, I don’t want to eat them,” would usually suffice. As an adult, the questions grew more complex, but never more so than when I became pregnant. I was unprepared for the barrage of questions regarding protein, B12, calcium, and Vitamin D. Suddenly, everyone was a nutrition expert! I also faced questions such as, “Will you force your child to be vegan?” and “What will you do if your child wants to try meat?”

Luckily, I was armed with www.vrg.org, which provides a wealth of information about vegetarian and vegan nutrition, as do the books from The VRG Book Catalog. However, I was lacking a community of like-minded veg parents, and I know you’re out there!

Our new Parents and Kids Facebook Group is intended to be a group that offers support for families raising children on vegan diets and for vegan kids. I 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, 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.

We encourage you to share your advice, tips, tricks, photos, videos, and recipes. We can’t wait to get to you know you! Please share this information with any veggie families you know!”

The contents of these postings and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal nutrition or 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 Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
The 11th General Question on the Noodles & Company FAQ page http://www.noodles.com/faq/ viewed in April 2017 appeared as follows:

Q: I am a vegan. What menu items can I eat?

A: While there is no commonly accepted definition for vegan*, we define it as menu items that don’t contain meat, fish, dairy, eggs or other animal products. If your definition matches ours, try these menu items:
• Japanese Pan Noodles
• Tossed Green Side Salad with balsamic vinaigrette
• Penne Rosa without cream and cheese
• Whole Grain Tuscan Fresca without cheese
• Spaghetti with Marinara without cheese

*Our dishes may contain sugar and/or wine.

From this FAQ answer on vegan entrées, Noodles & Co. provides a link “for more information” titled Watching What You Are Eating? http://www.noodles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/3634-WEB-NUTRITIONALS-0716_r2.pdf

Page 1 of this 11-page document repeats the FAQ information. On page 2 there is a chart titled “Here’s what you are eating” which displays a vegetarian icon “v” next to certain entrées and/or entrée components which are…“defined by us as dishes excluding meat and fish.” (The icon’s definition appears at the bottom of page 2.) This icon also appears on print menus in this chain’s restaurants. There is no analogous vegan icon at Noodles & Co.

At the end of the same FAQ answer there is a second link http://www.noodles.com/made-different/ that leads to a red rectangular button labeled “See our full ingredient list” (which appears on the left after a little downward scrolling from the page’s top). The ingredients are listed alphabetically by component in a seven-page document (which is a shortened version of the 11-page document mentioned above). This listing is the most up-to-date; the longer PDF lists ingredients of dish components and entrées which have recently been removed from the menu (see below for details).

http://www.noodles.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/INGREDIENT-STATEMENT_03.01.172.pdf

The first five pages consist of the ingredient statements for individual dish components. The remaining two pages comprise the Dish Reference Chart. Thus it is necessary to scroll up and down or to open the document in two separate tabs and move between them when analyzing the ingredients in each component of entrées in order to determine their vegan status.

Appearing on the bottom of pages 1 and 3 of the 11-page document under the subtitle “Of Interest” is this disclaimer:

We have peanuts, tree nuts, soy, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish and wheat/gluten in our restaurant, and there may be cross contact with your food because of shared cooking equipment. In addition, because we offer so many unique flavors, not every ingredient we use is listed in our menu descriptions.

From January 2017 through March 2017 The VRG corresponded with Danielle Moore, Director of Communications at Noodles & Company, for more information about this chain’s vegan menu offerings. For this article quoted information is from Danielle except if otherwise noted.

The VRG asked Danielle if the last disclaimer sentence implied that some ingredients were not listed on the chain’s website. She explained that “In the description of each dish we are highlighting the unique ingredients of each dish. However, under the ingredient list on the “Made Different” tab of our website we disclose the full ingredient list for each dish we have in our restaurants. Keep in mind we are always updating and changing our menu and there may be some delay between updates.”

Besides the asterisked reference to sugar and wine in their vegan FAQ placed immediately below their vegan entrée suggestions, (“*Our dishes may contain sugar and/or wine”), Noodles & Company states nothing else about sugar or wine (such as the sugar whitening method or wine clarifying agent) on their website.

We asked “When you state in your definition of ‘vegan’: ‘Our dishes may contain sugar and/or wine’ are you implying that your sugar and/or wine may have been processed with animal products or definitely have been so processed? Would your response differ on a case-by-case basis?”

Danielle replied:

“Based on the complexity of our supply chain we cannot guarantee which items on our supply chain may or may not contain sugar that has been processed through bone char or wine that had been processed through isinglass. This applies to all items [we serve containing sugar or wine].”

Readers may note that all of the dishes Noodles & Company lists in its vegan FAQ response contain sugar. The Penne Rosa and Fresca entrées are made with white cooking wine.
In the ingredient statement for the Japanese Pan Sauce used in the Japanese Pan Noodles dish, “sugar” appears three times. “Organic cane sugar,” which by definition has never been whitened through cow bone char, appears once. “Natural flavour” appears twice.

When The VRG asked if these natural flavors could have originated from animal sources, Noodles & Co. told us that
“Unfortunately, there are instances where supplier partners won’t disclose that level of detail with us so we cannot guarantee the source of all of our ingredients.”

Readers may note that natural flavors are also present in the balsamic vinaigrette for the side salad that is listed by Noodles & Co. in its vegan FAQ.

The VRG noticed in several places in the ingredient statements “natural flavor/flavour.”

We learned:
“As for the spelling of “flavor” this is merely to remain compliant with both Canadian and US labeling at the same time so our products may cross the border. This doesn’t mean that we have product coming from Canada.”
Noodles & Company offers seasoned tofu on its menu. We asked if, apart from its sugar and natural flavors (both of unconfirmed processing method or source) the seasoned tofu were vegan. Danielle replied “Correct.” Furthermore she added, “You can substitute or add tofu to any dish on our menu.”

The VRG wondered if a vegan guest could order unseasoned tofu, simply sautéed in oil with vegetables and possibly soy sauce or a few spices. Noodles & Company replied: “NO. We currently do not have restaurant procedures for this.”
At our request, Danielle later explained further: “Regarding the tofu, we cook all of our tofu in our Japanese Pan Noodle sauce which contains gluten. The restaurants do not prep tofu without it, so there is no way a guest can custom order the tofu without the sauce.”

(By saying this, Danielle also explained why “organic tofu” listed on the allergen chart on p. 2 of their 11-page PDF is marked as containing both wheat and gluten allergens. This listing is for seasoned tofu.)

Here is the complete ingredient statement for the Japanese Pan Sauce used on Noodle & Company’s tofu:
Water, Soy Sauce (Water, Salt, Sugar, Soybeans, Wheat, Molasses), Molasses, Rice Vinegar Dressing (Rice Vinegar, Water, Sugar, Salt), Lemon Juice (Water, Lemon Juice Concentrate and Lemon Oil), Sesame Oil, Sriracha (Chile, Distilled Vinegar, Water, Sugar, Salt, Garlic, Natural Flavour, Maltodextrin, Xanthan Gum and Citric Acid), Ginger, Natural Vegetable Base (Vegetables and Concentrated Vegetables [Carrot, Celery, Onion, Tomato], Yeast Extract, Salt, Organic Cane Sugar, Maltodextrin [from corn], Natural Flavour, Canola Oil, Barley Malt Extract [gluten], Dried Onion, Dried Potatoes, Dried Garlic), Modified Corn Starch, Garlic and Citric Acid as a Preservative
Also on page 2 of Noodles & Company’s informative PDF http://www.noodles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/3634-WEB-NUTRITIONALS-0716_r2.pdf Bangkok Curry and Thai Curry Soup are listed with the vegetarian icon next to them. The Bangkok Curry contains sodium caseinate (a dairy derivative). One formulation of the Thai Curry Soup contains lactose (milk sugar). They both contain sugar and natural flavors.

In March 2017 The VRG noticed that these two dishes were no longer on the menu although they were still listed on p. 2 of the PDF file. Danielle relayed to us: “Yes, we did remove the Thai Curry Soup and the Bangkok Curry from our menu on February 15 [2017].”

As we were finalizing this article we noticed that the Whole Grain Tuscan Fresca no longer appeared on the website menu although this dish when ordered without cheese still appeared in the list of vegan entrées on the FAQ page under the 11th general question as mentioned in the first paragraph of this article.

We asked Danielle about the Whole Grain Tuscan Fresca and received this reply in March 2017: “It is no longer on the menu and cannot be ordered. That being said, we are bringing Pasta Fresca back on May 3.” For more information on Pasta Fresca please contact Noodles & Company directly.

Interested diners may note that the Pad Thai at Noodles & Company contains fish sauce.

Lastly, we inquired about kitchen protocols at Noodles & Company:

Q: Do your restaurants have specially-designated prep areas, cooking utensils, grilling surfaces and storage bins for all-vegetable ingredients vs. meat and/or dairy products?
A: Due to the nature of our menu and back of the house procedures we cannot guarantee complete removal of cross contact.

Ingredient-minded readers may note that Noodles & Company is one of the few fast casual restaurants that has a Prohibited Ingredient List. Carmine and cochineal (always insect-derived) and L-cysteine (usually animal-derived) appear on it. http://www.noodles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Prohibited-Ingredient-List_0716.pdf

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.

For more information on quick service chains, see http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.htm

For information on vegetarian and vegan restaurants, see http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.htm

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