By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

Since Spring 2013 Tropical Smoothie Café (TSC) offers all-vegetable Beyond Meat®, a plant protein made primarily of pea and soy protein in any food item including wraps, sandwiches, flatbreads, and salads. TSC has over 300 locations in 36 states. According to Beyond Meat® founder Ethan Brown, TSC is the first national chain of its size to offer Beyond Meat®.

The VRG asked TSC in July through December 2013 to tell us more about the ingredients in several menu offerings where Beyond Meat® could be served. TSC’s nutritional consultant told us via TSC’s public relations firm that she had used our Guide to Food Ingredients to classify TSC ingredients. The public relations firm supplied us with the following information about three menu items.

In the Turkey Guacamole™ the guacamole is all-vegetable. The nine-grain bread contains honey and is “manufactured in a facility that uses milk and eggs.”

The flatbread in the Chicken Pesto™ contains no egg, dairy, honey or other animal ingredients. The pesto contains dairy. The cheeses may be left off of this menu option when ordering. The VRG was informed that “[There is] no animal rennet in the cheese [at TSC].”

Vegetarians and vegans may be interested in ordering TSC’s Hummus Veggie™. The hummus in the Hummus Veggie™ “is completely vegan; no animal products used.” The garlic herb tortilla does not contain any egg, dairy, honey, or other animal ingredients. The pepper Jack cheese is not made with animal rennet. This wrap can be ordered without cheese when requested. The rice may contain dairy depending on the supplier. The rice, like any ingredient at TSC, may be left off of a menu item when requested before ordering. The black beans do not contain animal flavors or animal ingredients. The salsa appears to be all-vegetable although The VRG did not receive confirmation from TSC on the salsa so concerned diners may wish to confirm this before ordering.

We were informed by the public relations firm that the nutritional consultant at TSC “…is working on defining all of the ingredients in all of the menu items…I am sure [TSC] will eventually make this information available for anyone who asks about something when they are ordering, so…patrons will get what they want.”

According to the Tropical Smoothie nutritional consultant: “For clarification, on the TSC menu all items categorized as vegan are completely animal free, no animal byproducts. Menu items categorized as vegetarian may contain honey, milk, eggs, or yeast and if they do contain these items, they will be indicated as such.”

The VRG also learned that the bagel and ciabatta served at TSC contain no dairy, egg, or honey.

In response to our question about TSC smoothies, The VRG was informed through TSC’s public relations firm that “…ingredients in the recipe (i.e. soy, whey, or turbinado) can be removed in any of our smoothies upon customer request. A full list of ingredients for our smoothies is available at each Café to help consumers determine the best option for their dietary needs.”

Readers interested in learning more about Beyond Meat® may visit their website: http://beyondmeat.com
A Tropical Smoothie Café store locator may be found here: https://order.tropicalsmoothie.com/#content=/Restaurant/Search

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 more information on fast food and quick casual restaurant chains
visit The VRG website: http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

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Have you ever wondered where to buy vegan “leather” gloves or handbags? How about speed skates or guitar straps? Maybe you just can’t seem to find the perfect hiking boots. No matter what vegan “leather” product you are looking for, VRG’s updated Vegan Guide to Leather Alternatives has got you covered!

This helpful guide produced by The Vegetarian Resource Group lists both stores and online businesses offering just about any non-leather item you could possibly think of! The guide includes casual and dress shoes, hiking boots, work boots, ballet shoes, rock climbing shoes, speed skates, laptop and iPad carrying bags, iPod and cell phone holders, hand drums, guitar straps, tool belts, musical instrument cases, motorcycle gear, camera straps, briefcases, and much more. Better yet, all of this information is available to you free of cost on our website! Check out the 2014 Edition of VRG’s Vegan Guide to Leather Alternatives at http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/leather.php and be sure to support the all-vegan companies!

We are also offering a physical copy of the updated Vegan Guide to Leather Alternatives for $6 in our online catalog.

From Chipotle-Citrus Tofu to Tangerine Dream Cake- VRG has 10 new ways for you to use citrus in your kitchen! You can find the article Citrus Magic as well as Dietitians and Vegetarianism, Thanksgiving Gone Deliciously Vegan and a write-up on The Vegetarian Resource Group’s 2013 scholarship winners, plus much more in the newest posted issue of The Vegetarian Journal.

If you would like to see other archived issues of The Vegetarian Journal, please go to http://www.vrg.org/journal/

Each year, VRG awards two $5,000 college scholarships to young vegetarian/vegan activists. The deadline for VRG’s 2014 College Scholarships is February 20, 2014. High School Seniors that have been promoting the veggie lifestyle in their neighborhood and/or school on an ongoing basis are encouraged to apply.

If you are a young veggie activist, this is an opportunity that you don’t not want to miss!

For more information and application see: http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

If you would like to learn more about our past scholarship winners, check out these articles from The Vegetarian Journal:
Greta Lorenz – 2013
Amory Fischer – 2013

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

An online reader emailed The VRG that he had seen an article on the Internet stating that tricalcium phosphate could be derived from cow bone char. Another source we found made the same point. The reader asked if our Guide to Food Ingredients’ vegan classification for this compound needed to be revised in light of this information.

Food-Grade Calcium Phosphates
“Calcium phosphate” is the general name for a class of compounds containing one or more calcium and phosphate ions.

The form with three calcium ions (tricalcium phosphate or tribasic calcium phosphate) is commonly used as an anti-caking agent or nutritional supplement.

The form with one hydrogen ion attached in the phosphate group (dicalcium phosphate or dibasic calcium phosphate) is often used as a dough conditioner. It is frequently used in growth media (for fermentation-derived ingredients) and nutritional supplements.

The form with two hydrogen ions attached in the phosphate group (monocalcium phosphate or monobasic calcium phosphate) is often used as a leavening agent, dough conditioner, or firming agent. It may also frequently be used in growth media (for fermentation-derived ingredients) and nutritional supplements.

Phosphate Manufacturers and Distributors
The VRG contacted major manufacturers and several distributors of calcium phosphate compounds in December 2013 and January 2014.

A Technical Services employee of major manufacturer Prayon wrote to us that: “Our phosphate salts are produced using raw materials of mineral origin. They are suitable for vegan products.”

In a follow up email from Prayon Technical Services we learned that: “All of Prayon raw materials are of mineral origin. Tricalcium phosphate rock is mined from the earth. The rock is crushed and purified to form phosphoric acid, which may be reacted with alkali salts to produce purified phosphate salts.”

Prayon only manufactures phosphate salts for food/pet food use, pharmaceutical excipients, and industrial and horticulture applications.

Suqian Modern Chemical Co., Ltd. in China also manufactures phosphates of various types. The VRG was informed by emails from a Suqian sales manager that: “We can supply both calcium phosphates from bone ash and calcium phosphates from mineral rock… There is no calcium phosphate from bone [that is] food grade; only feed grade. We sell calcium phosphate mineral food grade…”

UK-based Fertecon Ltd. a leader in the global fertilizer industry states on its website that “Phosphate rock is the basic raw material of the phosphate fertilizer industry…” http://fertecon.agra-net.com/home/phosphate

The VRG also contacted the multinational chemical distribution company Brenntag. A long-time employee told us by phone that “all of the major manufacturers that we distribute for use phosphate rock…for human food- and for animal feed-grade.”

Prinova, another global chemical distribution company, told us by email that “Ours are all sourced from phosphate rock” when The VRG asked if they distributed any from bone ash.

California-based chemical distributor Wintersun Chemical confirmed that all of their phosphates are mineral-derived.

Freeda Vitamins told us by phone that “According to the information we have from the company we buy the calcium phosphate powder from, the source is natural minerals.”

Calcium Source in Calcium Phosphates
The VRG asked Prayon and Suqian Modern Chemical about their sources of
the calcium in all of their calcium phosphate products.A Technical
Services employee at Prayon told us by phone that “Our calcium
phosphates are manufactured using calcium oxide (lime) as a raw
material.” An employee of Suqian wrote to us that their calcium source
“…is all from long-ago mineralized plant and animal material that we now
call ‘rock.’”

We asked Prayon and Suqian if their calcium source could ever be derived from cow’s milk or oyster shell. (The latter may be used as a source for calcium carbonate which could be involved in chemical reactions to form the calcium phosphates.) Both companies told us that cow’s milk or oyster shell could never be used as their calcium source.

Historical Endnote
Sources of Phosphates Information on the discovery of phosphorus from urine and how it was obtained for commercial purposes over time can be found in Weeks’ The Discovery of the Elements. Using this and other sources, Peter Childs in his article titled “Phosphorus: Fire from Urine” elaborates on the animal sources of phosphorus:

Bone ash became the major source of phosphorus until the 1840s. Phosphate rock, a mineral containing calcium phosphate, was first used in 1850 and following the introduction of the electric arc furnace in 1890 this became the only source of phosphorus. Phosphorus, phosphates and phosphoric acid are still obtained from phosphate rock.

Another website providing information about the historical sources of phosphorus is located at: http://www.phosphatesfacts.org/faqs.asp

The writer observed during research for this article that bone ash-derived calcium triphosphate is available for purchase on eBay: It is described there as a lab chemical that can be used to make ceramics, as plant food or as fertilizer.

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 more information on vitamins, sweeteners, and other food ingredients as well as the processing methods used to make them, visit http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php. You can also purchase a print version for $6.

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

Since 1987 with over 250 locations in 37 states, Sarku Japan® is the largest quick service Japanese restaurant chain in the United States. It was the first to offer made-to-order Japanese dishes known as Teppanyaki in shopping mall food courts and similar locations. In 2003 the chain opened its first traditional Japanese-style sushi bars most often as kiosks and known as Sarku Japan® Sushi Bar. Since 2008, Sarku Japan® opened store-front restaurants called Sarku Japan Teriyaki and Sushi Express® that also offer a catering menu. Other Sarku Japan® family brands include Ming Tree® (Chinese) and Kato’s Cajun® (Cajun-Asian).

The VRG spoke in August 2013 with two members of the Sarku Japan® staff headquartered in Ontario, Canada. We learned that a signature entrée still listed on the website menu as “Vegetarian D’Lite” has been renamed as “Vegetable D’Lite.” It contains carrots, broccoli, cabbage, mushrooms and steamed white rice. The steamed rice has not been prepared with meat products. The teriyaki sauce served with this dish “is cooked with chicken bones” according to a staff member at Sarku Japan®. Vegetable D’Lite may be ordered without the sauce. Vegetable D’Lite is offered at Sarku Japan® food court locations.

In approximately 10-15 locations Vegetable D’Lite may be offered as “Vegetable & Tofu Teriyaki” which is made with the same sauce used in the Vegetable D’Lite dish. Vegetable & Tofu Teriyaki may also be ordered without the sauce. Patrons may ask if there is an all-vegetable sauce available; a few locations may be able to accommodate those who request it. Vegetable & Tofu Teriyaki may be ordered with steamed rice, fried rice, or noodles. The fried rice contains meat. The noodles contain egg.

Tofu in the Vegetable & Tofu Teriyaki is deep-fried. Staff members told us that meat products are not prepared along with vegetable ingredients although some contact may occur. Because of the possible contact between meat and non-meat ingredients, the staff emphasized that no dish at any Sarku Japan® should be considered vegan. The VRG was informed that there is a sign posted at all locations stating that patrons with any “dietary concerns” should request more information about specific menu items from restaurant staff before ordering.

“Vegetarian Soba” offered at Sarku Japan® food court locations is made with egg noodles according to staff members at the restaurant chain.

The Sarku Japan® Sushi Bar menu offers a “Vegetarian Zen” plate consisting of sushi rolls made to order. A Zen roll is made of a tofu skin and sushi (i.e., steamed) rice on the inside. Vegetable rolls offered include cucumber and/or avocado. They may be prepared with other vegetables and/or rice. Since the rolls are made to order, patrons may communicate directly with the chef regarding how the rolls are prepared and what they contain.

The Sarku Japan Teriyaki and Sushi Express® offers dumplings which contain chicken.

More information on the menu items at all Sarku Japan’s® locations may be viewed at: http://www.sarkujapan.com/. A restaurant locator is available on the website.

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 updates on menu items and ingredients at fast food and quick service chains, view The VRG’s website here: http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

On January 19, 2014, Great Sage restaurant in Clarksville, Maryland, will be donating 10% of sales to us! Support our outreach while socializing and enjoying great vegan food.

Brunch is 10am-3pm with specialty pancakes, biscuits and gravy, tofu quiche and much more. Lite fare is 3-5pm. Dinner is 5-9 pm.

Reservations for parties of 5 or more can be made by calling Great Sage at (443) 535-9400.

This is not a group gathering, but if you come during brunch, please do stop by and say hi to our new volunteer coordinator Nina Casalena.

For more information on Great Sage, see http://greatsage.com/.

Hope to see you there!

Today is the last day to make your 2013 tax-deductible gift to The Vegetarian Resource Group! Take a moment now to support our outreach and research: http://www.vrg.org/donate

From all of us at VRG, have a happy New Year!

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

An online reader asked us: I heard aspartame was made by processing it with pig kidney enzymes. Is there any in the final product that you know of? Or is it like sugar- processed with an animal derivative but none is in the final product?

Aspartame is a non-nutritive sweetener used widely in thousands of foods and beverages. Common brand names include NutraSweet®, Equal® and AminoSweet®.

We looked into aspartame manufactures and found several reports indicating that an enzyme derived from a pig’s kidney could be used to manufacture aspartame. For example: http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Biological_Chemistry/Food_Chemistry/Sweetners/Aspartame

In this link, the paragraph titled “Synthesis” contains the sentence: “In the synthesis of aspartame, the starting materials are a racemic mixture (equal quantities of both isomers) of phenylalanine, and aspartic acid. Only the L isomer of phenylalanine is desired for use. This L isomer may be separated from the D isomer by a chemical pretreatment, followed by a reaction with the enzyme porcine kidney acylase.”

Another source (http://archive.is/EzYz) refers to pig kidney enzyme used in aspartame manufacture.

The VRG located a patent application filed in 1987 by The Nutrasweet Company, a major manufacturer of aspartame, which indicates that pig kidney enzyme could be used in its manufacture: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4892820.html. The pertinent paragraph reads as follows: “The particular enzymes employed to couple the amino acids or amino acid derivatives according to the present process are not critical. Any enzyme capable of coupling the desired amino acids and/or derivatives is acceptable. Mixtures of enzymes can also be employed. Suitable enzymes are those which affect the aminolysis of amino acid esters by amino acids and their esters to yield peptides. Specific enzymes include (1) peptidase E. described by Carter et al. Journal of Bacteriology, 159 (2), 453-459 (1984); (2) leucine aminopeptidase from pig kidney (E.C. 3.4.11.1); (3) alpha-aminoacylpeptide hydrolases; (4) peptidase E from Salmonella typhimurium TN 1246 and (5) dipeptide hydrolases.”

We contacted The NutraSweet Company and asked for a comment on this patent application. A Vice President in Quality and Technology at NutraSweet wrote to us in December 2013: “Our R&D developed many potential processes, but many were not commercialized. I can assure you that we do not use, nor have we used that technology, in fact all of our High Intensity Sweeteners are actually both Kosher and Halal Certified – and no animal products are utilized in our processes. The only company that I am aware of that used enzymatic processes is no longer in the sweetener business.”

A patent application filed in 2001 by the Holland Sweetener Company details an enzymatic process for aspartame production. Bacterial enzymes especially from E. coli were preferred: http://www.google.com/patents/US6617127

In a 2012 patent application by Genscript Nanjing, Pseudomonas bacteria were successfully used: http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20120295294. This document gives a brief overview of the three general approaches used to manufacture aspartame: chemical synthesis, enzymatic synthesis and mixed-method synthesis (both chemical and enzymatic aspects).

A document showing detailed steps involved in one pathway to synthesize aspartame can be viewed here:
http://www.chemeng.queensu.ca/courses/CHEE323/lectures/documents/L12-Aspartame-Immobilization.ppt

The VRG also contacted Ajinomoto, maker of AminoSweet® (their brand name for aspartame). A Director of Sales at Ajinomoto told us by phone that “our aspartame is non-animal. Aspartame is produced through a fermentation process.” The Ajinomoto website states that “aspartame is made using a fermentation process to produce amino acids from a feedstock of molasses (a thick syrup from sugar cane or beet), soy and corn.”

In November 2013 Ajinomoto’s Director of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs wrote us that, “We, Ajinomoto Company as manufacturer of aspartame, do not use the same production method as mentioned in the patent. We do not use pig kidney enzyme to manufacture aspartame and therefore it would be suitable for use in vegetarian food applications.”

Niutang Chemical is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of aspartame. We spoke with representatives at their California office who told us that their ingredients are “artificial” and “no fermentation is involved.” A senior level employee in charge of technical and quality support called us in July 2013 and said that Niutang uses “no fermentation and no enzymes in their process [of making aspartame].”

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 more information on sweeteners and other food ingredients as well as the processing methods used to make them, visit
http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php. A print version of our Guide to Food Ingredients is available for purchase from this link for $6.

By Karen Leibowitz, during her VRG internship

Personal Experience/How my family reacted: When I told my parents I was becoming vegan, I was glad to see that they were supportive of my decision. Telling my grandparents, aunts, and uncles, was an entirely different story though. For them it meant changing the traditional holiday menus at family gatherings, something they were hesitant about, and somewhat offended by. The first time I brought up the subject of being vegan was during a family reunion, when my grandmother noticed I didn’t take any turkey. All of a sudden, the entire family was asking me questions with concerned looks on their faces.

What to make of it: In a situation like this, it is important to consider that hints of disapproval from family members should be taken as a comfort; your family cares about your health and only wants what is best for you. If they are not familiar with a vegan/vegetarian diet, they may raise concerns about your health. It’s important to take your defenses down, and recognize that a vegan/vegetarian diet can have a stigma for non-vegans especially if they aren’t aware of its benefits and they think that people have to eat meat and dairy products. They simply care about you and your health.

What I did: In my experience, what worked best was, first, telling my family exactly why I became vegan, and that there is sound scientific evidence that vegetarian/vegan diets are nutritionally adequate. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics states that, “appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.” I assured my relatives that I carefully consider daily food choices in order to make sure I receive all the necessary nutrients. This can include buying calcium-fortified food products, and eating a varied diet, including lots of produce. Your family will also be happy to hear that changing your diet has been a great learning experience concerning proper nutrition.

Practical Suggestions: Bringing my own alternative meat dish, like a Tofurky product, made my family feel better because it made me look included at family meals, and it lifted the burden of my grandparents having to cook an additional meal for just one person. Bringing your own mock meat, or another protein-rich plant food like a bean burger, can also make your family proud because you are being proactive about a change you are passionate about. Being vegetarian/vegan can sometimes feel like you are making a situation more difficult for those cooking at family gatherings. Showing your family that you are healthy and satisfied with vegetarianism/veganism can alleviate their insecurities because those are generally their main concerns.

For other ideas concerning social situations, see http://www.vrg.org/teen/
For information on VRG internships, see http://www.vrg.org/student/