by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

High blood pressure affects more than a third of Americans and increases the risk for stroke, heart disease, and kidney failure. Researchers at Loma Linda University recently looked at 2000 white Seventh-day Adventists. Subjects were classified as vegan (if they ate meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy less than once a month), lacto-ovo vegetarian (ate meat, poultry, and fish less than once a month), partial vegetarian (ate meat and poultry less than once a month but ate fish monthly or ate meat, poultry, or fish at least once once a month but not weekly), and nonvegetarians. “Meat” includes both red meat and poultry. Although these are not the definitions that are used by vegan and vegetarian organizations, this was how the researchers classified their subjects since the categories reflect the way the subjects ate most of the time. About 10% of those studied were categorized as vegan and more than one-third as lacto-ovo vegetarian.

The group identified as vegans had a lower average blood pressure than did nonvegetarians. In addition, vegans were less likely to take medicine for high blood pressure. Those categorized as vegans had a 60% lower risk of hypertension (elevated blood pressure) compared to nonvegetarians, while those categorized as lacto-ovo vegetarians had about a 40% lower risk and partial vegetarians had about a 10% lower risk. The results of this study may be partly due to the lower BMI of vegans and vegetarians since being overweight increases the risk of having high blood pressure. Higher intakes of potassium and fiber by vegans and vegetarians could be another explanation for the results. This study was published in the January 2012 issue of Public Health Nutrition.

In 2010, high blood pressure cost the United States $76.6 billion in health care services, medications, and missed days of work. We can only wonder what the impact of a national move towards a vegan diet on these costs would be.

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

The VRG recently received a Facebook comment about a January 2012 VRG Blog post on Subway® Canada's vegan patty that has been available for approximately one year as a market option for Subway® Canada restaurants. The Facebook writer asked if the veggie patties which have been available for many years in Subway® USA restaurants were also vegan.

We contacted a senior staff member at Subway® USA in January 2012 who told us that the veggie patty currently available as a market option in all Subway® USA restaurants is "…vegetarian (not vegan) – it does contain eggs and dairy."

At this time, the veggie patty is not on the Subway® USA national menu. The VRG was informed by Subway® USA that the veggie patties are "commonly seen on the East and West Coasts" where they are most popular among Subway® patrons.

For those in The United States who would like to see their local Subway® offer a vegan patty, the VRG recommends that you contact Subway® at 203-877-4281 and visit them at www.WeLoveSubway.com to voice your opinion.

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 service chains, visit The VRG at http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.htm

For all kinds of vegetarian and vegan information, please subscribe to our free enewsletter: http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews

There are many ways to stay connected to The Vegetarian Resource Group!

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To support VRG research, donate at: https://www.vrg.org/donate

by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

Since 2007, EarthKosher® has offered affordable kosher certification services to companies around the world. Founder and CEO Rabbi Zecharyah Tzvi Goldman has a particular interest in certifying "…companies that embody a regard for human health, human dignity and respect the environment." As of December 2011, EarthKosher® certifies over 150 companies in seventeen countries.

Kashrus administration for EarthKosher® is provided by Rabbi Zushe Blech who has years of experience in kosher certification. EarthKosher is recognized as a recommended kosher symbol by Rav Eliezer Eidlitz of KosherQuest.org. EarthKosher® is also a member of the Association of Kashrus Organizations.

Rabbi Goldman told The VRG that at the request of an EarthKosher® client, Audrey Darrow of Earth Source Organics®, EarthKosher® began a Joint Kosher-Vegan Certification Program. "A company must be certified kosher by us first before seeking vegan verification," he said. What is unique about this vegan certification compared to others is that EarthKosher® inspects a company's food production facility before granting vegan certification and visits on an ongoing basis to ensure strict compliance with their vegan standards. "Mailing a check with a list of ingredients is not enough to gain our vegan certification," according to Rabbi Goldman.

EarthKosher's® standards for its Vegan Verification Program are that "a product contains no animal products or animal product derivatives whatsoever, i.e., zero tolerance. In addition, we do not permit under any circumstances vegan products bearing our vegan symbol to be manufactured on equipment that is employed for non-vegan products." Rabbi Goldman told The VRG that "a company must reveal the identity of anything that come in contact with the final food product including processing aids, incidental additives, release agents, etc., (excluding equipment cleaning agents)."

Rabbi Goldman distinguishes his Joint Kosher-Vegan Certification Program from others because "I have no broader agenda like other organizations do. I certify with great integrity."

Darrow told The VRG that larger kosher certifying agencies "wouldn't even talk to me because I was such a small company." As a small business, she couldn't afford the thousands of dollars required to get kosher certified. "With EarthKosher®, on the other hand, their program is much more affordable and payments plans are possible. And I can get vegan certified, too, which is very important to me." Rabbi Goldman told us "that a large kosher agency typically charges a small company with a few products between $6,000-$10,000 for kosher certification. I provide the same certification for $2,000-$3,000."

Darrow also told The VRG that she is very impressed with the regular onsite visits by EarthKosher® and their superb customer service. "EarthKosher® shows compassion for new businesses and provides constant communication and feedback," she said.

To learn more about EarthKosher's® Joint Kosher-Vegan Certification program, visit their website at www.earthkosher.com.
The contents of this article, our website, and our other publications, including The Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company employees or company statements. Information does change and mistakes are always possible. Please use your own best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. Further research or confirmation may be warranted.

For more information on vegetarian and vegan food labels, visit VRG at
http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2006issue3/2006_issue3_labels.php

For information on food ingredients, fast food, and for other information of interest to vegetarians and vegans, please subscribe to our free e-newsletter at http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/

There are many ways to stay connected to The Vegetarian Resource Group!
Get our blog delivered right to your inbox: http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheVRGBlog
Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/VegResourceGrp
And like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thevegetarianresourcegroup

If you’re in Baltimore, flip on the news to ABC 2 this Sunday morning at 11 A.M and watch a segment on vegetarian teen nutrition with long-time VRG volunteer Mark Rifkin, MS, RD, LDN!

For more information on vegetarian and vegan teen nutrition see:
http://www.vrg.org/family/kidsindex.htm

The newly-released USDA nutrition standards for school meals include requirements for more fruits and vegetables, more whole-grains, and less salt and fat. In a welcome addition for many vegetarians, schools now have the option to use tofu as a meat alternate for school lunch and school breakfast programs. According to the USDA, approving tofu "allows schools to diversify the sources of protein available to students and better meet the dietary needs of vegetarians and culturally diverse groups in schools." (This is what VRG had suggested in spring, 2011 when we commented on the proposed regulations.)

Here are a few more key changes:

• The new lunch standard calls for ¾-1 cup of vegetables PLUS ½-1 cup of fruit per day; the old standard required only ½-¾ cups of a combination of fruits and vegetables.
• The new standard for school breakfast doubles the amount of fruit required to be served.
• At least half of the grains served must be whole grain rich (more than half of the product must be whole grain), effective July, 2012; by 2014, all grains served must be whole grain rich.
• Schools are required to serve specific amounts of dark green and red/orange vegetables each week; in the past requirements were merely for total amounts of vegetables with no requirements for these more nutritious vegetables.
• Schools must serve at least ½ cup of dried beans or peas each week.
• Schools are no longer required to serve a meat or meat alternate at breakfast.
• Any food served must have 0 grams of trans-fat per serving.

These changes will be implemented over the next several years.

To learn more about vegetarian options in school meals programs, please visit: http://www.vrg.org/fsupdate/index.htm

VRG’s Nutrition Advisor, Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, just wrote a new article for OneGreenPlanet.org:

Raising Children who are Glad to Be Vegan
By Reed Mangels: Nutrition Advisor, The Vegetarian Resource Group

Click through to read the article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JANUARY 24, 2012
Contacts: John Cunningham (410) 366-VEGE
Sonja Helman (410) 366-8343

The Everything Vegan Pregnancy Book

The Vegetarian Resource Group’s Nutrition Advisor, Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, has authored The Everything Vegan Pregnancy Book, published by Adams Media.

In this 304-page book, Mangels provides information about all aspects of a vegan pregnancy from choosing and working with a health care provider, to developing a vegan-friendly birth plan, to eating healthy throughout pregnancy and beyond.

Chapters include those focused on key nutrients including vitamin B12, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin D, protein, and iodine. Other chapters address unique consideration in each trimester, labor and delivery, and breast feeding. Practical matters such as shopping, food safety, and social issues for vegans are also covered. The book is filled with helpful lists including top vegan sources of iron, zinc, and calcium; a vegan food guide for pregnancy; snack ideas; and essentials to pack for the hospital or birthing center.

The Everything Vegan Pregnancy Book also includes 150 recipes – from appetizers to desserts. Expectant parents can feast on Morning Cereal Bars, Tandoori Seitan, Cajun Collard Greens, and Apricot Ginger Sorbet.

Reed wrote the nutrition section for Simply Vegan published by The Vegetarian Resource Group. She co-authored the 2009 and 2003 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics position papers on vegetarian diets. She is a Nutrition Editor for Vegetarian Journal.

Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or fowl. Vegans are vegetarians who also don’t use other animal products such as dairy or eggs. The Vegetarian Resource Group is a non-profit which educates the public about vegetarian and vegan diets. It publishes Vegetarian Journal, offers two $5,000 college scholarships to high school seniors who have promoted vegetarianism, and sponsors an e-mail list for parents of vegetarians (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vrgparents/). For more information, call (410) 366-8343; write to VRG, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203; or visit www.vrg.org.

To order The Everything Vegan Pregnancy Book, send $16.95 to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203; Call 410-366-8343 9AM to 5PM Monday to Friday; or visit http://www.vrg.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=81

by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

The VRG noticed an Internet blog entry in December 2011 indicating that Taco Bell® rice contained casein, a milk protein. At one time, some rice served at Taco Bell® contained this dairy ingredient. We reported it: http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/fast.htm. The VRG was curious to know if Taco Bell® rice currently contained any milk proteins. Currently, the only rice on Taco Bell’s® national menu is the Mexican Rice, also referred to as seasoned (red) rice. This rice may be a component in several Taco Bell® meals or ordered by itself as a side dish.

We asked a quality assurance employee at Taco Bell® corporate headquarters who has provided us with information in the past about Taco Bell® menu items. She told us that "there is no casein or other milk protein" in the seasoned rice.

We were also informed that Taco Bell® is currently testing a white cilantro rice in select areas. Like the seasoned rice, the white cilantro rice is free of all dairy-derived ingredients.

For more information on Taco Bell® ingredients in all of its national menu items, visit http://www.tacobell.com/nutrition/ingredientstatement

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 food served in fast food and quick service chains, visit the VRG at http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.htm
For information on food ingredients and for other information of interest to vegetarians and vegans, please subscribe to our free e-newsletter at http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews

There are many ways to stay connected to The Vegetarian Resource Group!
Get our blog delivered right to your inbox: http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheVRGBlog
Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/VegResourceGrp
And like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thevegetarianresourcegroup

The Vegetarian Resource Group will be hosting a vegan dinner in Fort Lauderdale at Sublime Restaurant on Sunday, March 4th, 2012, at 5:00 PM. If you are in the area, please join us. Reservations need to be paid in advance.

MENU

Salad: Caesar Salad with house-made lemon-Dijon dressing

Entrée: One Choice of Penne Puttanesca (tomato, basil, caper, olive, roasted red pepper), Quiche Lorraine (crispy tempeh, roasted garlic, shallot, tofu, mozzarella, kale salad), or Enchiladas (shredded Gardein, green pepper, brown rice, black bean, cheddar, sour cream)

Dessert: One Choice of Chocolate Nirvana Chocolate Cake, Seasonal Cheesecake, Coconut Cake, Chocolate Macaroons, Apple Crumb Pie
A La Mode, or Ice Cream Sundae

COST: $22 for Paid-up VRG members. $50 for non-members

PLEASE reserve with a credit card by calling (410) 366-8343; mailing a check to VRG, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203; or paying online
at https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=1565
Please write Sublime dinner in the notes section.

Seating is limited. Refunds will only be made if we can replace your seat. We look forward to seeing you!

by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

In October 2011, The VRG received an email from a self-described "raw foods vegan" asking about our classification of riboflavin and niacin in The VRG's Guide to Food Ingredients as "typically vegan" rather than "vegan." She was puzzled because we had classified them as being commercially produced synthetically or microbially. Both of these production methods are described as "vegan" in the Introduction to our Guide, so the reader thought they should be labeled as "vegan." The reader had no success in getting answers about riboflavin and niacin from companies so asked us to look into it.

Recent investigation into these two B vitamins, often found in fortified foods as well as nutritional supplements, proved that they still are largely produced by synthetic methods and by microbial fermentation using all-vegetable growth media for the microbes. However, the VRG conservatively classified niacin and riboflavin as "typically vegan" because of the possibility that these vitamins, widely found in animal products such as milk, organ meats and eggs, could be derived from animal sources in rare cases.

This could be the case, for example, in "natural" products containing these vitamins. Because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not as of yet legally defined the term "natural," companies can and do interpret it broadly. Thus, even if in almost all cases, the commercial sources for niacin and riboflavin are "vegan" as we have defined the word in the Introduction to our Food Ingredients Guide (as mentioned above), we cautiously classify them as "typically vegan" to account for cases where animal products may be used.

The VRG asked several manufacturers of niacin and riboflavin in December 2011 about their starting materials. Lonza, the world's largest manufacturer of niacin, wrote that they start with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and other non-animal chemicals. Smaller companies, such as Mason, said that their "natural" niacin was "synthetically derived," while Natural Factors said that their niacin was "a fermented, animal product-free vitamin." Wonder Labs emailed us that their niacin was "produced by microorganisms in the lab…and does not have any animal products in it. It is vegetarian/vegan." NOW Foods said that "niacin's been synthesized chemically for years…I don't think microbes are used at all."

PAT Vitamins carries riboflavin products made through "fermentation using corn starch as the growth medium." Jarrow told us that their riboflavin is "chemically synthesized." Nature's Way told The VRG that they use "a natural fermentation process starting with growth media that contain no animal products." A customer service representative at Nature's Way added that "…because there is not enough riboflavin in natural foods to extract it, it would be cost prohibitive [to source it that way]." She referred to the fermentation product as "‘synthetic' meaning ‘re-created.'" Furthermore, since additional processing is involved, Nature's Way calls its fermentation-produced riboflavin "synthetic."

However, not all companies manufacture riboflavin through chemical synthesis or microbial fermentation. The VRG spoke in January 2012 with Dee Cee Laboratories, who told us that their "natural" riboflavin was an extract of beef, specifically beef liver and kidney concentrate. The VRG called a second time to confirm that this was true and we received that confirmation.

The VRG encourages all readers to contact manufacturers when in doubt about food or supplement ingredients. Note that often, companies distribute products made by other companies so more than one call or email may be required. Double checking on a different day and asking someone else at the company may also be warranted if you receive questionable information. Remember that human beings aren’t perfect. A main goal of being vegan is to do the best you can, work towards a better world, and not be critical of others.

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 food ingredients and to purchase The VRG's Guide to Food Ingredients, visit http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php
For information on ingredients, fast food, and for other information of interest to vegetarians and vegans, please subscribe to our free e-newsletter: http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews

There are many ways to stay connected to The Vegetarian Resource Group!
Get our blog delivered right to your inbox: http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheVRGBlog
Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/VegResourceGrp
And like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thevegetarianresourcegroup