7 Products You Won’t Believe Aren’t Vegan!

We’ve all been in the aisle of the grocery store staring at the back of a product, wondering, ‘What the hell is in this?!’ Don’t worry, you’re not alone! If you’re vegan, then this tends to happen a lot.

Author: Isadora Malina-Derben 

There are two concerns when it comes to ensuring if a product is vegan or not: 

1. Animal-derived ingredients 
2. Animal testing 

Lentils, beans, and vegetables are obvious passes, but other products are much harder to suss out whether they contain animal-derived ingredients, how they’ve been processed, and whether they have been tested on animals. 

With increased labeling and certified vegan logos has come a lot of clarity, but there are still many products that aren’t what they seem on the packet. Our food system, rooted in exploitation and speciesism, is also hidden behind closed doors. This makes it difficult to find out exactly what we’re buying when we go shopping. 

An insightful quote from a British musician and member of the worldwide famous band, The Beatles, Paul McCartney, highlights this when he said, “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian.” Besides the ethical concerns of dairy and eggs, the principle of this is clear. If we really knew what was behind the products we buy, we probably wouldn’t buy them in the first place!

Here are a few things that are surprisingly not vegan. Brace yourself because this may shock you. 

Toothpaste

First on our list is the ever-so-essential toothpaste. There are many vegan toothpastes, but traditional ones on the market usually contain animal-derived ingredients. 

The main ingredient to worry about is glycerin, which is a natural compound that can be derived from vegetable oils, such as soybeans, coconut, or palm, as well as animal fats, known as tallow. 

Despite being able to get glycerin from plants, it is typically taken from animal bodies and used as a resource for multiple products, including cosmetics like skin care, make-up, and hygiene products. If the ingredients of a product state glycerin without a specific vegan-friendly label, it’s best to assume it’s animal-derived. 

Other non-vegan ingredients found in traditional kinds of toothpaste are calcium phosphate, a compound derived from ground animal bones, and propolis, a resin created by bees. 

If you’re looking to switch to a vegan and cruelty-free toothpaste, popular brands include Tom’s of Maine Whole Care Fluoride Toothpaste, Redmond Earthpaste, and Dr Bronner’s All-One Peppermint toothpaste. 

Many vegan toothpastes don’t include fluoride so make sure to look out for this ingredient if you want it included!

Fortified breakfast cereals 

This may not come as a surprise as cereals commonly contain animal-derived sources such as milk and honey. Yet, while you may happily gobble up your Cheerios and oat milk on a Sunday morning, this all-time breakfast favorite has an uncheery secret. 

Fortified breakfast cereals have extra added micronutrients and minerals added to them. Many of these claim to be ‘vegetarian’ and subsequently appear vegan without the regular non-vegan offenders in the ingredient list, but this is far from the truth. 

Many cereals on the market frequently contain added vitamin D3, which is derived from lanolin, a wax secreted from wool-bearing animals such as sheep. Essentially, this is wool grease, and even if you’re not vegan, this seems a little strange! Unfortunately, many cereals do not specify which type of vitamin D is in them so it’s best to assume they’re all vitamin D3 unless it’s vegan-approved. 

Despite this, there are many cereals that are vegan so you won’t have to say goodbye to your morning bowl. Nature’s Path Crunchy Maple Sunrise, Lizi’s Granola, Quaker Oats, and Bear Alphabites Multigrain Cereal are a few that are vegan-friendly. 

Sugar 

The truth behind this one is anything but sweet! In the US, it is common practice for bone char to be used in the sugar industry. Bone char is made by boiling up the bones of animals, most commonly from cows, until they carbonize. It is sometimes called natural carbon and then is used to filter sugar to decolorize it and make it the bright white substance we know sugar to be. 

If you’re in the UK you may not have to worry about this one, as sugar is pretty much always vegan, as bone char filtration for refined sugar is rare. However, this does not apply to icing sugar, where popular brands contain dried egg white. 

Vegan sugar alternatives include Stevia, Agave syrup, Coconut sugar, Date syrup and are all healthier substitutes than refined sugar. You usually get these at any organic store but popular brands include Pure Via and Biona Organic. 

Candles 

Lighting a candle for a date night may not create the romantic ambiance you expected after hearing about this hidden ingredient.

Candles have been around for centuries and were originally made from whale fat, tallow, and beeswax. This knowledge certainly would not set the scene. Whilst the use of animal fat for candles is outdated, it is still routine for candles to be made from beeswax, making them not vegan. However, it’s not hard to get vegan alternatives made from paraffin wax and soy. 

Allison’s Goods and Vegan Bunny has a wonderful selection of soy candles, including Self-care, Christmas and Bakery editions and Sun Day of London have beautifully made botanical candles. 

Beer and ciders 

It’s common knowledge that wine isn’t always vegan, but beer and cider aren’t safe either! You may think, ‘No, they’re just grapes and yeast!?’ Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple. 

Both beer, wine, and cider are made using a fining agent, isinglass which is a type of gelatine created using the swim bladder of a fish. Fruity ciders are also permitted to use cochineal, where female scale insects are crushed for red dye. 

But don’t worry, beers and ciders are more likely to be vegan than not and there are loads available without our insect or fishy friends being involved. 

Vegan beer brands include Corona, Modern Times, Budweiser, and Freedom Pale Ale, and vegan ciders such as Thatchers, Stowford Press and Hogan’s, 

Cigarettes

Despite the tobacco industry having an extensive unethical history and persisting in wreaking havoc on our health today, there lies an even more chilling secret behind this scandalous industry. 

As if smoking isn’t bad enough, cigarettes contain something called castoreum, which, brace yourself, is a secretion from the anal glands of mature beavers. Supposedly, and horrifyingly, this is to enhance the flavor of tobacco. 

Another ethical concern is decades of horrendous animal testing in the tobacco industry.  Thankfully these experiments are banned from taking place in countries like the UK.  However, in the US, it is still commonplace for tobacco products to be tested on animals and even in studying diseases caused by smoking at US colleges. 

It is tricky to find cigarettes and e-liquid vapes that are vegan but luckily there are a few companies that produce vegan-friendly vapes.  The award winning Vampire Vapes brand has over 60 different flavors in their e-liquid 100% vegan range and The Ripple Co is leading the way for plant powered puffs with their fully recyclable,  nicotine free and vegan aromatherapy diffuser. 

Condoms 

Condoms have been in use for thousands of years and have not always been vegan-friendly. They were historically made with animal intestines, tortoiseshell, leather, and thin hollow horns all over the world. These ‘skin’ condoms were typically made from sheep, calves, and goat intestines. Although their popularity has drastically declined, unfortunately, you can still purchase lambskin condoms today as a latex-free alternative. 

Despite this, the popular latex condoms also pose a problem as they contain the milk protein casein, which is derived from cow’s milk.

However, there are many vegan condoms today that don’t involve sheep’s innards, and contrary to Jeremy Clarkson’s bid that vegans ‘get very little sex,’ the vegan community needs them too! 

Vegan condoms are rising in demand and sought-after brands include, HANX, SKYN for a latex-free options, Glyde and Sustain condoms which are both fair trade and sustainably produced. 

To find out more information about brands that use and vegan ingredients, check out Vkind.com and the Vkind app to stay up to date with vegan news, opportunities, recipes, and more!