Mike Devlin Asks Is Your Food Really Vegan? Surprising Everyday Ingredients That Aren’t

I have dated both vegetarians and a vegan, so I know first-hand how difficult it sometimes can be (certainly the latter, and certainly for someone who likes to cook all the things). While I’ve delved into this before, I haven’t done so to this extent, because you might be surprised by just how difficult it really can be.

As always, I am in no way disparaging anyone who sits under either label. They’re your ‘clothes’ and they fit you. Consider this more of a guide for those who are not fully aware—especially the omnivores who know a veggie or a vegan. A few of you might already be aware, and that’s great, but many of you won’t. And I’m honestly not trying to be funny here, nor am I making a mountain out of a molehill.

Did you know, for example, that not all vegans are created equally? Sure, they all avoid anything that once had eyes, but for some, the boundaries extend far beyond this—especially to anything that has even the slightest hint of animal involvement (beyond the ‘circle of life’).

Bees are incredibly important to nature, far more so than most people realise. Yet many crops are propagated using ‘commercial bees’, which is to say they are physically transported to different locations to go to work. Not to mention that some honey is produced using this method. For some vegans this is a big fat no-no, while for others it’s more of a “meh”.

So what would go on the banned list for them? Things like avocados, almonds, kiwifruit, melons (such as honeydew and cantaloupe), and butternut squash—all of which often rely heavily on this form of ‘forced labour’. One could argue that bees will always do what bees do, and whether humans get involved or not, the end result is the same. But for many hard-and-steadfast vegans, this practice goes against everything they stand for.

The same can be said for apples, citrus fruits, and bananas. Many of these have coatings derived from insects (giving that shiny finish) or from crustaceans (often sprayed on imported bananas). This isn’t always the case, but have you ever seen a warning label on these things? No, I didn’t think so. It’s probably because the peel isn’t eaten and you’re supposed to wash apples before eating, so does it matter?

Coconuts and truffles often involve animals too—monkeys are used to pick coconuts, and pigs or dogs to find truffles. If you’re a vegetarian you may not care, and even if you’re vegan you might not either, but some do. And again, there is absolutely no way of knowing whether animals have been involved in the process.

And then there are figs. Completely natural and part of the ‘circle of life’, yet they consume wasps to such a degree that the wasp becomes integrated into the fruit. You could say this is no different to billions of insects, birds, and animals dying naturally and being absorbed by flora and fauna; it’s simply how nature works. Where you choose to draw the line is up to you. Just bear this in mind next time you see raspberries growing near a cemetery.

But we aren’t finished yet—not by a long shot. Many farms use fertiliser, and many of those fertilisers contain animal by-products. The only sure-fire way to avoid this is to buy exclusively 100% organic produce, which obviously brings its own problem of being far more expensive—something not everyone can afford.

Cochineal, or E120 (red dye), is actually made from a beetle, though this is at least usually labelled as unsuitable for vegetarians. Sugar in the US generally isn’t labelled even though it should be, as it is often refined using bone char. The bone char is removed at the end, but the fact it is used at all means it isn’t suitable for either group (unrefined/vegan/raw sugar is safe). Egypt and Brazil also use this process for white sugar, and some icing or confectioners’ sugar worldwide may contain traces of egg white. Obviously this extends to products containing sugar too—which, of course, you’re not told about.

But what about rice? More and more farming practices are becoming sustainable, and rice fields are at the forefront of this. Farmers realised that allowing fish to swim in the paddies prevented insect spoilage. Sometimes ducks are used instead. The farmers are happy, the fish or ducks certainly are, but are all vegetarians and vegans? Is this the same principle as ‘bees for hire’, I wonder? I genuinely don’t know. And again, although the practice is ethical and financially sensible, it is unlikely to be mentioned on packaging.

It doesn’t stop with rice though. What about giving homes to owls and other birds of prey to hunt mice, rats, and rabbits—all of which can destroy crops? (Or even cats, the biggest predators on the planet?) What of introducing ladybirds to control aphids? Or parasitic wasps to stop caterpillars?

All of these are natural, chemical-free, and ethically and morally sound, yet still involve animals doing a lot of the work. Is this any different to pigs finding truffles?

There are websites—vegan ones especially—that try to provide all this information so people can make educated decisions. They don’t shame vegans for falling foul of the more strict interpretations either.

The vast majority reading this will be omnivores, but if you have a family member or friend who isn’t, then at least now you know some of the pitfalls.