12 vegetarian foods, that are'nt

It’s no news that food labels can be as misleading and complicated as the plot lines on Game of Thrones. But one thing ought to be clear enough: Does this food have animal parts, or not?

Food manufacturers often sneak animal parts into foods that the average herbivore would swear fit in with his or her vegetarian lifestyle. From OJ to bananas, even the most seemingly safe and uncomplicated of foods can hide bizarre animal products capable of making a carnivore cringe. Ladies and gentlemen: the vegetarian black-list — 12 seemingly vegetarian foods that actually aren’t.

1. WHITE SUGAR

If you’re eating … White Sugar
You’re also consuming … Animal Bones

Refined white sugar is bleached in a process that entails running the sugar through “bone char” or “natural carbon” — both fancy terms for charred cattle bones. Confectioner’s and brown sugar can also be culprits, as they are variations of white sugar.

2. VANILLA ICE CREAM

If you’re eating … Vanilla Ice Cream
You’re also consuming … Beaver Butt Juice

The “natural flavor” you see listed on your favorite vanilla ice cream may actually come from a beaver’s rear end. Castoreum is the technical term for the all-natural ingredient — a fragrant, brown slime that beavers use to mark their territory, and food scientists use to give products a musky, vanilla scent.

3. ORANGE JUICE

If you’re drinking … Orange Juice
You’re also consuming … Fish Oil & Sheep’s Wool

Oranges, however nutritious, aren’t naturally “heart-healthy.” In order to market a juice as such, manufacturers add Omega-3s, which, unless they’re synthetic, are sourced from anchovies, tilapia and sardines. Also, the vitamin D in some fortified juices comes from lanolin, a waxy substance from sheep’s wool.

4. REFRIED BEANS

If you’re eating … Refried Beans
You’re also consuming … Beef Fat

Beans can be a great source of protein for our veggie friends, especially when coupled with whole grains (Hello, complete protein!). However, most traditional Mexican restaurants have a beefy secret: Their refried beans are made with lard (beef fat).

5. BANANAS

If you’re eating … Bananas
You’re also consuming … Shellfish

Your banana has crabs. According to Science Daily, Chitosan, a bacteria-fighting compound derived from shrimp and crab shells, has made its way into spray-on preservatives that extend the shelf life of bananas and can infiltrate the fruit. That’s bad news for vegetarians.

6. BAGELS

If you’re eating … Bagels
You’re also consuming … Bird Feathers

Here’s what it takes to make a plain bagel: flour, water, salt, yeast. Unless you’re a popular bagel chain. Then you throw in some duck and chicken feathers. Many processed bagels and bread products contain the enzyme L. Cysteine, a “dough conditioner” sourced from duck and chicken feathers. (Although it can also be made from human hair.) Einstein Bros. and Dunkin Donuts have both confirmed using L. Cysteine in all of their bagels. Poultry feathers also make an appearance in the garlic bread at Pizza Hut, and in Mickey D’s honey wheat rolls, cinnamon rolls and apple pies.

7. RED CANDIES

If you’re eating … Red Candies
You’re also consuming … Crushed Beetles

Watch out for “Natural Red #4.” She’s a real heartbreaker! Just kidding. Natural Red #4 is what gives most red candies their coloring, and it refers to carmine, a pigment extracted from the female Dactylopius coccus Costa insect. It’s sometimes listed as “cochineal,” “carminic acid” or “carmine.” Guys, it’s crushed-up beetles, and it’s more pervasive than you might think; wine, vinegar and colored pasta also boast the beetle juice.

8. HARD-COATED CANDIES

If you’re eating … Hard-Coated Candies
You’re also consuming … Bug Juice

Most candy coatings are made from shellac, a resin secreted from the rear end of the female lac bug. It’s usually listed as “confectioner’s glaze” in the ingredients. You may have heard of shellac before, like when you get a manicure that lasts 3-4 weeks. Yea, same stuff. Shellac is also found in furniture polish, hairspray, and agricultural fertilizer.

9. BEER & WINE

If you’re drinking … Imported beer or wine
You’re also consuming … Fish Bladders

Mmm this cab has notes of currants, vanilla, and … sturgeon? Some brands of beer and wine, particularly those made in Britain, are clarified using isinglass, a gelatin from the air bladder of certain freshwater fish. Vegetarian clarifiers can be made from clay or algae.

10. PEANUTS

If you’re eating … Salted Peanuts
You’re also consuming … Pig Hooves

Some brands use gelatin as an additive to help salt and other spices adhere to the peanuts. Gelatin is derived from the collagen in cow or pig bones, hooves, and connective tissues.

11. POTATO CHIPS

If you’re eating … Potato Chips
You’re also consuming … Chicken and Beef Fat

Many chips, especially barbecue flavor, contain chicken fat.

12. CAKE MIX

If you’re eating … Cake Mix
You’re also consuming … Beef Fat

Believe it or not, it’s common for beef fat, or lard, to find its way into the dry ingredients of boxed cake mixes. more