Bread, cheese, miso or bananas These foods are mostly non-vegetarian

Vegetarians abstain from meat and fish - in fact, all the food and ingredients that come from the dead animal. The motives for this decision are different. Many do not want to kill animals for food. Frequently, vegetarians also reject the intensive animal husbandry. However, religious reasons, one's own health, environmental protection, and world food problems can also be crucial if people choose a vegetarian diet.

Animal products are not included in sausages, ham or meat alone. The consumer protection organization "Foodwatch" clarifies that, for example, pig bristles are used in bread making, lactose appears in pure vegetable chocolate and potato chips are often even contained in game or beef components. How should diet-loving consumers defend themselves against it??

Cheese does not contain the same "calf's cabbage" or gelatin. (Image: Ewais / fotolia)

Even "vegetarian" or "vegan" as a declaration guarantee no security
In its guidebook "Food lies - how the food industry tricks and camouflages", the consumer center Hamburg explains that aromas, additives or additives of vitamins can also be of animal origin. The food manufacturers are not obliged to make differences here. This means that even names like "vegan" or "vegetarian" do not provide 100% certainty. Because they are not legally defined according to food law in Germany.

Here is a list of foods that vegetarians or vegans should take a closer look at, as they often carry hidden animal products.

Cheese with gelatin or rennet
According to the consumer center, "Géramont with yoghurt" looks like a classic Camembert, but is a so-called cheese preparation. It contains gelatin, which comes from animal connective tissue. Many vegetarians certainly do not expect that. The "Lacroix Vegetable Fond" is not suitable for the vegan diet. Egg whites and egg whites are hidden in the list of ingredients.

The margarine "Becel classic" should be "purely vegetable". But it contains vitamin D, which was manufactured according to the manufacturer of wool fat. The statement "pure vegetable" is therefore simply wrong and the product is not suitable for strict vegans. The company Unilever Germany indicates that the indication should relate only to the edible fats and oils used. This is not apparent on the margarine.

Also the "bio burger" of the company Berief is marked as "purely vegetable". A consumer reported the product at Lebensmittelklarheit.de because, according to the list of ingredients, it contained egg white. In the meantime this is no longer the case - the company has reacted and changed the recipe.

Bacon in the tomato cream soup
Foodwatch reports further cases. For example, some ready-made tomato creams are said to contain bacon as a flavor carrier. Very many fresh cheeses are mixed with gelatin, which consists of animal bones.

It's even harder for vegans. Animal traces of egg and milk are often included through the manufacturing process. Even dark chocolate, which is produced explicitly without cow's milk, can be processed in machines in which whole milk chocolate was previously prepared. According to Foodwatch, "traces are not excluded".

Also our "daily bread" is not free from animal products. Here even pig bristles are to be processed relatively often. Mainly industrial bakeries use L-cysteine ​​as a flour treatment agent. The amino acid affects the consistency of the dough and is derived from pig bristles or feathers. With the wine there is also a lot to consider. For clarification, gelatine is often used.

What many do not know: "Even with vitamins animal products are introduced into the finished products," says Sebastian Bertram of "vegetarian-rezepte.com". Often, so-called fish gelatin is used as a "carrier for vitamins". Particles from juices are partially filtered out with porcine gelatine. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids are often in orange juice. These are from the fish.

Miso soup with Dashi
The vegetarian Miso soup, which is made with tofu and seaweed, also contains Dashi. This is a Japanese broth made from fish and seaweed. Also with high-quality products such as Parmesan cheese is worked with Tierlab. This is an enzyme mixture obtained from calf's stomachs. Cheeses such as pecorino, grana padano and gorgonzola are made with animal rennet.

Often, the animal ingredients are even more hidden. Bananas are used e.g. sprayed with pesticides containing chitosan. This substance is extracted from shellfish. (Sb)