20 surprising things that contain animal products
by Zeynep Güler Tuck
Whether you’re going vegan, interested in eating healthier, or making eco-conscious moves to reduce the amount of animal products you consume, you may be surprised to discover how many of the things you often take for granted in your everyday life contain animal products. Most of us know that wool mittens, leather jackets, and down-filled pillows are made from animals, and ingredients like fat, skin, milk or eggs can usually be found on labels; however, there are other animal ingredients that we might not immediately recognize. A deep dive into what you wear, what you apply to your skin, and what’s in your food may uncover a lot more than animal products, but that shouldn’t scare you. Developing your food literacy, researching the ingredients in your personal care products, and recognizing the true meaning of terms like “organic” and “whole foods” can help you make more educated decisions on what to put in, on, or near your body.
If you want to make healthy, eco-friendly, and cruelty-free choices as a consumer, read on to explore 20 surprising things that contain animal products.
Beer
Do alcoholic beverages like beer contain non-vegan ingredients made from animals? If you guessed “yes,” you’re absolutely right. Clarifying agents like isinglass and gelatin are used in some — not all — ales, meads and stouts. Isinglass is derived from fish bladders, and gelatin comes from animal skin, bones, and cartilage. Since these ingredients are not always listed on labels, it can be hard to tell what’s really in your beer. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) website provides a list of beers ideal for vegans; these beers are free of animal ingredients, additives, or processing agents.
Perfume and aftershave
Even with more vegan alternatives available, it can still be tough to find fragrances and aftershave that are cruelty- and animal-free. This New York Times article explains that the bold, musky scents from Asia were introduced to Europe through ambergris, civet, and musk, three of the most widely used ingredients in the production of perfume and aftershaves today. Ambergris is derived from sperm whales, civet from the eponymous cat found in Africa and Asia, and musk from a male musk deer, typically found in Siberia and the Himalayas.
White and brown sugar
It might not surprise you that the white sugar you add to your coffee, tea and muffin recipe is made with animal products. According to PETA, “bone char — often referred to as natural carbon — is widely used by the sugar industry as a decolorizing filter, which allows the sugar cane to achieve its desirable white color.” If you were hoping to switch to brown sugar as a healthier alternative, sadly, companies add molasses to refined white sugar to make brown sugar, and bone char is also used in this process.
Fabric softener
If you’re wondering what makes your laundry so soft, look no further than dihydrogenated tallow dimethyl ammonium chloride. This mouthful of a mixture is what’s inside fabric softeners like Downy. When a derivative of rendered fat from cattle, sheep, and horses is boiled down and blended with a series of chemicals, the result is a lipid coating that leaves your garments feeling oh-so-soft to the touch.
Yogurt
It is a common misconception that yogurt isn’t part of the dairy family. Anyone who can make yogurt at home is well aware that milk is an essential ingredient in yogurt. Two cultures, lactobacillus bulgaricus and streptococcus thermophilus, are added to the milk, thickening it to make yogurt. Cow’s or goat’s milk can be swapped out, however, for vegan alternatives like almond, soy or wheat milk.
Plastic bags
If you were still waiting for a reason to ditch plastic bags beyond the environmental impact of these non-biodegradable pollutants, the fact that they include a surface lubricant derived from animal fats might give you that extra nudge to stock up on tote bags for your next grocery run.
Shampoo and conditioner
One of the ways that we can protect our environment and the animals that live in it is by adopting vegan-friendly skincare and beauty routines that are cruelty-free and devoid of animal derivatives. Many popular haircare products contain lecithin, found in plant and animal tissues. According to Medical News Today, lecithin is used in these products because it “extends shelf life and acts as an emulsifier.” So, you might want to think twice the next time you grab your favourite shampoo or conditioner off the shelf.
Medicine and supplements
Most medicine and supplements are coated or encapsulated in gelatin, a substance derived from animals. “While preparing gelatin shells, collagens of mammals are preferred compared to collagen of lower animals due to more stability of the former,” according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. Vegetarian capsules are an animal-friendly alternative, but may be harder to find in your local pharmacy.
Tires
Stearic acid, derived from animals, is commonly used in rubber processing and manufacturing, making it an obvious staple in the production of tires. This fatty acid “occurs naturally in plants and animals, though it appears more abundantly in the latter than the former,” according to Brenntag North America. It’s also used in a number of industries, including construction, textiles, and personal care.
Nail polish
If searching for brands that offer LCD screens or tires that are free from animal-derived ingredients is too much to take on at the moment, start small by choosing a vegan nail polish. The most common animal-derived ingredients in everyday nail polish include: guanine, carmine, and keratin. Guanine is derived from shiny fish scales and is responsible for that pearly sheen. Carmine is extracted from crushed insects and offers a vibrant red pigment. Keratin is an animal protein that is acquired from mammals and is used to temporarily strengthen hair and nails. Vegan nail polish is not tested on animals the way most nail polish brands are, and they also don’t contain any trace of animal-derived ingredients.
Red food dye
While it may not surprise you that carmine, the red pigment derived from crushed bugs, is used to colour beauty products like nail polish, it might be jarring to realize that carmine is also “added to everything from yoghurts and ice creams, to fruit pies, soft drinks, cupcakes and donuts,” says the BBC. Essentially, you’ve been eating crushed insects called cochineal for most of your life.
Hand soap
Glycerin is a widely used ingredient in skincare products and cosmetics “as a lubricant to increase the ease of product application and as a humectant to draw moisture into the skin,” says Livestrong.com. It is made from a variety of different fats and oils. In the production of soap, specifically, it is derived from an animal’s blood and fatty tissues.
Photo paper
Typically obtained from cows or pigs, “gelatin is a protein obtained by boiling skin, tendons, ligaments, and/or bones with water,” according to PETA. It also happens to coat the surface of a number of household products like the photos from your high school prom, your best friend’s wedding, or your trip to Belize.
Chewing gum
While chewing gum manufacturers, like Wrigley, tend to use more synthetic ingredients in their products, there are a number of companies that still produce gum that contains stearic acid and glycerin, both of which can be derived from animals.
Razors
In addition to researching which hair removal product manufacturers have adopted cruelty-free practices by avoiding testing any part of their razors, creams or waxes on animals, it helps to go one step further with your research. Many of the lubricating strips used in razors are made from animals. The glycerin used in these strips is made from animal fat and allantoin, which is derived from the urine of animals.
Wine
It’s not just beer — wine is among the commonplace products that use animals in their production process. During the winemaking process, “fining agents” are “used to remove protein, yeast, cloudiness, ‘off’ flavors and colorings, and other organic particles,” according to PETA. Some of these fining agents include blood, bone marrow, fibre from crustacean shells, fish oil, gelatin and isinglass — all are derived from animals.
Products made from “natural sources”
You’ll need to be extra diligent and read the labels for products in your grocery store’s organics or health-food aisles. Many of the products that are advertised as “made from natural sources” contain animal or plant matter. PETA cautions consumers about these products, stating that, “most often in the health-food industry, especially in the cosmetics area, [‘natural sources’] means animal sources, such as animal elastin, glands, fat, protein, and oil.”
Cake and cupcake mixes
Carmine, derived from tiny crushed insects that live on prickly pear cactus plants, makes yet another appearance, this time in cake and cupcake mixes. Perhaps you’ll think twice before grabbing a slice of that red velvet cake or one of those tasty cupcakes decorated with red icing.
Orange juice
If the orange juice you usually buy at the store contains an added boost of vitamin D, you’ll need to check the label to see whether it is D2 or D3. Your orange juice may not be vegan if it includes D3, which “comes from animals — either lanolin, a waxy substance from sheep’s wool, or from fish oil, according to The Healthy, a site affiliated to Reader’s Digest.
Currency
Back in 2016, when the Bank of England revealed that the new British £5 polymer bill contained traces of tallow — an animal fat — there was instant outcry from vegans and vegetarians. However, the U.K. isn’t the only country that is using animal fat in plastic currency. With Australia, Canada and over 20 other countries using animal-derived polymer bills, they are now commonplace, and it’ll take some time for them to be fully removed from circulation, if at all.
