15 Surprising Things That Are Partly Made From Animal Products

Altoids (all flavors, except Sugar-free)

• pork gelatin

Wrigleys Extra® Polar Ice stick Gum and Juicy Fruit® pellet gums

LifeSaver Gummies

• gelatin

 Procter & Gamble’s Sunny Delight fruit drinks

 Dannon Yogurts (Dannon’s Premium Low Fat Plain, Premium Non Fat Plain and Natural Plain)

• gelatin obtained from slaughtered cattle bones and skin in China is used in majority of
• most of them have Gelatin…..especially the ones with ‘fruit on the bottom’

• Albumin: The protein portion of egg whites, which comprises about 70 percent of the whole. Albumin is also found in animal blood and milk. It is used to thicken, bind, or add texture to processed foods such as cereals, pastries, baked goods, soups, stews, frostings, and puddings.
• Anchovies: Small, silvery fish of the herring family. Anchovies are a common ingredient in Worcestershire sauce, Caesar salad, some pizza toppings, and flavor enhancers.
• Animal shortening: Fats such as butter, suet, or lard, which are common ingredients in packaged cookies, crackers, snack cakes, refried beans, and other processed foods.
• Calcium stearate: A mineral typically derived from cows or hogs. Used as an additive in garlic salt, vanilla extract, vanillin powder, salad-dressing mixes, and meat tenderizers to help blend ingredients or to prevent dry ingredients from caking.
• Carmine and cochineal: Also listed as carmine cochineal and carminic acid. A red coloring derived from the ground body of the female cochineal insect and used to color juices, candies, applesauce, ice cream, fruit fillings, baked goods, and other processed foods, as well as some “natural” cosmetics. Unfortunately, it is often not specified on ingredient lists.
• Capric acid: Also known as decanoic acid. A component of some animal and vegetable fats. Used to make synthetic flavorings and added to butter, coconut, fruit, liquor, beverages, ice cream, candy, baked goods, and chewing gum. Often not specified on ingredient lists.
• Casein: Also listed as caseinate, ammonium caseinate, calcium caseinate, potassium caseinate, or sodium caseinate. An animal milk protein that is added to most commercial cheese substitutes to improve their texture and to help them melt better. It is also added to many dairy products (such as cream cheese, cottage cheese, and sour cream) to make them firmer. Outside the food industry, it is used to make paint, plastic, and glue.
• Clarifying agent: Also known as fining agent and clarifier. May be derived from eggs, animal milk, gelatin, fish (see isinglass, below), or minerals. It is often used in the filtering process of wine, vinegar, beer, fruit juice, and soft drinks.
• Diglycerides: A common food additive derived from animal, vegetable or synthetic sources. Used in conjunction with monoglycerides, which help emulsify ingredients. Found in commercial baked goods, ice cream, shortening, margarine, peanut butter, beverages, chewing gum, and whipped toppings.
• Disodium inosinate: A common flavor enhancer used in canned vegetables and sauce and soup mixes; it may be from animal, fish, vegetable, or fungal sources.
• Emulsifiers: Also called surfactants, wetting agents, and surface-acting agents. Derived from cows, hogs, eggs, cow’s milk, or vegetable sources, or synthetically produced. This encompasses a large class of food additives (e.g., mono- and diglycerides, lecithin, propylene glycol monostearate, calcium stearoyl-2-lactate, polysorbates 60, 65, and 80, etc.) that help dissimilar ingredients (like oil and water) blend together and stay blended. Found in processed foods, shortening, margarine, peanut butter, ice cream, nondairy creamer, chocolate, commercial baked products, and soft drinks.
• Flavor enhancers: A large class of additives derived from meat, fish or vegetable extracts (e.g., disodium guanylate, monosodium glutamate, disodium inosinate).
• Folic acid: Also called folacin and pteroylglutamic acid. A member of the B-vitamin complex, folic acid aids in the formation of red blood cells and is essential for maintaining normal metabolism. Found in liver, yeast, mushrooms, and green leafy vegetables. Used to enrich foods including commercial baked goods, flour, rice, and pasta.
• Gelatin: The protein derived from the bones, cartilage, tendons, skin, and other tissue of steer, calves, or pigs. It shows up in many commonplace products, including marshmallows, nonfat yogurts, ice cream, some frosted commercial breakfast cereals, puddings, jelled desserts, frozen desserts, sour cream, some commercial sauces and dressings (including many sold at fast-food restaurants), wine, juice, roasted peanuts, pill capsules, and many hair and nail products. Gelatin labeled “kosher” is sometimes vegan but not always. Vegan gelatin is typically made from a natural sea vegetable called carrageen (also known as Irish moss) and locust bean gum (from the carob tree).
• Glycerides (monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides): These emulsifying and defoaming agents, obtained from glycerol found in animal or plant sources, are used in numerous processed foods such as commercial baked goods, peanut butter, shortening, chocolate, whipped toppings, jelly, frozen desserts, margarine, and candy, to preserve, sweeten, emulsify, and improve moisture retention. Outside the food industry, glycerides and glycerol (also known as glycerin and glycerine) are used in the manufacture of cosmetics, perfumes, skin emollients, inks, certain glues and cements, solvents, and automobile antifreeze.
• Glycerols: Also known as glycerin and glycerine, and most often used as a component to make glycerides. Glycerols may be animal, vegetable, or synthetic based. Used in jelled desserts, marshmallows, candy, confections, and soft drinks.
• Isinglass: A gelatin obtained from fish. Used to clarify alcoholic beverages and in some jelled desserts. (Note: Japanese isinglass is made from agar agar, a sea vegetable.)
• Lactose: This sugar occurs naturally in cow’s milk and is called milk sugar. It is commercially produced from whey and is widely used in the food industry as a culture medium (such as in souring milk), as a humectant, and as an ingredient in a variety of processed products including baby formulas, confections, and other foods. Outside the food industry, it is used in bacteriological media, in pharmacology as a diluent and excipient, and as a medical diuretic and laxative.
• Lactic acid: A bitter-tasting acid that is formed (1) by fermenting starch, cow’s milk whey, molasses, potatoes, or other foods and neutralizing the acid with calcium or zinc carbonate, then decomposing the result with sulfuric acid, or (2) synthetically by hydrolysis lactonitrile (vegan). Used to impart a tart flavor, as well as in the preservation of some foods. It occurs naturally in the souring of cow’s milk and can be found in dairy products such as cheese and yogurt. It is also used in the production of acid-fermented foods such as pickles, olives, and sauerkraut and is used as an acidulant and flavoring agent in beverages, candy, frozen desserts (including sherbets and ices), chocolate, chewing gum, fruit preserves, and many other processed products. Outside the food industry, it is used chiefly in dyeing and textile printing, and in medicine.
• Lanolin: This waxy fat is extracted from sheep’s wool and is used in chewing gum, ointments, cosmetics, and waterproof coatings.
• Lard: Fat obtained from the abdomen of hogs. Used primarily in baked goods, refried beans, and chewing gum.
• Lecithin: Any group of phospholipids occurring naturally in animal and plant tissues and egg yolks. The commercial form of this substance is obtained chiefly from soybeans (although it might sometimes be made from egg yolks, peanuts, or corn). Lecithin is used to emulsify and moisturize food. It can be found in cereal, candy, chocolate, baked goods, margarine, and vegetable oil sprays. Also used in cosmetics and inks.
• Magnesium stearate: An additive used as a preservative or an emulsifier. May be derived from animals (cows, hogs), or mineral or vegetable sources. Found in candy, sugarless chewing gum, and pharmaceutical tablets.
• Monoglycerides: A common food additive derived from animal, vegetable, or synthetic sources. Used to emulsify ingredients. Found in commercial baked goods, ice cream, shortening, margarine, peanut butter, beverages, chewing gum, and whipped toppings.
• Myristic acid: Also known as tetradecanoic acid. A component of most animal and vegetable fats, although typically derived from cows or sheep. Used in butter, butterscotch, chocolate, some flavorings for beverages, ice cream, candy, jelled desserts, and commercial baked goods. Outside the food industry, it is used in personal care products.
• Natural flavorings: Unless another source is specified on the label, these could include flavorings derived from meat and other animal products. Used to enhance flavor in processed foods, commercial baked goods, beverages, cereals, salad dressings, and condiments.
• Oleic acid (oleinic acid): Obtained from animal tallow (see below) and vegetable fats and oils. Used as a defoaming agent and as a synthetic butter, cheese, and spice flavoring agent for baked goods, candy, ice cream and ices, beverages, and condiments. It is widely used as a lubricant and binder in various processed products and as a component in the manufacture of food additives. Outside the food industry, it is chiefly used in the manufacture of soaps and cosmetics.
• Palmitic acid: A component of animal (cows, hogs) and vegetable fats used as an emulsifier. Found in commercial baked goods, and in butter and cheese flavorings.
• Pancreatin: Also known as pancreatic extract. A mixture of enzymes used as a digestive aid. Derived from cows or hogs.
• Pepsin: An enzyme obtained from the stomachs of pigs. Used as a clotting agent in conjunction with rennet (see below) during the manufacture of cheese and as a digestive ferment in the making of medicines.
• Propolis: A resinous cement collected by bees from the buds of trees and used to stop up crevices in and strengthen the cells of hives. Used as a food supplement and an ingredient in some “natural” toothpastes.
• Rennet: A coagulating enzyme principally obtained from the stomach lining of calves, kids, pigs, or lambs. Used to curdle cow’s milk in foods such as cheese and junket. It may also be used as a firming agent in other dairy products, including cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, sour cream, and cream cheese.
• Royal jelly: A substance produced by the glands of bees. Used in some “natural food” preparations and nutrient supplements as a source of B-complex vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
• Sodium stearoyl lactylate: A common food additive used as an emulsifier or a dough conditioner. May be derived from cows, hogs, animal milk, or vegetable-mineral sources. Used in commercial baked goods, cake and pancake mixes, frozen desserts, liquid shortenings, pudding mixes, coffee whiteners, and margarine.
• Stearic acid: Also called octadecanoic acid. This is a common fatty acid occurring as the glyceride in tallow (see below) and other animal fats and animal oils. It can also be made synthetically through hydrogenation of oleic acid. Used in vanilla and butter flavorings, chewing gum, baked goods, butter, beverages, and candy, as well as in the manufacture of soaps, ointments, stearates, candles, cosmetics, medicinal suppositories, and pill coatings.
• Suet: The hard white fat found around the kidneys and loins of sheep and cattle. Used commercially in margarine, mincemeats, and pastries. Also used to make tallow (see below).
• Tallow: The solid fat of sheep and cattle separated from the fibrous and membranous matter that is naturally mixed with it. Used in margarines and waxed paper. Outside the food industry, it is used in soaps, candlemaking, crayons, rubber, and cosmetics.
• Vitamin A (vitamin A1, retinol): A yellow, fat-soluble vitamin obtained from carotene, which occurs in green and yellow vegetables but may also come from egg yolks or fish-liver oil. Vitamin A is used as a vitamin supplement and to fortify processed foods. Also used as a colorant and preservative in “natural” cosmetics.
• Vitamin A2: A yellow, fat-soluble vitamin obtained from fish-liver oil. Vitamin A palmitate is made by reacting vitamin A2 with palmitic acid, which is obtained from palm oil (derived from palm trees). Vitamin A2 is used as a vitamin supplement and to fortify processed foods.
• Vitamin D: Any of several fat-soluble, antirachitic vitamins (D1, D2, D3). Vitamin D is readily made by the human body upon moderate exposure to sunlight. (Some people, such as darker-skinned and older people and those living in smoggy or cloudy areas, may have a harder time manufacturing vitamin D.) Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) is obtained by irradiating provitamin D (from plants or yeast) with ultraviolet light. Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is derived from fish-liver oils and sometimes lanolin (sheep’s wool fat). Used as a vitamin supplement and to fortify processed foods.
• Whey: The watery liquid that separates from the solids in cheesemaking. It is found in crackers, breads, cakes, and a great many other processed foods.