Is Tofutti really vegan?
Posted by VeJo on May 25, 2010 · Member since Oct 2007 · 3 posts
I participated in a vegan cooking class in Sydney, Australia recently, and the instructor advised us to use an alternative brand of vegan cream cheese, as the manufacturers of Tofutti would not confirm or deny whether or not they use sugar refined with bone char (this is not generally an issue in Australia, but Tofutti is imported from the US). Apparently the product is targeted to those on a Kosher diet rather than vegans, and so bone char is not a central issue for them.
I see a lot of recipes here that use Tofutti. Does anyone know what the status of this product re: bone char really is?
Thanks,
Jo.
and maltodextrin is (usually?) potato starch.
do you non-tofutti-eating people not eat cane sugar in other items, like prepackaged food? there's got to be loads of "accidentally vegan" foods made with bone char sugar.
From what ive read its usually made from corn. When they make corn syrup i believe its a byproduct. I mainly don't want eat chemicals unless unavoidable.
Carageenan definitely comes from seaweed, and guar gum is made from milled and hulled guar beans. Both are natural products and neither are said to be harmful in any way.... am I missing something?
Going along w/this topic... how do I know which sugars are refined w/bone char? I have avoided using white sugar as much as possible b/c I have no idea if it is okay or not. If I use any sugar at all (which is a rarity) it is brown. Little help please.
Going along w/this topic... how do I know which sugars are refined w/bone char? I have avoided using white sugar as much as possible b/c I have no idea if it is okay or not. If I use any sugar at all (which is a rarity) it is brown. Little help please.
Some white sugar is made using animal bone char and the only way to find out is to contact the company. Look for organic sugar, evaporated cane juice, turbinado, raw sugar. Unfortunately, brown sugar is just refined white sugar that has some molasses added in so it's probably processed with bone char as well.
They use animal by-products in so many things because its cheap, readily available and can be bought in abundance - sad but true. The meat and dairy industry creates a lot of waste. However, if people stop buying meat, dairy and eggs, there will be less by-products to use. Companies will have to look elsewhere for materials.
Long story short, don't worry about every little thing. Most things have something non-vegan in it. Its best to concentrate on the big things.
I don't know about Tofutti, but for those of you looking for sugar on it's own without bone char, this article:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2277234_not-processed-animal-bone-charcoal.html
Just to be ridiculously pedantic: everything is made of chemicals. Chemicals=elements.
That made me smile :P
Just to be ridiculously pedantic: everything is made of chemicals. Chemicals=elements.
That made me smile :P
Ditto :P
I wonder if the VW's 'cashew cream' recipe could be modified into 'cashew cream cheese'?... maybe less liquid/ some coconut oil or EB for texture? Or maybe the same concept, but with soaked macadamia or Brazil nuts? Hmmm.... some kitchen-lab time may be indicated.
check it out - http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=18686.0
I wonder if the VW's 'cashew cream' recipe could be modified into 'cashew cream cheese'?... maybe less liquid/ some coconut oil or EB for texture? Or maybe the same concept, but with soaked macadamia or Brazil nuts? Hmmm.... some kitchen-lab time may be indicated.
check it out - http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=18686.0
Oh! yeah, I guess that'd work too... but... cashews are the solution to so many of the worlds problems, I may go ahead & experiment tho! Thanks for the link... (forehead smack) it never occurred to me to actually SEARCH VW for a cream chz recipe! Shoulda known there'd be one here!
I don't know about Tofutti, but for those of you looking for sugar on it's own without bone char, this article:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2277234_not-processed-animal-bone-charcoal.html
Thanks. I just looked at the sugar I use, "Wholesome Sweeteners" organic sugar on on the package is says ""not filtered through animal by-products and suitable for vegan, vegetarian, Halal and plant based diets". w00t
Can I just not buy it cuz it tastes gross? I have not had any success with any of the Tofrutti products. Thank goddess that I am not on some kind of horse box about veganism. Until Tanya comes down here and someone shows me better, I am just gonna do without that chalky residue nastiness. But, me likey the sour cream and the cream cheese. Someone please sell me on something that actually taste like THAT or nothing. Not Mylanta! To paraphrase Chakra Khan, " Tell Me SOMETHING GOOD!"
I emailed the company when I first went vegan and they said everything ws vegan except a few products that had fish or something like that in them. . . . . ??? More research shall have to be conducted . . . .
Here is an electronic mail discussion i had with the customer service:
"I have been a costumer for quite some time now, and have just recently
heard that your products were not vegan, when at first I recieved an
E-mail that they were. Upon further investigation, I noticed that the
sources of the glycerides and sugars were not explicitly stated on
your products. So that leaves me with the question, "Where exactly are
they from, and have they come into any contact WHATSOEVER with animal
products (bone char, animal fats, etc.)." I would be very grateful if
you could answer this for me."
"Thank you for your recent Tofutti email. The mono and diglycerides in our products come from vegetables only, and is indicated on all our products by "veg" in front of mono and diglcerides. None of the sugar products we use is processed using animal bone char. Please feel free to contact us should you have any further questions."
"Are the natural flavors in your products vegan as well?
I would have included this in my previous E-mail, but it slipped my mind.:)"
"Yes they are. We only have one product that is not vegan. Our Mintz's Blintzes. There are egg whites in the crepe."
Thus, everything accept the mint blintzes are vegan. Yay!!!
Thanks for the info! If Toffuti wasn't vegan then I would be extremely, extremely sad.
I agree with AmyJill AND Minke: tastes gross by itself; but makes fabulous creamy pies (vegan cheezcake w/ rasberry chocolate sauce comes to mind!!!)... glad it's clean! Good research... can't offer a stipend or anything... but ... good work.
;)
Thanks for the info! If Toffuti wasn't vegan then I would be extremely, extremely sad.
I agree with AmyJill AND Minke: tastes gross by itself; but makes fabulous creamy pies (vegan cheezcake w/ rasberry chocolate sauce comes to mind!!!)... glad it's clean! Good research... can't offer a stipend or anything... but ... good work.
;)
Ha ha no problem :)
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