As a vegan, I have been frequently asked this question which doesn't come with an easy answer.
What you think is vegan might not be so...
"Not all sugar are created equal."
White sugar (also known as
refined sugar) is a common all-around sweetener found in many food products from baked goods to beverages and is a regular kitchen staple. Source-tistically, sugar comes from plants --- the most common is sugar cane. Sugar from sugar cane goes through a refining process known as bone char filter to remove impurities. This filter produces sugar that has a pristine, white crystalline appearance and texture. Bone char, often referred to as natural carbon, is derived from
cow bones. To make bone char, animal bones are heated at incredibly high temperatures and reduced to carbon before being used in refinery. The sugar that is filtered through bone char doesn't actually contain bone char particles but the
SUGAR COMES INTO CONTACT WITH BONE CHAR.
Bone char filter has worked well in the food industry as a whitening filter and the practice has become the standard and preferred filter. There are other whitening filters that don't use bone char, however, bone char filter is the most efficient and most economical whitening filter.
Supermarket brands of sugar obtain their sugar from different refineries making it impossible to know whether it has been filtered with bone char.
Brown sugar and confectioner's sugar (also known as icing sugar) are
processed using bone char filter. Brown sugar consists of sugar
crystals that have been combined with molasses for taste and color.
Confectioner's sugar is pulverized white sugar.
Therefore, if you're consuming sugar from sugar cane, it MIGHT not be VEGAN.
HOWEVER, NOT ALL SUGAR ARE CREATED EQUAL.
Not all sugar is refined with bone char.
There are sweeteners that do not come from sugar cane and therefore, do not go through bone char filter.
Here is a list of the most commonly used and easy to find
vegan alternatives:
-Beet sugar
-Xylitol
-Coconut palm sugar
-Agave nectar
-Stevia
-Maple syrup
-Brown rice syrup
-Fruit juice concentrates
-Date sugar
-Fructose
Any certified USDA organic cane sugar is also a good alternative. USDA organic sugar is affordable and is not filtered through bone char. It is only milled and never goes to refineries which use bone char filter.
If you want to avoid sugar that have been refined through bone char, look for the following words on the labels:
-
USDA organic
-
Unrefined
-
Raw
-
Evaporated cane juice
Bone char filter process is unacceptable to many vegans. When consuming refined sugar, although you are not actually ingesting an animal product, the money you pay to the company funds the animal industry that uses bones or bone char. Animals don't have a choice --- YOU DO!!!
Even if you're not vegan, you have reason to be concerned. Think wisely and use your better judgment when choosing products for you and your family.
Try Hexa Organic Cane Sugar.
It is free from preservatives, chemical additives and pesticides.
For food ideas and everything & anything else in between:
Contact the Gluten-Free Vegan Baker @ myglutenfreeveganhaven@yahoo.com.
The Gluten-Free Vegan Baker is based in Malaysia.
