14 Surprising Foods That Contain Animal Products

Candy

Numerous foods contain gelatin, a protein derived from the collagen in cow or pig bones, skin, and connective tissues. It’s often used as a thickening or stabilizing agent and can be found in a variety of candies, including Altoids, gummy candies and Starburst chews, among others sweet foods that contain animal products.

Also, many red candies contain a dye made from the extracts of dried bodies of the Coccus cacti bugs. The ingredient is often listed as carmine, cochineal or carminic acid. PETA maintains a list of animal-free candy.

Caesar Dressing

Most Caesar salad dressings contain anchovy paste, but there are vegetarian brands available, so be sure to read the label before you pour.

Jell-O

It’s fairly common knowledge that Jell-O contains gelatin, but did you know you can make vegan Jell-O by using agar-agar, a gelatinous substance made from algae?

Marshmallows

popular vegan-friendly snacks.

Refined Sugar

bone char, which is made from the bones of cattle. To avoid sugar filtered with bone char, purchase unrefined sugar or buy from brands that don’t use bone-char filters.

Refried Beans

Many canned refried beans are made with hydrogenated lard, so check labels to ensure you’re buying vegetarian beans.

Vanilla-Flavored Foods

Although it’s rare, some foods are flavored with Castoreum, a beaver anal secretion. As gross as that sounds, the FDA classifies it as GRAS, or “generally recognized as safe,” and Castoreum is typically listed as “natural flavoring.” The additive is most often used in baked goods as a vanilla substitute, but it’s also been used in alcoholic beverages, puddings, ice cream, candy, and chewing gum.

Worcestershire Sauce

This popular sauce is made with anchovies, but vegetarian-friendly brands are available.

Read the original article on Treehugger.