Monday, November 17, 2008

Accidentally vegan products

The other day I was given e a small pack of Guylian Solitare chocolates as a thank you gift from someone who doesn't know that I'm vegan. I said thanks and then read the ingredients even though I was sure they weren't vegan and discovered that they were actually vegan. There are 3 types of chocolates in the packet: asian dark, aztec gold, and african ebony. They all vary in the percentage of cocoa and taste and I can't pick a favourite but they all taste great. I found a small pack at coles, but would love to get a bigger box as I think they would make great gift for people who like dark chocolate.

It got me thinking how much I love food products that are accidentally vegan. Here are a just a few others that I enjoy:

* Praise fatfree mayo
* Oreos
* Masterfoods traditional tatare sauce
* Masterfoods Bacon flavoured chips
* HomeBrand ginger nuts biscuits
* Cottees thick and rich chocolate topping
* Coles brand strawberry topping
* Arnotts raspberry shortcake biscuits
* Arnotts lemon slice biscuits
* Arnotts nice biscuits
* Hob Nobs biscuits
* Guylian Solitare chocolates
* Eskal scottish shortbread
* Birds Eye Corn Fritters
* Quick set Aeroplane Jelly
* Skittles
* Starburst Jellybeans
* Coles and Audi brand onion rings
* Coles choc mint crunch lollies
* Pez bonbons
* Coles salt and vinegar chips
* Sherbies (lollies)
* Aldi spekulatius biscuits
* Safeway brand garlic bread


What are your favorite accidentally vegan products? Peta has an American list but we really need an Aussie one.

*Edited to add: I will all of the foods to the list above as you leave them in the comments section. So keep up the suggestions. There has been quite a few that I didn't know about.

38 comments:

  1. oh bless, guylian chocolates? really? can it be?
    when i was a child the only time i ever saw my mum eat chocolates were if it was christmas and someone had bought her some guilian chocolate shells. people could buy her ANY OTHER CHOCOLATE and she wouldn't touch it. or maybe that was just my childhood fantasy memory. anyway, guylian = mum chocolates in my mind.

    a really horrible joke i tend to make when an omni friend gets surprised about me using praise fatfree mayo and other ninja-vegan products is to say when they ask if there are any other normal foods are vegan "oh sure, ever check out the fruit and veg section?"
    i am a big lovely jerk.

    i think most people get really into the kettle chips thing.

    i am having a love affair with taro mochi balls available from asian grocery stores but i dunno if that is as accidental as oreos, cos you're already going to a specialty store...
    uhm. i dunno, i think i am at a bit of a loss with finding out if 'normal' thigns are safe for vegans if its likely to have a gluten-factor or associated with a gluten based product.

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  2. Ninja-Vegan! I love it!

    I also didn't know about the tartare or the Guylian, but I'll be getting some asap.

    I know about the mayo and the Oreos, but recently I discovered some Cottees reduced-cal chocolate ice-cream sauce, which is unfortunately totally tasteless and not something I would want to advertise a ninja-vegan.

    Oh! I know! MasterFoods Bacon Flavoured Chips! Taste like bacon chemical but are all soy and are also on the VNV website. Whenever I put them in my trolley I feel like announcing really loudly "It's ok everyone! They're vegan!"

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  3. Yea, I think "Cottee's Thick & Rich Chocolate Flavoured Topping" MIGHT be accidentally vegan .... this is the ingredient list:

    Water, Sugar, Cocoa, Thickener (1442), Flavour, Food Acid (330), Salt, Preservative (202), Vegetable Gum (415)

    I wonder what's in the thickener/flavour though, might be a good idea to check it out first :)

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  4. Arnott's Raspberry Shortcake biscuits! And homebrand ginger nuts.

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  5. the chocolate topping seems to be vegan. here's a scanned list of animal additives from the vegetarian network, victoria (its a couple years old so it may be a bit out of date): http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j143/ozcanadian/animaladditives.jpg
    i'll definately be getting some of the guylian chocolates next time i'm at the supermarket

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  6. aldi spekulatius.
    i thinks.
    ingredients all seem right but not labelled 'suitable for vegans'.

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  7. RASPBERRY SHORTCAKES???
    I am getting some tomorrow.
    Kristy - this could really lead somewhere!!!

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  8. coles brand strawberry topping is not only vegan but the strawberry flavour comes just from strawberries and no imitation and and this means i can eat it TWICE. I am allergic to imitation strawberry flavour. Will spew my way to heaven if i ingest.

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  9. oh, wow...too many that i can't even think of one specific one. but i will say that that praise mayo is YUM - the first time i saw it was at lord of the fries and i didn't believe the guy when he said it was vegan (even though it was on the ny vegan brekkie burger) so i asked to see the bottle! mayo is not even usually my thing, but on a fast-food type burger, this stuff is awesome.

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  10. pretty sure arnotts lemon slice biscuits are ninja vegan..they're like a saltyish biscuit with lemon cream filling, so much better than the way i'm describing them!!

    and don't forget safeway brand "free from" are mainly vegan, the tim tam pretends and these other ones with chocolate filling and anzacy outside so good, and speaking of, last time i checked the anzacs made in the coles bakery and sold in twelve packs are amazing and vegan!

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  11. I didn't know about all those biscuits... I just tend to avoid that aisle. Coolio!

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  12. australian skittles (as in the ones you buy in australia, but for some reason not in the rest of the world) and starburst jellybeans (and jellybeans ONLY)

    i like those salty lemon biscuit things!

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  13. @Léna... ninja-vegan?! My new word of the week. Thanks.

    A big "hells yeah" to everything already mentioned. Kristy, I had no idea about the chocolates — I'll have to keep an eye out for them to try them myself.

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  14. I can see this post turning out to be an awesome resource!
    Unfortunately I have nothing of interest to add myself, sorreeee.

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  15. I totally raid the stores today coz I had nothing better to do, but can someone please tell me if these food are REALLY vegan (coz I'm not sure if the 'flavourings/flavours' they use are vegan), THANKS!

    1. Arnotts Nice biscuits
    2. Sunrice sundried tomato + basil ricecakes
    3. Sunrice salt and balsamic vinegar ricecakes
    4. Paradise soy and linseed/sesame crackers
    5. Extreme Sour Straps/Tubes lollies
    6. Allens SHERBIES?!!?!
    7. Kettle Chips

    Hahaha, if they ARE in fact vegan friendly - that would be awesome .... YAY for accidentally vegan products!

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  16. I officially love you - Arnotts raspberry shortcake biscuits
    rock! I bought a pack this arvo.

    You REALLY need to copyright ninja-vegan pronto... I have a feeling that term is going to stick!!!

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  17. Sherbies are vegan. So are the Coles salt and vinegar chips, but most people know that.

    Coles Choc-Mint-Crunch lollies are vegan and DELICIOUS.

    There are also these big chocolate shell things (like the outside of a reese's peanut butter cup) which are vegan. easiest way to make yr own peanut butter cup.

    OH! And you can get sugary jubes, FROGS, and other jelly like, ordinary-gelatine-laden lollies at KMART which are totally vegan.

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  18. I've had the curly fries from Aldi, not bad!

    Coles Hot Cross Buns are vegan.

    And Healtheries make some kids snacks incl. potato stix and both the roast potato flavour and chicken flavour are vegan. The chicken ones could almost be a substitute for Twisties, but not quite.

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  19. And I can confirm both the Coles BBQ flavoured chips and the Coles Salt & Vinegar flavoured chips are vegan, woo!

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  20. Nanna's Lite apple pies are ninja, as I think Coles Homebrand ones are (don't quote me on the latter).

    Kolios Nistimo greek fasting cheese (NOT the Kolios brand) available from Greek delis/Vic markets

    Massel chicken and beef stock + gravy powder (I'm not sure if this counts, pretty obvious)

    Sippah milk flavouring straws (chocolate, strawberry, honeycomb, banana) to flavour soy/rice milk + granules can be blended and used to make paddlepops.

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  21. Cooper, unfortunately the kilios nistimo cheese is not vegan. It has casein or something in it. But thanks for the others thing.

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  22. hi hi hi

    I got these emails from Haighs and Koko Black the other day

    http://northsideladies.blogspot.com/2009/05/koko-black.html

    also I went through the bakers delight page, looks like all sweet buns are vegan minus anything with 'custard' in the title... the apple scroll is SO awesome for being vegan

    also arnotts 'lemon crisps' are also vegan

    great list! thanks heaps! I do a bit of vegan blogging over at my site

    northsideladies.blogspot.com

    xo Caral

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  23. BBQ shapes are now vegan!!! for real

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  24. ohhh i wish canadian skittles were vegan! i miss those chewy little wonders.

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  25. I'm pretty sure Jelly Belly Jelly Beans are vegan. Also While's thick shake sachets are vegan & so yummy, the strawberry ones especially & seems to thicken better than the chocolate for some reason. You buy them in individual serves for like 70 cents each, I know woolworths has them. My chocolate of choice is whittaker's :) good to know about the guylian ones though, I used to love those sea shells

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  26. Ooh, I just remembered, McCain Hash browns are vegan too. I'm a bit addicted to those

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  27. Ninja vegan!!! Love it!!!!
    Pretty sure Jelly Belly jelly beans are not vegan as I got a box from one of my students last year who (according to her mum) tried really hard to find something that I could eat (too sweet!) so I didn't tell her I wouldn't eat them and I shared them with the whole class (what kid wouldn't love that!!)

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  28. i knew about most of these things except for starburst jellybeans....say what!!

    Oh also nqr samosas and spring rolls are vegan. Along with coles light apple pie, not the normal one has to be the light one.
    And to the person who looked into bakers delight stuff, i used to work there and all of the sweet things are vegan except for the things with sprinkles, chocolate or custard in them. Oh i wish the scones were vegan they looked yum.
    Oh and all their bread is vegan too.oh and nandos chips are vegan just incase anyone was wondering.

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  29. oh and i thought i'd mention incase no knew. Purple vitasoy, calci plus isn't vegan. It has lanolin in it i think. Something from sheeps wool. my maanager told me the other day, sucks cause all of the coffee places near my work use that soymilk except for one place but the coffee there is shit.

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  30. Dear Lord, Thank you for making Oreos vegan. (even if it was by accident).

    Also, Guylian Chocolates-- what a great idea for little christmas gifts for my vegan friends! Thanks
    -SYlvia
    Padrons

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  31. Wow! I had no idea. I would have sworn things like jelly and the lollies would have gelatine in them?

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  32. The one time I actually looked at the ingredients list on a packet of Oreos (at IGA), they contained both milk and egg products.

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  33. @ilumiari it depends on which sort of oreos you get.

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  34. I just recieved this email from Guylian:

    "Thank you for your interest in our Guylian products.

    All of our products are suitable for vegetarians and do not contain any of the following :

    - Animal flesh (meat, fowl, fish or shellfish)
    - Meat or bone stocks
    - Animal fats (including marine oils)
    - Gelatin
    - Aspic
    - Ingredients derived from slaughterhouse by-products
    - Royal Jelly
    - Cheeses made with animal rennet
    - Meat, chicken or fish extracts
    - Whey
    - Animal derived additives eg 542, 631, 635, Vit D3
    - Cochineal, carmine, carminic acid
    - Glycerides or Diglycerides
    - Egg and egg products

    None of our products are suitable for vegans because we use milk powder in our products."

    I was impressed that they got back to me in about 12 hours. But it looks like none of thier products are suitable... :c

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  35. Maybe they don't make the soiltare chocolates, I haven't seen them in the shops for a long time, because they were vegan. Thanks for the update.

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  36. Ikea sell swedish ginger biscuits called Pepparkakor. The brand is Anna's. I emailed them to ask about the e471 and they advised

    "On 15 November 2010 20:00, Info Anna's wrote:

    Hi

    I can happily inform you that our products are suitable for vegans.

    Hope i made ALL Melbourne vegans happy =)

    Kind Regards

    Rebecca
    AB Annas Pepparkakor
    www.annas.se "

    This is awesome because I can now buy these biscuits for the family to serve with Glogg when they come over from Sweden for Christmas :D

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