On principle, vegans do not eat anything that comes from the animal kingdom. Reasons for following a vegan diet may be ethical, ecological, health-related, and/or spiritual/religious.
What do vegans eat?
- All plant-based foods: vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, mushrooms and grains. There are more than 20 000 different edible plant species in the world.
- There are vegan versions of many traditionally animal-based foods, such as burger patties, meatballs, sausages, cold cuts, and other meat-like products. These can be either store-bought or homemade.
- Vegans can also enjoy various plant milk products, such as milks, creams, ice creams, yogurts and cheeses made from plants such as soy, oats, rice or nuts.
- More information about vegan ingredients and an example of a vegan pantry can be found in the article “Tips for cooking”.
The vegan diet does not include:
- Vegans do not consume meat in any form (including processed meats like ground beef or sausages), chicken or other birds, fish, crabs, or clams.
- Vegans also do not eat any other animal products such as eggs, honey, milk, butter, cheese, or other dairy products. They also do not eat any foods containing meat, fish or chicken stock, gelatin or animal fats.
What about food additives?
- Vegans do not consume animal-derived ingredients used in the manufacturing process of products. These include whey, casein, caseinates, lactose, rennet, gelatin, albumin, and powdered eggs.
- Individual vegans’ stances on animal-based food additives may vary considerably, which is why you should ask each vegan about them separately. A list of animal-based and potentially animal-based additives can be found at the bottom of this page.
When shopping, how do I know if a product is vegan?
- Often the only way to find out if a product is vegan is to read the list of ingredients. Some products may also be labeled as suitable for vegans.
- Product names may be misleading. A lactose-free product is not automatically vegan, as it may contain lactose-free dairy products, milk protein, or animal fats.
- Most ice creams, cooking creams, cheeses and yogurts labeled as being made with vegetable fats are not vegan. Only the fat content has been replaced with vegetable fats, and these products still contain cow milk.
- Animal ingredients can be found in surprising places: spaghetti can contain egg, potato chips may contain whey powder, and muesli can contain powdered milk or honey.
- The website Vegaanituotteet.net lists various vegan products sold in Finnish grocery stores.
Animal ingredients and additives in food products
Information about animal-based ingredients and additives can be found on the Finnish Food Authority’s website.
A list of animal-based ingredients can be found here
A list of animal-based additives can be found here
To get reliable information about the origins of ingredients and additives used in a product, contact the manufacturer or importer of the product in question.
Information about animal-based ingredients and additives
Whey
Whey is a liquid byproduct of cheese manufacturing, used in many food products.
Gelatin
Gelatin is made by boiling the bones, skins, and tendons of animals. Gelatin is used to make jellies and other desserts.
There are many vegan alternatives to gelatin. The most commonly used is algae-based agar-agar. Agar-agar is sold as noodle-like strips, powder or long blocks, and is usually white in color. Another gelatin-like substance is made from kudzu root.
Due to concerns about BSE, inulin is also becoming more popular as a substitute for gelatin. Inulin contains fructose and glucose and can be found in many plants, particularly onions and wheat. Guar gum (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) and carrageenan (Irish moss) are also vegan.
Gelatin is an ingredient, not an additive, which means it has no E-code. The use of gelatin in a product must always be stated in the list of ingredients.
Casein
Casein is the protein in cow milk. It is used in hair care products, cosmetics, and food products as well as in the manufacturing of latex items such as condoms.
Pepsin and rennin
Pepsin and rennin are used as rennet in cheese manufacturing. Pepsin is extracted from the stomachs of slaughtered pigs and rennin from the stomachs of calves.
Bacterial cultures are an alternative to pepsin and rennin. The bacterial cultures used as substitutes for animal-based rennet are usually genetically modified. Rennin can also be replaced with plant-based substitutes or lemon juice.
Carmine (cochineal)
Carmine (E120) is a red coloring agent extracted from dried cochineal insects. Producing half a kilogram of carmine requires 70 000 cochineal insects, so the scale of insect breeding is massive. Carmine is used in many products, such as candy, alcoholic drinks, cosmetics, and fabric dyes.
Coloring agents made from plants such as beetroot are a vegan alternative to carmine.
Shellac
Shellac (E904) is a secretion produced by coccidea insects. The insects suck liquid from trees and secrete a substance that accumulates in thick layers on the trunks and branches of trees. Shellac is collected similarly to honey and is used in e.g. candy, car wax, and the manufacturing of medications.
Lanolin
Lanolin is a fat secreted from the sebaceous glands of sheep that builds up in the sheep’s wool. Lanolin makes the wool water-resistant so that the sheep stay dry when it is raining. Wool is collected from both living and slaughtered sheep. Lanolin is used in cosmetics, medications, and vitamin D3.