Bone Char and the Underbelly
Vegans, have a special place in my heart. Making a commitment to sustain oneself simply on food that grows from the earth is noble and compassionate. It’s a purist mindset that I deeply admire. One of my favorite sayings is, “Pity the blue fish, too.” It’s an expression my mother uses, and is a lyric from one of her favorite songs. To me, it means that I should feel as grateful for the salmon roe on my sushi as I do for the Osetra caviar on my blini.
But, I digress. Today’s post is about food processing, and the indirect way many of us benefit from the sacrifice of animals. Fear not! If you follow me on social media, or have poked around this website, it will be abundantly clear that I am an omnivore. That said, the more I research ingredients for my recipes, the more I am learning about the underbelly of Big Food, as well as the proliferation of animal byproducts.
I used to think that sugar was “safe” for vegans, until I learned about bone char - a product used in the sugar refining and bleaching process. Bone char, innocently referred to as “natural carbon,” is made by incinerating cattle bones at 700+°F to make sugar filters. How many cattle bones? About 8000 bones per filter. How many sugar filters does a typical sugar refinery need? Generally a few; and, they don’t last forever.
Like the flavor of Worcestershire sauce? Me, too! It’s fabulous with sautéed mushrooms! But did you know it’s made with anchovies? Ever hear of isinglass? It’s collagen harvested from fish organs that filter impurities out of beer and wine. Yikes. Many fish have perished for me to enjoy Happy Hour.
I’m realistic. A 100% vegan lifestyle is probably not in the cards for me. And it’s certainly not my mission to make anyone feel badly about the foods they’re eating. My goal is simply to educate myself about the products I consume, if only as a reminder to be thankful for the blue fish. And the cattle, too.
XO
DINK stands for Dual Income No Kids - but you don’t have to be a dink to savor our food. We’re into recipes for two to minimize food waste, control portions, and savor every bite!
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