LABEL WARNINGS: Mono- and Diglycerides for Vegetarians and Vegans (Part I)

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It's a smattering of stuff, but it will get the message across.

 

" Mono- and Diglycerides can be animal, vegetable or synthetically

derived. They are used to combine foods, which ordinarily wouldn't

combine well, such as oil and water. "

From the People for Animal Rights.

 

Below is from many other sources.

" There are certain food components for which origin has not been

specified by the processor. If the common sources for the component

included non-animal as well as animal sources, the item has been

included (i.e. mono- and diglycerides, lecithin). "

above came from the Vegetarian Resource Group and they are quoting

Denny's.

 

See in the following: In many baked products.

" Mono and diglycerides are fats, but people who are trying to lose

weight do not need to worry about restricting them.

Most of the fat that you eat is in the form of triglycerides. These

fats occur in both animal and plant foods. Triglycerides have a

chemical structure shaped like an E. The " tri " of triglycerides means

that there are three vertical lines off the horizontal line.

Monoglycerides have only one vertical line, and diglycerides have

only two. Otherwise all three glycerides are fats and affect your

body in the same way. They all have 9 calories per gram and are

broken down in the same way to form the same building blocks that are

absorbed from your intestines into your bloodstream.

While triglycerides comprise most of the fat that you eat,

monoglycerides and diglycerides together make up less than 1%. They

are added to foods to make bakery products taste smooth and to

prevent the oil from separating out in foods such as peanut butter.

Check the list of ingredients of the foods you buy, and you will see

that monoglycerides and diglycerides are listed no higher than fourth

on the label. This means that they usually are added in such small

amounts that they contribute an insignificant amount of fat or

calories to your diet. "

 

" Monoglycerides and diglycerides are common food additives used to

blend together certain ingredients, such as oil and water, which

would not otherwise blend well. The commercial source may be either

animal (cow- or hog-derived) or vegetable, and they may be

synthetically made as well. They are often found in bakery products,

beverages, ice cream, chewing gum, shortening, whipped toppings,

margarine, and confections. Our Guide classifies them as " May be non-

vegetarian. " Archer Daniels Midland Co., a large manufacturer of

monoglycerides, reports that they use soybean oil. "

 

" Glycerol has three hydroxyl functional groups which can be

esterified with one, two or three fatty acids to form monoglycerides,

diglycerides and triglycerides.

Vegetable oils and animal fats contain mostly triglycerides, but are

broken down by natural enzymes (lipases) into mono- and diglycerides

and free fatty acids.

Soaps often contain glycerides as well. Glycerol is a product that

can soften dehydrated skin by absorbing moisture from the air. In

fact, if 100% glycerol were left exposed to normal air, in 10 to 12

hours it would become 80% glycerol and 20% water by absorbing 1/5 of

its weight in water. "

 

" Plus I was able to get a response on questions such as whether

listed mono- and diglycerides are derived from a vegetarian source. "

" The mash potatoes have gelatin and mono- and diglycerides from an

unknown source. The pastas have eggs in them. "

 

" When you talk to a customer service representative or a quality

assurance manager about the sources of an ingredient, such as natural

flavors or mono- and diglycerides, you are educating people about the

concerns of vegetarians and vegans. You are helping the next person

who inquires about that ingredient, too. "

 

" Whole wheat flour, water, wheat gluten, high fructose corn syrup,

contains 2% of less of: soybean oil, salt, molasses, yeast, mono and

diglycerides (ANIMAL FAT), exthoxylated mono and diglycerides (ANIMAL

FAT PRODUCED USING PETROLEUM), dough conditioners (sodium stearoyl

lactylate (MILK PRODUCT), calcium iodate, calcium dioxide), datem

(ANIMAL FAT PRODUCT), calcium sulfate, vinegar, yeast nutrient

(ammonium sulfate), extracts of malted barley and corn, dicalcium

phosphate, diammonium phosphate, calcium propionate (to retain

freshness). "