Does your daily bread contain human hair?

January 11, 2007

An interesting article, I only copied 66 replies but there are 266 already at : http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/2007/01/does_your_daily_bread_contain_human_hair.html Does your daily bread contain human hair? Justin Rowlatt 10 Jan 07, 02:50 PM I don’t mean one of your stray locks that fell into the butter. What I want to know is whether amino acids produced from human hair were used to process the flour that went to make that piece of toast you wolfed down on the way to the bus stop. It sounds unthinkable doesn’t it? But

since I became a vegan on New Year’s day I’ve developed a keen interest in what goes into the food I eat and I’ve discovered that a food additive which is sometimes produced from human hair can be used as an additive in some baked goods. But first, the veganism. I am not becoming a vegan out of high principle. The idea is to test the claim made by a number of people who have emailed in to insist that becoming a vegan significantly reduces one’s impact on the environment. I will be vegan for all of January. So my new diet did not preclude me eating Ned the Newsnight turkey I am happy to report that Ned was as tasty as he was ethical. My family gnawed our way through his ample carcass over the course of a full week. We ate Ned roast on the big day, then sandwiched, curried, as a supreme and finally in a tasty soup. Then, as the last few slices of Ned

grew an extravagant mould in the bottom of our fridge, the New Year turned and my diet became completely meat and dairy free. It is not easy. I’m not just cutting meat and fish out of my diet. Vegans don’t eat any animal products including milk, eggs and honey. So will cutting out all animal products reduce my carbon footprint? I need a bit of persuading about the bees but cows certainly produce an impressive quantity of greenhouse gases. I cited the extraordinary figure of up to 500 litres of methane a day per animal when I announced this project in December. At a conference last week the environment secretary David Milliband pointed out that "the livestock sector generates more greenhouse gas emissions than transport". Agriculture is reckoned to account for 7% of all greenhouse gas emissions, about the same as aviation. And

methane isn’t the only issue. It is claimed that one acre of arable crops can produce enough food for up to 20 people. Turn that field over to beef production and it will feed just one person. Not only that, raising animals is a lot more carbon intensive than growing vegetables. David Pimentel, an ecologist from Cornell University, has calculated that animal protein production requires more than eight times as much fossil-fuel energy than plant protein yet yields proteins only 1.4 times as nutritious for humans. That’s the average. When you look at individual sectors the figures are even more startling. Take beef, for example. Using US Department of Agriculture figures he found that beef production requires an energy input to protein output of 54:1 (as well as 100,000 litres of water per kilogram of meat). Vegetarians shouldn’t feel too smug, though. Milk protein has a ratio of 17:1. In fact, rather depressingly the most efficient form

of animal production – perhaps not surprisingly – is battery chickens. Pimentel finds that broiler chickens have a ratio of energy input to protein output of just 4:1. My problem has been eradicating all these inefficient animal proteins from my diet. Take my very first day of vegan living, New Year’s Day. I hadn’t prepared very well and hadn’t got any margarine in. The local corner shop, a Londis, was open and they stock a good range so I wasn’t too worried. But as I worked my way through the eight or so different varieties of margarine I was amazed to find that every single one contained milk or dairy products in some form. It makes you realise just how common the use of animal products in food is. Before I became a vegan I would eat animal products in

every single meal. Indeed the Vegan Society points out that some vegans consider tap water unacceptable because it contains chemicals that have been tested on animals. I am not going that far but I have certainly developed a mania for reading food labels and there are all sorts of unexpected animal additives. Most people know that gelatine is produced from animal skin and bones and that the rennet used in some cheeses comes from calves stomachs. But did you know that bone char (from cow bones) is still occasionally used to whiten some sugars or that some wines and many beers (particularly real ales) include isinglass – a substance obtained from the swim bladders of fish? Which brings me back to the possibility that human hair may be used in bread. A vegetarian friend alerted me to the existence of an animal-based flour additive called L-Cysteine. It is an amino acid which is used as a flour

improver. It is known as E920 and is permitted for use in all biscuits, breads and cakes except those that claim to be wholemeal. The problem for a would-be vegan like me is that traditionally L-Cysteine is produced from feathers, pig bristles and sometimes even human hair. These days L-Cysteine can also be produced synthetically but apparently human hair remains one of the richest sources of this amino acid – it makes up about 14% of your hair - and there is a small industry in China making the additive from hair clippings. There’s even a paper on the web written by a Rabbi about whether L-Cysteine from human hair is kosher. Apparently it is – so long as the hair in question was not harvested from dead bodies. So how commonly is L-Cysteine used? My vegetarian friend claims that the problem with E920 is that – even when it is used – it doesn’t have to be listed in the

ingredients. She says that’s because it is broken down in the baking process so the manufacturers argue that doesn’t constitute an ingredient. That is something the Food Standards Agency flatly denies. It says that L-Cysteine must always be labelled. Indeed, the industry says the reason you so rarely see E920 on labels is that these days it is very rarely used (apparently it was much more common fifteen years ago). The industry also says that the only L-Cysteine their members would use is the synthetic variety. That is a little odd because according to the Food Standards Agency the European regulation specifies that only L-Cysteine produced from duck and chicken feathers or from pig bristles can be used. That means that, so long as your daily bread was baked in Europe, it almost certainly does not include human hair. But it leaves me a little confused. If British bakers are using synthetic L-Cysteine are they breaking EU guidelines? It

is hard to get a straight answer because the biscuit makers told me it would be added when the flour is milled and the millers say it something the bakers would add. So if anyone can put this hairy issue to bed once and for all I’d be very grateful. And while I am on the subject, if anyone knows of any other animal-based (or human-based) food ingredients an embryonic vegan like myself needs to steer clear of please do tell me. < Previous Main Next > Comments Post your comment 1. At 05:32 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Alex Delafin wrote: Pull the other one,your report on hair sounds suspiciously full of caveats-sometimes,some,can be.What kind of journalism is this?I believe glycerin is sometimes added to tinned marrons glace here in France.Must go and write an award winning scoop story about it. Complain about

this post 2. At 06:22 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Chris Rowley wrote: Great article, and re: Monsieur Delafin's whinge, the food industry is, on the whole, excellent at baffling investigators and journalists. They don't want us to know this stuff, because they know that a lot more people would become vegan if they actually understood what the hell went into their packaged foods. The more you know the less you want to eatmainstream, profitable feedstocks designed for ignorant human consumption. Complain about this post 3. At 06:23 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Preethi wrote: Cochnieal beetles are used in a variety of products for their red colouring. As recently as two weeks back, I found them in a bottle of Tropicana Sweet Grapefruit Juice. It is apparently also used in a wide vareity of make up products. Complain about this post 4. At 06:26 PM on 10 Jan 2007, lois.raynor wrote: Kudos to this journalist. We need to know the truth about what ape turned carnivore has done to this earth. We also need to know what the"food scientists" are adding to food to ensure longer shelf life for higher profit. The epidemics of obesity, diabetes, circulatory disease and osteoporosis are caused by our unnatural diets. Bad food choices are costing the earth, causing pain and misery(to people and

animals) and crippling health care providers.Say no to milk, butter, margarine, eggs, fish and meat. The earth will benefit and so will your health/ Complain about this post 5. At 06:29 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Elizabeth wrote: I have also heard that the red pigment called carmine, used to color foods such as candy, is made of a carminic acid that comes from a specific insect called the cochineal bug. Complain about this post 6. At 06:31 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Frank wrote: I don't think you've thought your campaign through well enough. You need to restart.If you want to be low impact (and improve your health) you need to use Organic ingredients.The way you are approaching it allows you to buy all those easy inexpensive veggies, but leaves the nations fields polluted and the Oceans life/organisms (which I think will soon become a

huge problem for the world, as life needs it in full working order) in decline from run-off.Oh yeah, that bread that's glowing with pesticides and is about to make you glow, trash it. Restart in Febrary and see how you come along. Complain about this post 7. At 06:31 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Mike wrote: Alex, I very much doubt the above article is intended to be award winning scoop journalism - but a

light-hearted blog detailing a man's journey into the world of vegan food. Caveats are surely to be expected from someone in the learning process who is not quite sure and thus, requires help not scepticism of his journalistic integrity. Complain about this post 8. At 06:33 PM on 10 Jan 2007, veronique wrote: I think E130 (a red colorant often used in sweets) is animal-based too; If I remember correctly it is basically

squashed fleas.And don't forget not to wear anything made of wool or silk (or leather, of course). Complain about this post 9. At 06:34 PM on 10 Jan 2007, George wrote: What's the big deal? A barber shop sells hair clippings to a manufacturer for the production of a product. The true conservationist would approve. Waste not, want not. Relax brother. Complain about this post 10. At 06:35 PM on 10 Jan 2007, cw wrote: Did you know, that the reason your stawberry yogurt is red in color is because they use little red beatles to color it? Although, of course, yogurt made from milk would not be vegan anyway. And watch out for casein in so called vegetarian products - it's a protein found in milk. I think it would be the ultimate joke back on you, with all due respect, of course, if you found you liked being one of us vegans!

Complain about this post 11. At 06:37 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Joss wrote: Question:That acre that the Vegans say will feed 20 people veggies or 1 person meat where is it? Norfolk (UK), Iowa(USA)? what if you live somewhere with slightly less soil and more rock, I suppose they just go hungry, sorry I can't the combine up that mountain. Realistically the point is if you happen to live somewhere flat with good soil you could

develop a sustainable vegan lifesyle but a bit impractible say in Mongolia, or huge parts of Europe and Africa, N & S America the poles, infact anywhere where theres a mountain or hillMy other question is does human hair constitute an organic ingredient? Complain about this post 12. At 06:38 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Greg Bullock wrote: If these additives are from living people why worry about it. We are not going to

"eliminate them" to make their carbon footprint any smaller so it doesn't matter. Complain about this post 13. At 06:44 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Amina wrote: Veganism is about ethics - whether you want to admit it or not: holistically, nutritionally, environmentally, or purely on the basis of animal rights. Your indulgence into an area full of sanctity with the disclaimer of it being only an experiment into environmental

science, is not far off from claiming to "try" a religion for a month to gauge the "uptake" in spirituality. Be a vegan or don't - tap water contains everything from MTBE to lead (in the US at least,) and human hair (regardless of whether it truly exists in bread or not,) and honey are *not* vegan. There should be no argumentative "journalistic" analysis needed to determine whether or not these are relevant issues. Since you're only engaging in "environmentally relevant" veganism however you're turning issues that are in reality, superfluous, into seemingly important research. I was vegan for 17 years - long before it was the "trendy" thing to do. I've seen the diet make everything from complete turn arounds in terminal cancer patients to significant improvement in serious mental illness. However, at the point when I was no longer doing it for spiritual/ethical reasons, it meant nothing. Your "experiment" will yield little (especially in the way of relevant journalism,) as

long as your basis for doing it leaves something to be desired. Complain about this post 14. At 06:47 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Lori wrote: I am a vegetarian, but not vegan. I found this article to be useful and scary. I won't eat products with gelatin, bone meal or cheese with animal rennet in it, so this is good information to watch out for. I really don't want to eat human hair proteins, but I find it more humane to use than

animal feathers and hair because the animals would have been killed for their hair/feather proteins. Complain about this post 15. At 06:49 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Gail Vasonis wrote: Is there any way I can harvest my garden without depriving insects of their food source? Complain about this post 16. At 06:50 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Hari Singh Khalsa wrote: It always surprises me that this so-called "ethical man" is allowed to participate in a lifestyle choice for a short time and still be labeled “ethical”. He has also been allowed acknowledge alternatives to his "new ways" as more ethical or beneficial and still not participate in them. While I applaud him and the BBC for bringing some of these issues to the forefront… Actually, let me revise that

last statement. While I feel deep gratitude towards this man and BBC for standing alone amongst all other entities with a voice of equivalent or greater magnitude and highlighting these issues, I still find it somewhat paradoxical. That is, if he willingly acknowledges that what he is doing now (as a vegan) is more ethical, than when he ceases to be a vegan at the end of a very short time span (one month), won’t he be knowingly doing something “unethical” and should thus be known as the “unethical man.” To all those who read this comment after having read this story I must ask the same thing. Now that you have seen the facts about animal products in our food chain how can you call yourself any of the following: ethical, moral, religious, spiritual, caring, eco-friendly; without also adopting a vegan lifestyle? Complain about this post 17. At 06:52 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Chloe.Thomas wrote: I agree with lois.ratner. Becoming concious about the food fueling your body is a great step in helping yourself live longer and leaving more for others. I don't really expect you to keep it forever but I applaud your bravery in throwing yourself into veganism for a story.Check out the recipes online and beware some cheese: they don't always list whether they are using synthetic rennet or real

enzymes. Also, many synthetic vegan products (like margarine and cheese) contain a lot of bad fat, are expensive and in my opinion, over-processed. Skip it for naturals: olive oils and baker's yeast. Good luck! Complain about this post 18. At 06:55 PM on 10 Jan 2007, chris n wrote: "since I became a vegan on New Year’s day I’ve developed a keen interest in what goes into the food I eat" Basically, what

you are saying is that you are doing this as a publicity stunt. If you are so environmentally conscious and ethical then you should have known all this BEFORE choosing to become vegan. Here you eat your turkey, become vegan, and then start to worry about what is in your food. Rubbish journalism as far as I am concerned ! Complain about this post 19. At 06:55 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Martin wrote: If you're going to

worry about ingesting human hair, surely you should worry about kissing your significant other. Same principle, no? It is tedious though, to have to read the ingredients on processed foods. I wish they had a simple system whereby they would label the ingredients as vegan or not. Other than that, good luck with your month, though you won't see any health benefits unless you try it for at least 6 months. I was vegan for a long time. One time, I fed a family of 5, and at the end of the meal, they were astonished to discover that there were no animal products at all in their meal (entree, main course, desert). Here's a few ideas: use rice milk as a cow juice substitute, use coconut milk (and make delicious curries), have tortillias and guacomole, use Swedish Glace instead of ice cream (and never look back), etc. The main thing to note is that, done properly, your diet will become much broader, much richer, much more variety. I

hope you're a good cook though. You need to think a little more, but it's worth it. And for all the naysayers out there, my doctor marvelled over my blood test results as 'perfect'. Complain about this post 20. At 06:56 PM on 10 Jan 2007, jfrese wrote: Wouldn't it be best if the amino acid actually *was* derived from human hair (assuming the doner was not killed or abused in the harvesting process)? It seems

to me that would be akin to chewing on one's fingernails, from an ethical standpoint. Complain about this post 21. At 06:56 PM on 10 Jan 2007, David Tampke wrote: If you are just starting out on the road to healthy, uninfiltrated, and uncompromised food enjoyment, then may I suggest that you find a source of grains of different kinds, buy a grinder or use a good quality coffee grinder, and make your own bakery goods

immediately after grinding the grains. Bacteria and fungi love grains as much as we do and reduce the nutritional value and taste in a closed flour container in stores. Complain about this post 22. At 06:56 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Tim wrote: Oh, please. I feel like hell whenever I have tried to go vegan in the interests of weight control or cholesterol or whatever. I hit 298lbs eating only low carb, then low fat, then said

the heck with it and went back to the diet of my grandfathers. Now, at 240lbs and back running and playing sports, I feel like a human being again with normalized blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. There is a reason you have incisors and eyes on the front of your head and not on the sides...you are a carnivore. We are unhealthy not because of meat but because of all the crap that has to be done to food to have a shelf life of more than 12 months. Complain about this post 23. At 06:58 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Revd Michael Whitfield wrote: Just a thought - if we all stop eating cheese, eggs, fish, meat, butter, and drinking milk - what use would there be for most farm animals especially cows and pigs? Apart from a rare few, who would keep a cow as a pet or a pig for that matter - they would soon become extinct. Most of my Vegan friends won't wear leather either so what use are animal hides? I would hate to see the demise of cows and pigs England would not be the same without them. However I do appreciate your concern about additives in food and where they come from. Complain about this post 24. At 07:00 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Andy Hemmings wrote: Funny and balanced arcticle with the right amount of distain for the food industry and vegans alike. I totally agree that some of the junk put in food is nasty and should be avoided as much as possible. But for all vegans out there humans are now and always have been omnivores. You cannot deny this basic fundamental of your species. Complain about this post 25. At 07:01 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Tobias wrote: Hair? In Bread? Do get real Vegan Complain about this post 26. At 07:01 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Charles wrote: My uncle (who was a prominent neurologist) once proclaimed at lunch "A strict vegan diet is incompatible with life." He said that it cut out certain necessary vitamins or something - I've forgotten the details. So I'm happy you're only doing it for a month! I imagine there are different 'flavours' (sorry) of veganism, so you wouldn't have to pick that one anyway. Blindly following someone else's rules seems a bit like radical religion to me anyway... Complain about this post 27. At 07:01 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Sandra Peake wrote: What is truth? Truth is, there are vast areas on earth totally unsuitable for field crops for humans that can be harvested by foraging animals, and are sustainable if numbers controls are adhered to. Moreover, after failing miserably several times as a vegetarian , with subsequent health consequences, I underwent metabolic typing that revealed I NEED meat. I am now a confirmed carnivore. Complain about this post 28. At 07:03 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Joel wrote: Ape turned carnivore?? Studies of wild chimpanzees have found they have an appetite for meat, including other chimpanzees!How un-PC of them... Complain about this post 29. At 07:03 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Super wrote: I don't understand what the big deal is? If human hair was indeed used it is not as if people were killed or otherwise mistreated for it. Also the environmental impact (if any) is not an issue because those people were going to cut their hair anyway. Complain about this post 30. At 07:04 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Rich Paul wrote: Lets mount an emergency military mission to wipe out Lions, Tigers and Bears. They all eat meat, and they will not be deterred by sanctions. It says right on the barn that no animal should kill any other animal. (without cause) (see Animal Farm) Complain about this post 31. At 07:04 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Lindsey wrote: Interesting article. Other nasty ingredients to look out for are mono and di-glycerides,commonly added to blend ingredients together and often found in bread and margarine. They can either be animal or vegetable, but unfortunately the labels rarely state which.Good luck! Complain about this post 32. At 07:04 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Barbara wrote: In response to Alex's comment, despite your synicism, may I say that you hit the nail on the head. You say that you BELIEVE that glycerine is SOMETIMES added to marron glace, but do you KNOW? How are you to know if the labelling is ambiguous? You complain that the content of the article is full of caveates, but that is the very core of the arguement - No one KNOWS the truth. While diet regimes are, for some, followed for ethical or religious reasons, others have no choice but to limit their diets for health reasons. I have two grandchildren with lactose intollerance. To give them ANY foods containing dairy ingredients causes severe digestive upset and pain. No one plans to deliberately inflict that misery on a small child but to prevent it,

accurate and HONEST labelling is essential. We have found out, through trial and error, which foods are safe for my grandchildren to eat, but only after they have suffered in the process of finding out because of shoddy, even deceitful, labelling. If manufacturers were open and honest about the total content of their products, articles like Justin's would not be necessary. Complain about this post 33. At 07:05 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Tucker wrote: It is true that a vegan diet has a smaller impact than a traditional diet. Pursuant a more ethical existence, I have therefore done my best to make vegan choices for about a year. However, I think that a diet comprised only of locally made products, regardless of their animal content, can have a smaller impact than even a 100% vegan diet. Complain about this post 34. At 07:06 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Ergin wrote: Great article, my wife and son have been vegan for a number of years and have had the same shock when it comes to ingredients. The trick by manufactures is to use strange and obscure language that only a scientist working in that field would recognise. My wife has spent many hours and sent countless emails to food manufactures asking for clarification of ingredients, some are very upfront whereas others are obstructive and non responsive. Another point is that this is not a British or European thing, we live in the USA and have had the same experience with British and US companies. The public should have the information at hand to make the appropriate decision about anything they eat. Especially in a world which is multi-cultural in nature, for example, how would a Jew or Muslim react to their being pig hair in the bread they but at the supermarket? Or a Hindu who eats cheese which contains rennet from a

cow? It's about time that companies were forced to publish this information and make it available on web sites etc. Complain about this post 35. At 07:07 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Craig Mackintosh wrote: Justin - a few helpful tips from someone that's been there: keep reading those labels, and read a few books... http://www.foodrevolution.org/food_revolution.htm ...while you're at it. Also, enrol for a good vege cooking class and learn what you can. You'll find that, come February 1st, not only will your acclimatised taste buds reject the taste of meat, but your revitalised mind will too. And, while you're soaking your alfalfa sprouts, read this article: http://www.celsias.com/blog/2006/11/22/save-the-world-with-your-fork/ and this one too: http://www.celsias.com/blog/2006/12/11/the-cow-public-enemy-number-one/ Complain about this post 36. At 07:08 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Richard K. Prescott wrote: It is interesting that one digs up Cysteine usage as a problem. What about the sources of other amino acids neded by humans to survive. Why not mention that most 'organically' grown vegetables have to be fertilized organically. Well, you can certainly see where this is headed. A 'true' vegan would essentially starve.It is like statistics, the data can be used properly or improperly.

Anthropologists 'assume' that because we may have evolved from ape-like creatures that we originally were vegans that turned meat eaters. The possible truth is that even supposed Chimpanzees that do not eat meat, actually do when it is available, as did our ancient ancestors. Some even hunt, but they are rare.Also, we forget that these same (not identical) scientists state that certain human advances were the direct result of learning to eat meat, thus providing increased brain size and other important developments.And, those who might have tried low or no carb diets eating only high quality protein are aware that they produced less waste material. However, look at the purely vegan animals, like cows, sheep, fowl. They produce vast quantities of waste, and, they occured even without the need for them to be human food.Hmmm. Complain about this post 37. At 07:09 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Brian J Dickenson wrote: So human hair could be used, so what.We have been eating produce for centuries that have been grown using all sorts of 'unmentionable' types of fertiliser, human excreta being only one.Listening to you pundits we should have died out a long time ago.Going back to my childhood, I can remember people who used to empty their cesspit's, (septic tanks), over their home vegetable

gardens.Amazingly we not only survived but fought and won WW2.We were also generally healthier and not aware of obesity.Maybe we should recover the old values Complain about this post 38. At 07:11 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Jules wrote: Personally I find the sound of the stuff these people will eat to avoid meat products scarier than the genuine article! We evolved as omnivores and i'm happy not to let 3 million

years of effort go to waste, bring on the bacon! Complain about this post 39. At 07:11 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Frank wrote: I'd like to add to my comment, if I may.You stated:"I am not becoming a vegan out of high principle".I have to ask, "why not"? What is more important to you than your life.You'll probably be on a big binge in a month. You may have your last bag of crisps and leave the establishment and be

that man I helped that had dropped on the pavement with a stroke. You may end up like the millions of elderly Mums and Dads at 55 crippled with a stroke or heart attack, or cancer. Almost all food related.Half hearted efforts from the media unfortunately can attract followers. These followers won't be doing this for all the right reasons (as you aren't).Come at it from a health 1st angle, and then all the pieces will come together and add on nicely, and the followers will gain more benefits and be more likely to succeed.I'd recommend assistance from a Vegan Health expert for your February article! Complain about this post 40. At 07:12 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Rob wrote: I'm sure if you look hard enough you will find animals products involved in computer manufacture. I think all vegans should stop using the internet until they can be sure that this is not the case. Perhaps a letter to IBM or Apple, on vegan friendly sustainably farmed paper, would be a good start. Complain about this post 41. At 07:12 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Ivan wrote: Whether Justin is doing this to be liked by vegans and vegetarians or not, the good thing is another human being is becoming aware of the downsides of our modern industrial lifestyles (this is not meant to sound as arrogant as it does). I guess the clear lines between science, politics, ethics and our daily lives are finally starting to fade... Kudos indeed; we do need to realize what we are doing to our planet/ourselves. Something else: maybe in februari you could use stevia instead of other sweeteners as an experiment. Complain about this post 42. At 07:15 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Vern wrote: Isinglass mentioned in the article is in fact muscovite mica (a mineral). What it is doing in beer or ale is , als, a mystery to me. Complain about this post 43. At 07:17 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Meatisgood wrote: Eat meat. It is simple as that. Next thing we will be hearing is that some species of plant is going extinct because to many vegis are around. It has worked for how many thousands of years. Mmmm a nice meal of veal sounds tasty right now! Complain about this post 44. At 07:18 PM on 10 Jan 2007, cp wrote: Great article. I have been trying to go vegan slowly and gradually. I have been successful to quite an extent but not fully. Do you know that sugar is processed/filtered through animal bone chars ? Brown sugar is almost the same with the molasses added. I am trying to cut down on sugar and use jaggerry for sweetening. Complain about this post 45. At 07:20 PM on 10 Jan 2007, David wrote: I am a bit puzzled by the focus on animals. Why should animals and their produce be exempt from our diets? Is it solely because they are energy intensive? Or is it because some people think it's immoral/unnatural/unhealthy to drink milk, eat meat and wear woollens? How is plant material any less suspect? Complain about this post 46. At 07:20 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Simon Day wrote: Isinglas is whats known as finings (its used to clear the beer) Very few real ales use this - its more for home brewers unable to controlk the temperature of where their bottles are stored for clearing (in the summer it can be hard to get beer to clear though I have never had a problem) Gelatin is also used for this purpose but more usually in wine. Did you also know that on a daily basis you breathe in skin cells that have come off other people? Frankly I just look in a mirror, note the placement of the eyes and teeth and accept the fact I am a predator. If need be I would kill and git an animal for my own consumption - but I also feel that you should only kill what you need and should make the

best use of the carcass properly - only wastage is unethical As for aditives? I grow my own fruit and veg, make my own beer and wine, avoid super markets where I can and use local organic butchers. How much of the soy in vegan food was grown by slave labour or work that is close to it?? Complain about this post 47. At 07:20 PM on 10 Jan 2007, jeff wrote: Confectioner's glaze contains beeswax.

Shellac is insect-derived too. Dried bananas are often dipped in honey without it being explicitly labelled. I assume you've already figured out that things with names like sodium caseinate (many things) and sodium stearoyl lactylate (bread-like products) are milk-derived. In general, there's some chance anything with "lact" in the name has animal precursors. A short list is here: . An internet search will provide you longer lists. Remember that a vegan lifestyle also involves, for most of us, not wearing animal products like wool or leather either. Also, companies like Johnson & Johnson and Proctor & Gamble are both famous (in some circles) for testing their products on animals. You may be interested (for this month) in who makes your food as well as what they make it from. Good luck, I guess, although that you realize that subsisting on animal-based foods is not only more

cruel but less ecologically-sustainable and will still be resuming carnivorism in February doesn't seem particularly "ethical" to me. Complain about this post 48. At 07:21 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Alex wrote: Just reading one or two of these comments, I can't help thinking that what you have written makes some people feel uneasy. Even though your article has been written with a jounalistic professionalism that, in my opinion,

the BBC can feel proud of, some readers need to make unnecessarily derogatory comments about it. Are they perhaps feeling threatened? Truth can hurt, so I guess I'll try and be understanding for now.On a slightly different issue... I liked the Stern report - to be green or not to be green and the national/international economic consequences. I'd love to see a similar report on the national/international economic and ecological consequences of going veggie. Would anyone take it seriously? Probably not. Complain about this post 49. At 07:22 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Frank Gresslin wrote: Thanks Justin for this blog. Interesting what you start to dicover when you stop eating the food we used to grow up with. I even recently pondered over the question how it all started that we began to cook our food - cook the nutrients out of it. What was the reason again that we have to eat at all? RDI anyone? McDo? Complain about this post 50. At 07:22 PM on 10 Jan 2007, PinkPurrrr wrote: Surprisingly, some 'dairy-free' products actually contain egg- some sort of legal loop-hole that you should look out for. Anything containing omega 3 & 6 (often a selling point)should also be treated with caution, as more likely than not it will contain fish- even bread. Eating out is a real pain, plan well in advance to avoid the "Ok i'll just have a plain salad and a bread roll scenario" - not fun!You should feel the benefits of veganism within a month. After i became one, i rarely suffer from colds, have low cholesterol and have stopped snoring!(dairy produces catarrh). Don't forget Iron supplements, I also take flaxseed oil to get my EFA's. Complain about this post 51. At 07:23 PM on 10 Jan 2007, dan wrote: I once worked on the roof at a rendering plant in Arthur. Surprised about the hair? not in a million years. Complain about this post 52. At 07:25 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Luther Blissett wrote: Hands up who thinks we should care about more important things? Complain about this post 53. At 07:26 PM on 10 Jan 2007, wendy wrote: One can buy dairy free margerine from Kosher food suppliers or from some supermarkets in the kosher section. Tomer margerine is one example Tesco's also sells a soya margerine that is vegan Complain about this post 54. At 07:26 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Julia R. wrote: Vegans say that a mother's breast milk is alright for a child to consume since the animal grants permission, and there was mention of a rabbi declaring that the additive in question is kosher as long as the hair harvested was from living people... so if the hair was taken from willing and living people, this would make the additive vegan, right? Complain about this post 55. At 07:26 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Bruce Bowerman wrote: What is wrong with eating human hair? Sounds like an excellent way to recycle humanity to me, and a great way to reduce our demands on other plants and animals on the planet. Also, at least some grass fed cattle are raised on land that is not suitable for growing crops. Humans cannot digest grass, while cows can. Thus eating grass fed beef does not waste anything, in terms of what people could have eaten otherwise. Methane farts is another issue, however, but I believe all animals have methane farts, including humans! Although cows are probably more egregious than you or me in this respect. Complain about this post 56. At 07:27 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Mason wrote: It seems to me that if the food industry didn't constantly turn out creative and cheap ways of using land, the world hunger problem would not, as it currently is, be slowly going down. Unnatural and unhealthy it may be, but modern food production is making food more affordable and feeding more people than ever. I happen to think that's a good thing. Of course, I suppose it would be an even better thing if cheap food was as healthy as natural food. But as long as it's healthier than starving, someone will want it. Complain about this post 57. At 07:28 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Mary Bolton wrote: My children both lived entirely on human protein for the first 3 months of their lives, and thrived. Complain about this post 58. At 07:29 PM on 10 Jan 2007, James wrote: Post 23, I'd recommend some decent food. Oh wait, you're a vegan, so that's not possible. Shame... Complain about this post 59. At 07:29 PM on 10 Jan 2007, alice kay wrote: i hear that most beers, wines and sugars are refined through animal bones / fish guts, although this is purely by word of mouth. also why is everyone so angry Complain about this post 60. At 07:31 PM on 10 Jan 2007, pyrocook wrote:

Well done on turning vegan, even if it is for a month. Don't listen to the skeptics and critics, they're the type of people who will point the fingers at the government and professionals when global warming and other environmental factors start to collect its debt. Excellent article! Complain about this post 61. At 07:32 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Tim wrote: Viva the BBC, This is a tricky subject to get across. Big business has a long and successful history of squashing anyone that tries to raise this subject in the popular media. A knighthood for Mr Rowlatt and whoever authorised this piece...... if not for the simple common sense it brings to us all, then just for the sheer courage of it. Complain about this post 62. At 07:33 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Peter Boddy wrote: Heh, remember the

age old adage... "Everything in moderation." Complain about this post 63. At 07:34 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Jason wrote: What about all those hundreds of millions of poor farmers around the world who uses human/animal wastes for fertilisers? Do we stop them and the people they feed from being true vegans? Complain about this post 64. At 07:36 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Khawer wrote: L-Cysteine mostly comes from human hair and widely used in bakery products. Muslims and Jews are forbidden to east products containing L-Cystenie. Complain about this post 65. At 07:37 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Tim wrote: Benefit the earth? Everyone claims to understand what the earth needs. Is it not possible that the earth will benefit more from being rid of humans sooner? What's a couple million years recuperation to planet that's shaken off such a brief pox? Complain about this post 66. At 07:37 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Alex B wrote: This article convinces me of two things: 1. Vegans take themselves WAY too seriously. They act as if being "ethical" and supposedly more healthy by not eating animal products will make your lifespan not just longer, but infinite. Got news for ya: you're gonna die anyway, may as well enjoy some of the finer things in life. Not drinking wine because it may contain animal products? Proposterous! 2. Fanatical dieting promotes pseudo-intellectual knowledge of science and spreads it mouth to mouth, causing pop-culture misconceptions about their true benefits and/or effects. For example, the Atkins/South Beach/Vegan diets. Complain about this post 67. At 07:40 PM on 10 Jan 2007, Derry Ironside wrote: When the buffalo were roaming the Great Plains were they producing greenhouse gases? And how much did we save by killing them offPeter H

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January 11, 2007

I did not know about the human hair - but you have to check flour and only buy ones that say they are suitable for vegetarians - otherwise they are not - and that is quite a few.