Is it vegan? Straight answers.
The verdict first, then why, then what to use instead. When the honest answer is "it depends", it says that — and tells you what it depends on.
2 vegan · 7 worth checking · 3 not vegan
- checkIs beer vegan?Most modern beer is. The exceptions are cask ale fined with isinglass, milk stouts, and anything with honey or lactose in it.
- checkIs bread vegan?Usually yes — but brioche, challah, many supermarket loaves and most bagels are not. The five things to check on the label.
- checkIs chocolate vegan?Dark chocolate usually is. Milk chocolate never is. The things to check are milk fat in dark bars, and whether the sugar was filtered through bone char.
- veganIs Guinness vegan?Yes, since 2018. Guinness stopped using isinglass finings, so Draught, Original and the cans and bottles are all vegan now.
- not veganIs honey vegan?No, by the standard definition. Here is the reasoning, the argument people make against it, and what to use instead.
- not veganAre marshmallows vegan?Standard ones are not — gelatine is what makes them work. Good vegan versions exist, and the ingredient to look for is aquafaba or carrageenan.
- checkAre Oreos vegan?No animal products in the recipe, but they are made on lines shared with milk and are not labelled vegan. Here is what that difference actually means.
- veganIs palm oil vegan?Yes — it is pressed from a fruit. Plenty of vegans avoid it anyway, for reasons about habitat rather than the definition.
- checkIs pasta vegan?Dried pasta almost always is — just durum wheat and water. Fresh pasta almost never is, because it is made with egg.
- checkIs sugar vegan?In the UK and EU, yes. In the US, some cane sugar is filtered through bone char and there is no way to tell from the packet.
- checkIs wine vegan?It depends entirely on how it was fined. Isinglass, casein, gelatine and egg white are all common, and none of them appear on the label.
- not veganIs Worcestershire sauce vegan?The original is not — it contains anchovies. Several supermarket own-brands and a few named alternatives are, and they are easy to find.