Are you a pure vegetarian? Do you also look for a green label on every product? The vegetarian people are always conscious about non-vegetarian content in their food. They always try to find a green label on it. If you have any non-vegetarian friend then you must have heard dialogues like “Just taste it, Paneer Jaisa lagta hai Yaar” or “Try to karke dekh ek Baar Yaar”. But there are some products that do not directly contain any non-veg content but have some indirectly. Here is the list of 15 food items that are consumed by everyone but are actually non-vegetarian.

French Fries and Chips

Yeah! This is equally shocking as we all think french fries and chips are made up of potato but actually, they are partially fried in beef tallow(a type of beef fat). This is the case with french fries and chips that are brought from the market. If you have made them at home fried in vegetable or fruit oil, then they are purely vegetarian.

Bananas

Chitosan is a chemical compound that is used to prevent bananas from ripening. This chemical is sprayed on the bananas. The chemical is formed from eggshells and shrimps. The vegetarian people can eat organic bananas.

Figs

At the time of pollination, some of the wasps got stuck in the fruit and they die inside.The dead body of these wasps is decomposed and is converted into plant protein. And also separating plant protein from fruit is not possible.

 Jell-O

For those who don’t know what Jell-O is, let me tell you that Jell-O is sweetened animal-derived gelatin. The product can be vegetarian as well as it can be non-vegetarian. This depends upon the gelatin that is used to make it. Also, colorful bears which seem very gummy are also formed from the gelatin. If gelatin from which they are formed is vegetarian then it is safe for vegetarian people.

Marshmallow

Marshmallows are made up of marshmallow roots or gelatin. We have already told you that gelatin can be vegetarian or it can be non-vegetarian as well. So, vegetarian people should take care of it before eating.

Yogurt

It is vegetarian but only if you make it in the home. Yogurt available in the market in packed boxes contains gelatin as this gives a creamy texture to the yogurt. So, check once before purchasing yogurt from the market.

Red Candies and Syrups

Most of the things which are sweet and red like strawberry syrups, candies, fruit juice, mocktails, etc. contain carmine. Carmine is basically a coloring agent which is made by boiling crushed beetles in ammonia. So, the dye which is responsible for providing red color to the food can be crushed beetles.

Parmesan Cheese

This is the cheese which is mostly loved by pasta lovers. Parmesan cheese is a fruity and nutty cheese that is used for making pasta. This cheese contains animal rennet(intestinal lining of calves) in it. This time before you use it in pasta, just check it once.

Beer

The people who drink beer and are vegetarian has a shocking news. Yeah! You will not believe it but it is true. Fish bladder or isinglass is used as one of the fining agents. This fining agent is responsible for infamous cloudy and clear look. But for your happiness, we want to tell you that this fact is applicable only to a very small amount of liquors.

Breakfast Cereals

Cereals which are sugar-coated like museli or cornflakes contain beef gelatin. The gelatin is added to these cereals so that sugar can easily stick to the food. In short, it is used as a binding agent in the cereals.

White Sugar

White sugar is made from sugarcane. It is made by extracting a juice which is brown and muddy. Natural carbon is a cleansing agent which is used to make it white. If you are not aware then let us tell you that natural carbon is bone char of animals.

Oils 

The regular oils that we used at home are also non-vegetarian. The oils that contain omega-3 fatty acids contain fish oils and thus fall into the category of non-vegetarian food.

Salad Dressings

The salad dressings contain binding agents that provide a very creamy and delicious texture to it. This binding agent can be eggs or any other things. Next time whenever you will bring the salad dressing, please have a look once.

Soup

Are you a vegetarian and in love with soups? Let us tell you that almost every Indian style Chinese food contains fish oil or fish sauce in it. It is a very common thing as fish oil is considered as a vegetarian food in many countries. So, it will be better for vegetarian people to make soup at home instead of purchasing it from the market.

Salted Peanuts

Peanuts are very common food because of the content of protein. The packet of peanuts also contains gelatin in it. So, next time while you grab a handful of peanuts, check before eating.

If you are a pure vegetarian then you need a little more precaution. If you are aware of any other vegetarian food item which is actually non-vegetarian, then do let us know in the comments section.