CATERING FOR VEGETARIANS / VEGANS
With acknowledgements to The Vegetarian Society and The Vegan Society.
1) DEFINITIONS
2) SHOPPING GUIDANCE (including A-Z Checklist)
3) USEFUL WEB SITES (including recipe ones)
Most caterers are familiar these days with catering for vegetarians, and know to use vegetarian cheese, free-range eggs etc. So the information below (after the definitions) mainly focuses on vegan catering - which will also be suitable for any vegetarians of whichever category.
1) DEFINITIONS
Vegetarians eat a diet of plant foods, with or without the addition of dairy produce, eggs and honey. There are 4 main categories of vegetarian:
a) Lacto-ovo-vegetarians eat dairy products and eggs.
b) Lacto-vegetarians eat dairy products but not eggs (the norm for Indian vegetarians).
c) Ovo-vegetarians eat eggs but not dairy products (this applies to many oriental vegetarians).
d) Vegans don't eat dairy products, eggs nor honey.
WHAT ALL VEGETARIANS DON'T EAT:
All vegetarians DON'T eat: any animal flesh (meat, poultry, fish, shellfish) or foods derived from these.
So don't use: animal fats, aspic, chitin, dripping, fatty acids or glycerin or stearic acid of unknown origin, gelatin(e), jelly cubes or crystals (unless specified as vegetarian), lard, pepsin, rennet, meat/bone/fish stock or extracts, rennet, or (ordinary) suet. Also avoid insect products (eg cochineal red food colouring or shellac). Many vegetarians may also prefer to avoid animal-derived vitamin D (see below).
VEGANS IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE, DON'T EAT:
Any animal (or insect) products. So don't use any dairy produce (milk, butter, cheese, cream, yoghurt, ice-cream), eggs, honey, or foods derived from these. Take care to avoid milk derivatives (eg casein, lactose or whey) and egg derivatives (eg albumen or lecithin - unless it’s soya lecithin.) Lactic acid can be dairy or plant-derived, so avoid unless labelled as vegan or listed by The Vegan Society as above. See note under A-Z checklist below about vitamin D.
WHAT ALL VEGETARIANS (INCLUDING VEGANS) DO EAT: All plant-derived foods, including: grains, pulses (peas, beans, lentils), nuts, seeds, fruit, vegetables, sea vegetables (seaweeds), edible fungi (mushrooms), traditional oriental soya products (tofu and tempeh). Some also use modern processed meat substitutes (eg TVP - Textured Vegetable Protein). Some also use vegan replacements (mainly soya-based) for milk, cheese, yoghurt, mayonnaise, cream and ice-cream, available especially in healthfood stores. Flavourings (apart from the obvious salt & pepper) include herbs, spices, yeast extract, and traditional fermented soya products: miso, and natural additive-free soy sauces (shoyu and tamari).
NB if catering for vegetarians/vegans, be aware that although there are now many meat and dairy substitutes available, some don't like to eat these, especially the fake meat products (which also don't agree with some people's stomachs), so check with guests if thinking of using these.
2) SHOPPING GUIDANCE
NB Many modern processed foods contain long lists of ingredients, including additives of unspecified origins. Suppliers: Large supermarkets increasingly stock vegan foods, but healthfood or wholefood shops stock a far larger range and their staff are often knowledgeable.
Some products carry either The Vegetarian Society or The Vegan Society's own trademark confirming suitability. Some companies use their own symbols or labelling. The Co-op labels their own-brand products if suitable for vegans. Sainsbury's and Waitrose label some items as vegan, and you can select for all vegan products on their web sites.
Golden Rules:
a) Please read labels carefully, and "if in doubt, leave it out"!
b) Avoid cross-contamination by using separate utensils and plates for cooking and serving vegetarian or vegan food.
A-Z CHECKLIST FOR VEGAN & VEGETARIAN FOODS (and hints on reading labels):
NB Avoid anything with unspecific labelling (eg "coating", "colouring", "emulsifier", "flavouring", "E" numbers of unknown origin, or "Vitamin D" (which is ambiguous). Vitamin D2 is always suitable for vegetarians including vegans, but D3 is usually not. Traditionally vitamin D has been derived either from fish or from wool in slaughterhouses. A vegan D3 is now available in supplements, so may gradually appear in foods.
Alcohol - often not vegetarian or vegan as may contain (or be refined using) albumin, blood products, casein, chitin, gelatine, isinglass.
Baked beans - should now all be vegan (one brand has contained milk powder).
Biscuits and cakes etc - most (even some in healthfood stores) aren't vegan.
Bread – most large producers use vegetable-based emulsifiers now, but local bakers may not. Check for non-specified fats, whey, egg glazes, or honey. Naan bread is not normally vegan.
Breakfast cereals - well-known brands may contain whey, honey, or unspecified vitamin D (see note above), or even beef gelatine.
Chocolate - some dark chocolate contains milk-derivatives (eg butterfat, whey or animal-derived emulsifiers) or egg-lecithin.
Chutney - see under vinegar below.
Crisps - plain ones should be vegan. Most flavoured ones aren't (due to animal-derivatives or processing agents, eg undeclared dairy ingredients as a carrier).
Fizzy drinks - some are not vegan.
Margarine - may contain animal fats, fish oils, E-numbers, whey, gelatine, or vitamin D3. Even most "vegetable margarine" contains dairy derivatives.
Muesli - some types contain milk, whey powder, or honey (eg in banana chips), but most supermarkets stock several that are vegan. A homemade one can be made from oats, sultanas, and some nuts (eg walnuts or toasted hazels).
Nuts (roasted ones) - normally OK, (but fancy or dry roasted ones may contain honey and/or animal ingredients).
Pasta - most dried pasta is OK. A few types contain eggs (eg egg noodles or fresh pasta), or more rarely squid ink. Fresh pasta is not usually vegan.
Porridge - ordinary porridge oats are OK. "Instant porridge" can contain gelatine, and ready pots usually contain milk.
Quorn products - most contain egg. There are now some vegan ones.
Soft Drinks – some orange drinks use gelatine (not listed in the ingredients) as a carrier for added Beta Carotene. Pure fruit juices are usually OK. M & S protein-based juice drinks are not vegetarian due to beef collagen.
Soups (packet or tinned) - the vast majority in supermarkets are not vegan. Healthfood shops usually stock some.
Soy sauce - the highly-processed types can contain lactic acid (see above) and many additives. The natural soy sauces, Shoyu and Tamari should be OK.
Sweets – may contain gelatine/E120, dairy products etc.
Vegetable oils - watch out for "added Omega 3" which is usually fish-derived.
Vegetable stock cubes/powders /"vegetable bouillon" - most contain lactose.
Vinegar - is now often labelled if suitable for vegetarians/vegans. Cider and spirit vinegars are usually OK, wine vinegars often not.
Worcester(shire) Sauce - most brands contain anchovies. Vegetarian versions are available.
SOME SUITABLE BRANDS:
Bread: Sainsbury's, The Co-op and Hovis marks those suitable for vegans.
Breakfast cereals: Weetabix has long been vegan, so is unlikely to change. Oatibix is also vegan. Many mueslis are suitable.
Margarine: most brands in health stores are vegan, large supermarkets usually stock one or two vegan ones.
Pastry (frozen ready-made): many Jus-rol products are suitable.
Vegetable stock: Marigold makes some vegan stock powders (one is also gluten-free, but the organic vegan one is more flavoursome). Kallo makes some vegan stock cubes, and there's also one by Anthony Worral Thompson.
Vinegar: Sainsbury's and Aspall's label which ones are suitable.
3) USEFUL WEB SITES
The Vegetarian Society [Tel: 0161 925 2000]
https://www.vegsoc.org
Information pages for caterers:
http://www.vegsoc.org/page.aspx?pid=506
Veggie Aware A-Z:
http://www.vegsoc.org/page.aspx?pid=729
List of E-numbers unsuitable for vegetarians and vegans:
http://www.vegsoc.org/page.aspx?pid=727
The Vegan Society [Tel: 0121-523-1730]
Home page: http://www.vegansociety.com
Animal Free Shopper (where you can check if a product is vegan):
http://www.vegansociety.com/afssearch.aspx
A small sample of other suitable sites for recipes:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/diets/vegan
http://ivu.org/recipes/index.html
http://www.veganchef.com/index.html
http://www.veganfamily.co.uk/kitchen.html
http://www.theppk.com/
