Herbivores, prepare to have your day ruined.
Beer and wine: may contain fish bladders.
Some alcoholic drinks, particularly beer, wine and cider, are clarified using animal-derived substances, such as isinglass (from the swim bladders of fish), chitosan (made from crustaceans) and gelatin. Vegetarian clarifiers can be made from bentonite (a type of clay) or derived from algae.
To see which beers, wines and other drinks are vegetarian-friendly, check out Barnivore.com.
Via: Shutterstock
Red candies: may contain crushed beetles.
Everyone knows red Sour Patch Kids and Swedish Fish are the tastiest, but they might not be the most vegetarian-friendly. Red candies are frequently dyed with carmine, a coloring made from crushed-up beetles. (Remember when Starbucks came under fire for using cochineal extract in strawberry Frappuccinos?)
Look for "natural red #4" on the ingredients list — that's a sign your sweet treat contains insect-based dyes.
Source: gretchensmeattoast.blogspot.com
White sugar: may contain bone char.
Most white sugar is refined with bone char, which is made from the bones of cattle from Afghanistan, Argentina, India, and Pakistan. Brown sugar and powdered sugar can also be culprits.
Here's a list of sugars that are vegetarian-friendly. Organic cane sugar and turbinado sugar are usually safe.
Via: (Shutterstock)
Cake mix: may contain beef fat.
Many cake mixes use lard to make themselves tastier. See some cake mixes that are vegetarian here.
Source: pastichefinedesserts.com
