Are Oreos Vegan? If you are a vegan, it’s essential to understand what food you eat at all times. That will not only give you a sense of clarity but also help you to choose the right food for your diet. At times you may have an appetite for snacks like Oreos. But are Oreos vegan?
Oreos have no animal-derived ingredients, yet Nabisco claims that they are not suitable for vegans. A statement on the company’s FAQ page states that Oreo cookies may have milk as cross-contact. That has raised debates among vegans.
The History of Oreos
Back then, in the nineteenth century, Oreos contained animal-derived ingredients. The cookies had a crème filling consisted of the pig fat (lard). The chocolate-like cookie also had a whey-powder derived from dairy.
Later on, amid the 1990s, many people raised concerns over animal fat. As a result, Nabisco had to use partially hydrogenated vegetable oil in place of the lard. In 2006, further health concerns prompted the company to replace the partially hydrogenated vegetable oil with the non-hydrogenated vegetable oil.
Seven years later, the whey protein powder was removed, and in 2014, the cookie was declared a vegan in the United States. The order of events shows that Nabisco had been working hard to make the favorite cookie safe for vegans.
Ingredients of Oreos
Do Oreos have dairy? Going by the snack’s contents, it doesn’t contain animal products and therefore safe for vegans. If still doubting, you should check the ingredients on the cookies’ packaging. Oreo ingredients listed on the packaging include;
- Unbleached enriched flour
- High fructose corn syrup
- Unsweetened chocolate
- Palm or canola oil
- Soy lecithin
- Corn starch
- Leavening
- Vanillin
- Sugar
- Salt
Do Oreos have dairy? There is no milk or any other animal product in the list. However, most people are concerned about the statement on Oreo FAQ page claiming that the cookies have milk as cross-contact and may not be suitable for vegans.
What Cross-Contact Mean
The statement, “Oreo have milk as cross-contact, and therefore they are not suitable for vegans,” on the company’s page doesn’t mean that Oreo has milk as an ingredient.
“Milk as cross-contact” implies that the cookies might have come into contact with some traces of milk during production. That may be because the company uses one equipment to produce different products, with one of the products having milk as an ingredient.
As a vegan, you don’t have to ditch such a nutritious snack because of a statement that lies on the possibility and is not a guarantee.
Are Sugar-Free Oreos Vegan?
Sugar-free Oreos from Nabisco contains milk as an ingredient. That makes it unsuitable for vegans. However, the product is no longer available in the market.
Are Oreos Gluten-Free?
One of the primary ingredients of Oreo is the enriched wheat flour and is known to contain gluten. Gluten improves the dough’s elasticity, making it rise while maintaining its shape. Gluten is also responsible for the chewy and crunchy texture of the final product.
Unfortunately, the wheat component is not suitable for gluten-intolerant people. Gluten may compromise the health of such individuals even though the cookies are delicious. As a result, some people have been petitioning Nabisco to produce gluten-free Oreos.
Are Oreos Dairy Free?
Do Oreos have dairy? Oreos are generally dairy free. The cookies have a creamy frosting but with no milk. However, the company may be producing the biscuits in facilities or equipment that process milk products. That may contaminate the cookies.
Since Oreos have no dairy products, some people may consider dipping them in a glass of dairy milk while eating. But as a vegan, you can use plant-based milk such as almond, cashew, oat, pea, or soy.
Despite that Oreos are dairy free, most people who are allergic to milk products are more concerned about the cookies’ cross contact with milk during production.
What PETA Says About Oreos
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is an organization that protects the rights of animals. Through research, the organization has come up with a list of vegan foods and those that have small amounts of animal-derived products.
The organization considers Oreos as vegan even though the cookies may have milk as cross-contact. However, some strictly vegan people may not even taste products that have trace amounts of animal-derived ingredients.
PETA says that vegans should not worry too much about foods that may have tiny amounts of animal products. The organization’s main agenda is to reduce animal suffering by encouraging people to go vegan or vegetarian.
The fact that some vegan foods have negligible amounts of animal-derived ingredients does not mean that they are harmful. One should not refuse the nutritious snack just because it may have 0.001g of an animal product.
Accidentally Vegan Foods
The organization PETA also has a list of “accidentally vegan foods.” Such foods were not produced to feed the vegans, but they have no animal-derived products. Among them are the Nabisco Oreo chocolate cones and Nabisco Oreo 100cal thin crisps.
Are Oreos Good for Health?
Despite that Oreos are suitable for vegans, there have been health concerns regarding the ingredients of the most popular cookie. The ingredients are not whole plants products but are processed before use in Oreos.
Even though the ingredients are plant-based, some may be genetically engineered. Such engineered products include emulsifier from soybeans, soy lecithin, high fructose corn syrup, and many others. The G.E products have raised health concerns among vegans.
Some Oreo ingredients are highly processed and have a lot of sugar. For instance, three Oreo cookies have about 14g of high fructose corn syrup (sugar). For that reason, some vegans may opt for organic cookies.
Effects of Palm Oil
Palm oil is one of the ingredients used to produce the Oreo cookies. Some vegans have reasons to avoid them. That is because they are;
- Processed plant products
- Possibly harmful to human health
- Not environmental friendly
As the need for palm oil in processing industries grow, many people are clearing tropical forests to create plant palm oil trees. That is extremely dangerous to the environment as it may lead to the extinction of some tropical plant varieties.
The fact that a type of food is vegan doesn’t automatically mean that it’s healthy. As a vegan, you should consider purchasing foods that are vegan and have more health benefits than harmful effects.
Healthy Oreos are suitable for vegans. But if you are still struggling to accept that fact, you ought to consider alternative vegan foods at online food delivery services. They deliver fresh foods derived from whole plants that are tailored to match every vegan’s lifestyle. However, a lifestyle without snacks can be annoying. That’s why you should still eat Oreos occasionally.
How To Tell if a Product is Vegan?
Just like you are confused that are Oreos vegan or not? many people find it difficult to tell if a product or type of food is entirely vegan or has some animal-derived products.
Vegetarians don’t eat animal meat but can take their products. On the other hand, vegans don’t feed on animal meat or any animal-derived product.
When it comes to choosing what to eat, vegans have to contemplate if the food contains any animal product or not. As a result, there has been confusion among vegans if snacks like Oreos are suitable for them.
Are Oreo cookies vegan? There are numerous ways to tell if a product is vegan or not. Let’s take a look at some of them.
1. Check the Product’s Labeling
Today many food companies are processing foods for vegans. Such companies label their products as “suitable for vegans.” You should look for such labels on the packaging of the product. Consider other methods if the labeling is not available.
2. Check if there is a Valid Certification
Some countries already have agencies that certify vegan foods and products. A product is safe for vegans if it has a vegan certification logo or trademark. As a vegan, you should look for foods that have been certified by vegan boards.
3. Check the Product’s Allergen Information
In many cases, a product’s allergy information can help you determine if it has any animal-derived product or not. Most allergens are from animals. Therefore, you may find that many people are allergic to products containing animal products such as milk or eggs.
4. Read the Product’s Ingredients
All the contents of a product are indicated in the ingredients section on the packaging. Foods that have animal-derived ingredients such as milk, whey powder, and eggs are not suitable for vegans.
There are some animal-derived additives that most vegans don’t know. Such food additives include lanolin, gelatin, lactose, casein, lysozyme from eggs, and many others.
Any food industry that produces vegan foods and also handles other animal products should clearly state that on the packaging. For instance, Oreos have no animal-derived ingredients but is processed along with other foods containing animal products like milk.
Conclusion
Hope this article will help you to understand that are Oreos vegan or not? Do let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
