Vegetarians should avoid gelatin thickeners made from animal by-products and check labels for meat by-products in kosher and halal products. Vegetarian alternatives include plant-based thickeners like kuzu root, agar agar, and guar gum, as well as fruit pectin and seaweed-based thickeners. Xanthan gum is also an option, but vegetarians should check the label for lactose.
Generally, gelatin thickeners are animal by-product products and therefore are not suitable for vegetarian diets. Manufacturers of vegetarian jellies, on the other hand, frequently use plant products as thickeners. These include kuzu root, agar agar or guar gum. Many people believe kosher jellies are suitable for vegetarian diets, but kosher products often contain meat byproducts. A vegetarian should always read the label of gelatin to find out if it contains any meat byproducts.
Some of the products that companies use to thicken vegetarian gelatin include cellulose, biobins, and carob. Food processors may make kosher gelatin from fish bones or beef hides, making it inappropriate for the vegetarian diet. Other non-vegetarian kosher thickeners may be marked as “pareve” or “OU pareve.” The same goes for halal rennet and gelatin. A vegetarian needs to read the labels on jellies, jams and marmalades before using them.
Some gelatins are safe for vegetarians. Companies often use xanthan gum, agar agar or guar instead of animal products. Some of these products are available to the home cook. Agar agar, which is sometimes simplified to “agar,” is a seaweed product. Some strict vegetarians don’t use it because they claim the tiny marine life might be on the seaweed. Jelly with agar agar needs to be refrigerated and its texture will be very soft.
Xanthan gum, which is sometimes shortened to xanthan gum, is another vegetarian gelatin thickener. Food processors do this by fermenting lactose, sucrose or glucose. A vegetarian should read the label to ensure the product is correct. Lactose is a sugar in milk and may not be suitable for all vegetarian diets.
Fruit pectin is a natural thickener found in most fruits. Some fruits, such as apples and most citrus fruits, contain more of them than others, such as raspberries, peaches or cherries. Underripe or overripe fruit has less pectin than perfectly ripe fruit. A person can make a vegetarian jelly by taking advantage of this natural thickener. Some food companies offer pectin to thicken gelatin, jam, or vegetarian preserves.
Seaweed-based thickeners include agar agar, carrageenan, and furcellaran. Many in the food industry believe that agar agar gum is superior to other seaweed gums. It was the first to have widespread use, and the others became popular when the Western world severed relations with Japan during World War II. However, not all vegetarians consider seaweed products appropriate for their diet, so a vegetarian should read gelatin and thickener labels carefully.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
