|
what's that in your drink?
Last time you enjoyed a shot of scotch or a nice
glass of wine, did you stop to ask yourself whether it was vegetarian?
If you're a vego and you fancy a drop, you might
be surprised to know that many alcolohic drinks contain animal
ingredients, or are manufactured via processes which use animal
products.
|
| Animal products
used in the production of alcoholic drinks |
Top |
Vegetarian Network Victoria's
web page on alcolohic drinks explains some of the ways in which
animal products may be used in the production process of wines,
beers and other alcolohic drinks. These include:
- isinglass - a pure form of gelatine obtained from the bladders
of fish - used to "clarify" or "fine" many
wines and beers, reducing particles and sediment and leaving
the finished product clear and "clean"
- egg albumen, modified casein (from milk), chitin (from the
shells of crustaceans) - also used for "fining"/"clarifying"
- Wines from some Mediterranean countries may be clarified with
the blood of large mammals (although this is prohibited in some
countries like USA and France)
|
|
| Chew it over: many
sides to the matter |
Top |
Jo Stepaniak, one of the resident vegos at VegSource,
also offers an excellent article on animal-free alcohol which can
be found at the following link: http://www.vegsource.com/jo/qa/qabeer.htm
Jo points out that the level of animal products used to produce
alcolohic drinks is usually extremely tiny. For example, a couple
of egg yolks can clarify 55 gallons of wine; one ounce of gelatin
can clarify 1,000 gallons of wine. In addition, the clarifying
agents used in the manufacturing process are removed from the
alcoholic beverage via the filtration process, although there
is no guarantee that the final product will be completely clear
of these products.
How much is enough to matter? That's a matter for each individual
to consider and decide for themselves. It depends partly on whether
you're concerned about what actually enters your body via your
drink, or whether you're concerned about the use of animal products
in any part of the process. It also depends partly on whether
your focus is more on the integrity of your own diet, (eg living
by your principles), or on the real practical impact of your choices
on the wider animal economy (does it really make a difference?).
As Jo says:
"Animals are not destroyed specifically to obtain the
small quantities of animal products used in making these beverages.
Above all, animals are killed so that humans can consume their
flesh and edible body parts. Meat producers have a financial
stake in creating a market for animal by-products, such as gelatin,
in order to turn a profit out of what would otherwise be considered
unsalable waste." (read her whole article here)
The use of animal products is not the only factor for vegetarians
or vegans to consider when choosing whether to consume alcoholic
drinks. The impact of the production process on both humans (eg
workers, economic systems, land use and world hunger) and the
environment (eg pesticides, land use, water use, energy consumption),
and the impact on your body (physical, mental, spiritual) are
all matters for individual vegetarians to consider when choosing
whether to consume alcohol, and if so, how much.
So your attitude to alcoholic drinks may well be related to your
reasons for being vego, and your understanding of what that means.
If you're vego for health reasons, the traces of animal products
in your drink may not be enough to bother you (you may be more
concerned about the alcohol content!) If you're vego because you
believe in minimising harm to all beings, your consideration may
extent not only to the suffering caused directly to animals raised
for food (including dairy & eggs) but less direct forms of
harm which may result from, for example, the land use and resource
use required to produce products like alcoholic beverages which
are purely recreational.
There are obviously plenty of alternatives to alcoholic drinks
for those who choose not to consume them. At the same time, it
is possible to obtain "vegan" alcoholic drinks (which
have been made without the use of animal products) - and choosing
these (and letting producers know why you've made this choice)
obviously exerts market pressure on producers to find alternative
methods of production. Relatively mild consumer pressure would
probably suffice to encourage producers to use other methods.
After all, the use of animal products is not necessary
for the production of alcolohic beverages - it's mainly a matter
of tradition, and one supported by the cheapness of these ingredients,
due to the fact that they are byproducts of the massive industry
in animal-derived foods.
Jo Stepaniak again:
"One of the goals of vegans is to work toward the reduction,
and ultimately the elimination, of primary animal products,
such as meat, milk, and eggs, consumed by humans. When consumption
of animal products drops, animal by-products will become more
scarce and the cost will rise accordingly. Once this occurs,
manufacturers will be motivated to develop or seek out non-animal-based
alternatives." (read her whole article here)
|
|
| In brief (The crux
of the matter) |
Top |
* Animal products are not necessary for the production
of alcohol. All kinds of alcoholic drinks can be made without
using animal products. It's largely a matter of tradition, and
also the low cost of these products because they are by-products
of the massive meat industry.
* Animal free alcoholic drinks are available. Visit
Vegetarian Network Victoria for a fantastic list of vegan drinks
available in Australia.
* Don't confuse organic with vego. There are many animal-derived
foods (dairy, eggs and even meat) which are certified "organic".
Just because a wine is organic doesn't mean animal-derived products
haven't been used in creating it.
* Many vegos choose not to drink at all. There are many
alternatives to alcoholic beverages. There are also many reasons
for making this choice, including but not limited to the use of
animal ingredients in the production process.
* Exert your consumer pressure. If you do consume alcohol
and you want to push for production methods which don't utilise
animal products, why not contact the makers of your favourite drink?
Some are reluctant to answer, or make any guarantee, but if you
do come across any producers willing to guarantee their products
are vegan, please let us
know!
|
| The list: animal-free
drinks |
Top |
The best list that we know of animal free drinks available in Australia
is provided by Vegetarian Network
Victoria. You can find their lists of vegetarian wine, beers
and other drinks by visiting www.vnv.org.au
and checking under the menu entitled "Avoid Animal Products"
Page updated: October 2007
Whichever way you look, the future
is vegetarian...
|
