Are you a vegan? I’m not, but it took me a while to answer because the terms that are used nowadays confuse me.
I thought vegan and vegetarian were just the same. So I started to research the subject to get myself up to date on what is going on in terms of diet. In the past, I used to be completely satisfied with what I knew. Now, when I look around my kitchen, it is not the same.
Is soy sauce vegan? Hold that thought right there! Let me share with you what I know about being a vegan.
More…
Is Soy Sauce Vegan-Friendly?
What Do You Mean By A Vegan?
Vegan is what you call someone who is practicing Veganism. It is practiced by people who believe that animal must be saved from cruelty, whether that be related to food, clothing or anything else.
- Veganism is a belief that animals should be delivered from the abuse of humans.
- The “vegan” word is a combination of the first and last letters of the word “vegetarian”.
Now you know what a vegan is, would you like to be one? It really isn’t bad at all. I am in fact, considered to be one of them. So let us go back to my kitchen!
- Read more: 41 Vegan Retreats Worldwide
Is Soy Sauce Vegan?
Of all the stuff in my pantry, the first thing that comes to mind is the soy sauce. I can’t live without it. I use it in almost all of my recipes and it is always on the table.
From the vegan perspective, let me find out if it will pass the taste.
First of all, I need to find out how my soy sauce was made. Did the factory harm any animals while making it? Or worse, is it part soy, part animal?
How To Know If Soy Sauce Is Vegan?
Learning how to identify whether food is vegan is crucial. Here are some guidelines that will help, for a start.
Vegan Labels
It is a good thing that vegan life is now widely recognized and there is product packaging with “Vegan” labels on it. If you take the time to find out, it usually says, “Suitable for vegans” or “Certified vegan” together with the vegan logo. Here is an example of a vegan logo.
Image Credit to The Huffington Post Canada
Allergen Information
Read the information about the product, which is near the end of the ingredients area. It will say, for example, “Contains milk, eggs, fish”. There are some products that do not give this information, but I am sure in future they will.
Take Note Of The Ingredients
A lot of products that came from animals can be misleading. For example, whey powder, casein and what they call modified milk ingredients are all dairy products. But they may confuse you because the terms are still alien to you. They are not obvious either.
However, as you go along, you will familiarize yourself with the terms and ingredients.
It is so sad that no vegan logo or allergen information appears on my soy sauce. I guess that the vegan way of living is not yet popular in most parts of our country. So I am left to read the ingredients instead.
To really understand whether soy sauce is vegan, I have to learn how soy sauce was made, along with its basic ingredients. Below are its basic ingredients. So far, there is no link whatsoever to animals. And boy, I was so happy about that!
Basic Ingredients Of A Soy Sauce:
- Wheat.
- Soybeans.
- Water.
- Salt.
How Is Soy Sauce Made?
So, to make sure there is no animal involved in the process of making the soy sauce, I learned the main processes, listed below, in my research:
- Cooking the bean.
- Fermentation.
- Brewing process.
- Pasteurization.
View this video for a demonstration of how soy sauce is made, which will increase your understanding:
I could no longer track down the data on the testing of how my soy sauce was made. However, I did read an article about a certain brand ”Kikkoman” that used animals in the process. You can learn about it too if you are curious.
Now, to wrap up things up, I will say that soy sauce is vegan. There is no animal product used in its ingredients and there is no animal harmed in the production process. Certainly, there is no evidence that cruelty to animals has been involved.
One admission by a certain brand that they do use animals does not mean that all of the manufacturers do the same as well.
We could go the extra mile and dig out more information about it, but well, that would be another headline.
Do you agree with me? I am firm in saying that soy sauce is vegan! However, if you can give me facts that will make me change my mind, feel free to share them with me here. We wait for your comments!
