4 Surprising Foods and Drinks That are Not Vegan

Foods that aren't vegan
Photo by Quin Engle on Unsplash

As a beginner vegan, you’re likely to have a hard time learning about this diet and finding out what foods and beverages are actually safe for you to consume. There’s a long list of foods that most people would never guess are not vegan, and here are just a few of them.

Beer

Believe it or not, certain types of beers are actually not vegan friendly because they contain gelatin, casein, or glycerin. For example, one of the most famous beers in the world, Guinness, was not vegan up until a few years ago.

Marshmallows

Gelatin is made from animal collagen which means that food that contains gelatin is not vegan, including marshmallows. People who are following a vegan diet can find a few vegan marshmallow brands in grocery stores.

Figs

One of the most surprising things on our non-vegan food list is figs. Certain varieties of figs rely on wasps for pollination but unfortunately, these insects end up trapped in figs and eventually die. This is why there is a huge debate on whether figs are vegan or not.

Wine

Wine is made from grapes so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t consider it vegan, right? The problem with wine production is that it involves the use of fining agents such as casein, albumin, gelatin, or isinglass, all of which are animal products.