The Vegetarian Society Guide to Halloween
Halloween is nearly here, and ghosts and ghouls aren’t the only thing out there scaring vegetarians and vegans. So many of the things we’d associate with Halloween are actually unsuitable for people who don’t eat meat.
From sweets, which often contain inappropriate animal ingredients, to Halloween gifts and decorations, the spooky season can host a range of animal-based ingredients lurking in the shadows. Avoiding these doesn’t need to be a horror story, however. With the Vegetarian Society guide to Halloween, you’ll know which common animal ingredients to give a wide berth to, and which alternatives can save you from a fright.
Veggie & vegan unfriendly halloween ingredients
Sweets
Sweet treats can often be full of animal based ingredients.
Gelatine is traditionally a part of many sweets – unfortunately it is generally made from animal ingredients like hooves and bones.
Shellac has often been used in sweets to make them shiny – however it comes from a resin secreted by bugs.
Carmine is still a common food dye used in sweets – it lends a rich red colour, but only as a result of crushing cochineal insects.
Snacks
It isn’t just sweets that might contain unexpected animal ingredients. Snacks such as baked goods and crisps can have them too.
Many common flavour powders use Whey and Casein – both milk derivatives. These might be found in crisps and crackers.
Some commercial baked goods such as pretzels and snack breads use L-Cysteine – an amino acid extracted from feathers and hair to soften dough.
Decorations
Not even Halloween decorations are completely free of animal ingredients.
Edible Halloween decorations often include egg albumen as a binder in sugar paste or icing – which is unsuitable for vegans.
Some craft supplies are also likely to have animal ingredients.
Ox Gall is used as a binder and flow improver in some paints.
Traditional glues used in paper craft, wooden ornaments and picture frames are also often made from boiled animal collective tissue.
Some Vegetarian Society Approved Halloween Products
When you see a Vegetarian Society Approved certification mark on a product, you know that it meets your ethical standards – so, vegetarian, vegan or plant-based, these are products that you can trust!
Lush
Ideal for a rush of colour after seeing a ghost.
- Coconut milk powder: soothes and hydrates.
- Lemongrass oil: puts a spring in your step with a bright and cheerful fragrance.
- Popping candy: adds a layer of excitement and sound to your soak.
Bebeto
Gummy, fruity and full of flavour. Scary skulls are the perfect Halloween treat!
MUA
MUA 15 SHADE EYESHADOW PALETTE – KALEIDOSCOPE
15 highly pigmented bright and bold matte & shimmer-foil eyeshadow shades specifically selected to create a multitide of mesmerising eye looks. Housed inside new look & feel palettes made from recycled plastics, containing new and improved silky and blendable textures.
Sweets that aren’t full of ingredients you can’t spell – just real flavours!
Wildly organic, Less junk more punk!
Half the sugar of the big brands, and purely plant-based. No artificials, no chemicals and no animal gelatine.
Let us know your favourite veggie and vegan friendly Halloween snacks and treats. You can reach us on social media
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