Harvard Health
Well, who does not like peanut butter? It is highly known for its nutritional benefits and creamy taste and makes for a fantastic spread. Not just the spread, the peanut butter is also known due to its versatile usage in shakes and desserts. All of this can make you confused and put you in a situation where you think is peanut butter vegan?Well, to answer this question of yours, we have shared all the relevant details below, so read on to find out.
What exactly is Peanut Butter?
Although we are sure everyone knows what peanut butter is, but still, if there is someone who is not sure about what it exactly is, peanut butter is a kind of rich and creamy textured spread that is made using roasted peanuts. The ingredients that it mainly comprises include oil, salt, and sweeteners. The nutrition-rich food product is consumed through various desserts, shakes, and even dips. Now the question that may arise is if peanut butter is vegan or not? And if it is, then what makes it vegan?
Are most Peanut Butters Vegan?
Well, yes. How? Most peanut butter is made using all the natural ingredients, including peanuts, salt, and oil usage. If there are brands with various other additives, then your peanut butter remains vegan since those additives include ingredients like sugar and molasses. So, this means that most peanut butter is genuinely vegan and free from any animal products.
How are Peanut Butters not Vegan?
Although most of the readily available peanut butter is vegan, there is still peanut butter made using animal products. Yes, you read it right. Well, now you must be wondering what sort of animal products exactly? Well, animal products such as honey can be present in some peanut butter, and honey is an ingredient obtained through bees, so honey is not included in a vegan diet, so it makes your peanut butter not so vegan.
Another animal ingredient in peanut butter is omega-three fatty acids, a source taken from fishes, which means that peanut butter is not vegan. Another thing that is very important to remember is that some of the peanut butter brands also use sugar cane that is refined and is sometimes bleached using bone char. Yes, we know sugar cane does not comprise any animal products, but the method used to process it tends to be avoided by vegans.
How can we determine if the Peanut Butter is vegan?
If you want to find out if your peanut butter is vegan or not, you can simply do that by reading the ingredients label. How can you know just by reading the label? Well, you must look out for ingredients that mention honey or fish oil, and thereby you will know that the peanut butter consists of animal products. You can also choose a peanut butter that mentions that it is certified vegan, which assures consumers that the product is safe to use and has not undergone animal testing or process that includes bone char. If there are doubts in your mind, you can always reach the product’s manufacturer and ask them to dictate your concerns.
Conclusion:
So, by the end of this article, we hope you have got your answer to what makes a peanut butter vegan. You can always do some work, ready for yourself on the ingredient label, check if the product has any animal products, and simply opt for the certified vegan brand.
