Vegetarians and vegans are accidentally eating animal products because of unclear labels
Being vegetarian or vegan is tricky enough without having to contend with the minefield of dodgy labelling.
But new research shows that around a quarter of veggies and vegans have accidentally eaten meat for just that reason.
The figures, from independent research conducted for Ubamarket, found that 52% of people agreed that the complexity of UK food labels makes it really hard to know exactly whats in our food.
From a sample of 2,003 UK participants, 32% didnt know that pesto is not vegetarian, and 81 per cent thought that soy sauce was gluten-free.
It also turns out that 16% still think that all crisps are vegan, despite milk powder being used in seasoning for brands including Pringles and McCoys.
Labelling was a big reason why many people feel they cant maintain being vegan or veggie – 1 in 5 gave it up because food labels were just too confusing.
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With so many new and exciting vegan products hitting the market, clear labelling is becoming increasingly important but we find this isnt always practised, explains Dominika Piasecka, spokesperson for The Vegan Society.
Mistakenly consuming animal products does occasionally happen among vegans because they misread labels, get confused with some of the unfamiliar ingredients, or a product is mislabelled.
Our Vegan Trademark aims to help consumers decide that a product is suitable at a glimpse and we encourage companies to improve their vegan labelling.
For vegans and vegetarians clear labelling is crucial. And for those who follow restrictive and gluten-free diets for health reasons, an unclear label can be incredibly dangerous.
The figures suggest that there is still a large amount of uncertainty around food labels. In the wake of a number of high-profile allergy deaths – Natasha Ednan-Laperouse and Celia Marsh both died following allergic reactions to meals bought at Pret – companies are now working on clarity and transparency.
Pret has announced that it will introduce full ingredient labelling to product packaging, even for food made freshly in its kitchens.
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