Bones In My Sugar

posted in: All About Food, Questions, Vegan | 9
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sugar cubes

What Is Sugar

Sugar is carbohydrate that is found in plants and fruits. The term sugar is used to describe a number of molecules, such as fructose, sucrose, glucose, lactose and maltose. The most common type of sugar that you’ll find in your pantry is actually sucrose which is made up from the glucose and fructose molecules stuck together.
Commercially, sugar is generally obtained from sugarcane or sugar beat where the juice is extracted and impurities are removed.


animal bone sugar process

Why Isn’t Sugar Vegan?

Once the juice is extracted from a plant, it needs to be processed to remove any impurities, such as colouring and minerals. In some instances, the manufacturer will use bone char as the charcoal helps with this process. This bone char is generally obtained from cow or cattle bones.


So I Have To Avoid Sugar?!

Thankfully this process of refining sugar in Australia is outdated and no longer practiced.  In fact, some of the leading sugar suppliers in Australia, such as Sugar Australia, who brands CSR Sugar, openly talks about their process which uses carbon (from coal) rather than bone char.

However, if you are importing overseas goods that contain sugar, please double check with the manufacturer first and exercise some caution as while Australian sugar is free from bone char, this is not the case for many other countries!

 

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9 Responses

  1. “while Australian sugar is free from bone char, this is not the case for many other countries!”

    It would be handy to know what other countries practice this backwards method, outside of the US (no surprise there), I have not been able to find any mention of it elsewhere.

  2. Thanks for the info.
    It’s really helpful because, one , I am a vegetarian and two, ignorantly using “bones” for certain sacred ancient rituals would have resulted in various unwelcoming ill effects.

  3. Honestly. Vegans need to grow up. Vegetarian for health reasons or environmental perhaps. Vegan is a mental health issue.
    Can you be vegan in diet only? But a trophy animal hunter?

    • No David, you can’t.

      “Vegan” encompasses the belief that exploitation and harm should come to NO creature for human gain.

      If you believe that animal trophy hunting brings value to your life (ha!) then you’ll never understand the “mental health issue” of compassion, kindness and a life that thrives without the need for animal products in any context.

      Good luck with your trophy hunting. I hope karma has a close eye on you! :)

      • Monique Lysakowski

        Yet they dont mind ( as a whole) not as individuals as I know many are too but to exploit humans ( who are animals) in 3rd world countries for clothes etc Did you know if your Quinoa comes from Bolivia it is most likely not vegan as it exploits human being and causes a once affordable stable to be inaccesable.

        Also unless buying fair trade etc of things like cocoa beans and raw materials or foods etc then how are you not exploiting animals ( humans are animals and the exploitation of any animal is not vegan right?)

        I get the whole thing of Vegan where practical and possible but come on a lot of vegan say no to the exploitation of non human animals but seem to forget the expoitation of humans ( also animals)

        Having said all that I agree that if you eat a ” vegan diet” but trouphy hunt or hunt you are just plant based not vegan.

    • David, why would you even be on this site with such a negative attitude. You are insulting, firstly, vegans, who have a strong belief about the protection of all animals and secondly, you have no understanding of mental health issues if you think being vegan is one. Being vegan is a great health choice and is very supportive of the environment. And no, I am not vegan, but live with one and support her completely.

  4. Samara-Faith Ewins

    Your website has helped so much! Have been investigating all my baking ingredients for hours now and can’t find much re Australian products. Simple & enough said – cheers.

  5. Appreciate the info I didn’t know about this til 45 minutes ago and I was freaking out.
    Thank you so much for sharing this with us

    • darthvegan

      Thanks for taking the time to drop us a comment Jessa! Yep, we were horrified when we first heard about it too!

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