Animal Ingredients A-Z [Paperback]

E G Smith Collective (Author), E. G. Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2001

An easy-to-use, concise reference for vegans, the health-conscious and merely curious which documents thousands of animal and animal-derived ingredients. Thoroughly researched using PETA, the Vegan Society & the manufacturers themselves, this guide demystifies postage stamps, maple syrup, teas, chewing gums and the ever confusing world of ciders.

Product Details

• Paperback: 92 pages
• Publisher: AK Press; 2nd edition (July 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1873176597
• ISBN-13: 978-1873176597
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #700,121 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars an important book for new vegans, January 8, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Animal Ingredients A-Z (Paperback)

If you're starting out in veganism, or even just trying to be a strict vegetarian, you probably want to have this book handy, although the first thing it will do is depress you. Did you know that processed sugar is refined using charcoaled animal bones? Surprise! The majority of the book is simply an alphabetical listing of animal-product-containing substances; you use it as a reference when reading ingredient labels in your cupboard or in the grocery store. Often I wished the authors had included more information about what the animal source of an ingredient was -- they don't always include this information, but they always do mention the types of products the ingredient appears in and they usually suggests vegan alternatives. There are some things about the book that make me suspect its reliability in parts, like a tendency to ascribe all sorts of problems to animal ingredients (many people have allergic reactions to wool, etc etc) when it should be enough for the authors to say that consuming such and such a product is bad because it is an animal product -- no one who isn't convinced of the moral superiority of vegetarianism will be looking at this book anyway. They make a number of statements about vitamin B12, some of which contradict each other -- probably the result of compiling the different work of a number of authors into one book. And, of course, there is the fact that none of the authors identify themselves by name. However... a chapter-by-chapter bibliography is supplied in the back, and the EG Smith Collective has also contacted some companies to ask whether their products contain animal products, and in Lipton Tea's case reprints their response. The book is the best (I mean, the only) source I have come across to confirm or repudiate rumors that such and such is an animal-derived product. Certainly worth having if you are a vegan.

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Detinately a book to pick up, January 25, 2004

By 

Psyche (spiralnature.com) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Animal Ingredients A-Z (Paperback)

An excellent and very informative resource for any vegan, vegetarian or anyone who's concerned about what exactly it is you're actually eating.

I'm an ovo-lacto vegetarian myself and I was surprised at how many things they sneakily put into our food. I was aware of some of the more obvious things (renet, gelatin, etc.), but still stunned at things I would have never thought could contain animal products - such as beer, wine, some waxes used to polish fruits to make them look more fresh - it's astounding!

The only contention I have with this book is that it focuses mainly on American products, being written in the States it makes sense, but for a future edition I would love to see more Canadian and maybe European products added to the book.

Extremely well researched, using a variety of sources (which can be found at the end of the book) - definately a book to pick up.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything you ever wanted to know about animal ingredients, August 17, 2003

By 

Melanie Wilson "mongoliamel" (USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Animal Ingredients A-Z (Paperback)

I personally think this is a great book for beginning vegans or anyone who is concerned with products having animal ingredients in them. It covers a wide variety of topics - everything from common myths, to nutrition, to the names of animal ingredients and what they are. The book is set up in a way that's easy to read. You could use it as a reference guide to let you know if a certian product contains animal ingredients, but my personal favorite chapter is the one on nutrition. Many new vegans have concerns about what vitamins they need and where to get them from. This book explains it all. I give it two thumbs up. I highly recommend everyone buy and read it several times. It's a very nice addition to any book collection. --Reviewed by Melissa White