ASK A VEGAN
Issugarvegan?
Usually yes, but some cane sugar in the US is filtered through bone char. Beet sugar, organic sugar and unrefined sugar are always vegan.
FOOD
Short answer
Usually yes, but some cane sugar in the US is filtered through bone char. Beet sugar, organic sugar and unrefined sugar are always vegan.
FOOD
The detail
About half of US white cane sugar is filtered through bone char (charred cattle bones) to whiten it. Beet sugar, which makes up ~55% of US sugar, never uses bone char. In the EU, UK and most of the world, bone char filtration is not standard.
Safe bets: organic sugar, beet sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup, date sugar, agave. Domino, C&H, Florida Crystals list their process publicly.
Source: PETA sugar company survey 2022.
RELATED
More questions like this
- Is honey vegan?
No. Honey is made by bees for bees, and its commercial production involves practices that harm colonies, so most vegans avoid it.
- What are common hidden animal ingredients?
Watch for gelatin, whey, casein, lactose, carmine (E120), shellac (E904), L-cysteine, isinglass, lard, tallow, cochineal, and animal-derived mono- and diglycerides.
Newsletter
One short letter. Once a month.
A handful of recipes, a story worth your time, and one thing you can do this week. Nothing else.
We never share your email. Unsubscribe in one click.