Vegetarian foodstuffs contain animal DNA

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South China Morning Post

Saturday, January 15, 2005

 

Consumer Council urges makers to list all ingredients to allow

informed choice

 

by ELAINE WU

 

Many pre-packaged vegetarian foods claimed to be meat-free actually

contain animal DNA, which means egg or milk might have been used in them,

the Consumer Council has found.

 

Of 18 food samples tested - which included mushroom balls and

imitation chicken, sausages and pepper steak - 14 contained the DNA of pigs,

chickens, fish or cattle.

 

While the presence of animal genes did not mean the foods contained

meat, the manufacturers could have used parts of animals or ingredients

derived from them, said Matthew Ng, chairman of the council's publicity and

community relations committee.

 

" We feel they should clearly list the ingredients if there was egg or

milk, " he said. " This would better help vegetarians decide whether the

product fits their diet. "

 

The tests found a dozen of the 18 food products had chicken genes,

nine had cattle DNA, two pig and one fish. Those with chicken or cattle

genes did not necessarily mean they had meat in them but they probably had

egg or milk ingredients, the council concluded.

 

The products with fish or pig genes might have ingredients such as

meat flavours, fish paste or gelatin, which is often used as a binder.

 

Food binders are made from the basic structures of animals' skin,

tendons, bones, membranes and tissues. But there are vegetarian alternatives

to these ingredients, such as corn starch, said Connie Lau Yin-hing, the

council's deputy chief executive.

 

" We hope food manufacturers develop more of these alternative binders

so they don't have to use animal binders, " she said.

 

Some of the manufacturers listed ingredients such as egg whites on

their labels, while others whose products had been found to contain animal

genes did not.

 

Mr Ng said this did not mean the manufacturers had deceived consumers

because they often obtained ingredients from other companies that might have

added animal ingredients without their knowledge. He urged manufacturers to

provide a complete list of ingredients on food labels.

 

The tests also found 10 of the samples contained genetically modified

soy ingredients and preservatives, but the law does not require

manufacturers to declare genetically modified elements.