When we are busy as a beaver, some mornings, frosted flakes are a lifesaver! This handy cereal bowl has been a favourite pick-up over decades since it was introduced in 1952 as a proud product of Kellogg Company. Is frosted flakes vegan is a puzzle that a vegan busy bee wonder about if they are following a strict vegan diet.
Animal-based products that start from a tin of ham or beef extend to wax paper, crayons, paint, some beer, wine, etc. Although it may not be mentioned in the wrappings or the containers, most of the products in the market has hidden connection to animal-based ingredients.
Gelatin (protein based on the collagen of cow or pig bones and skin), casein (protein extracted from milk), omega-3 (fatty acids from fish), whey (a by-product of cheese production), and bone char (partially burned animal bones) are some examples for animal-based ingredients that could be seen as hidden non-vegans. These can be commonly found in food items like candy, Jell-O, chips, refined sugar, and various sauces in the market.
If you do brief research, it will be clear to you that many items that seem all plant-based contain even one derivative of animal-based products. But as these ingredients are not popular in general, sometimes a vegan would consume those unknowingly.
As it is a very popular bowl, it is essential to check the animal-based factor of frozen flakes to avoid such kind of misunderstandings. A vegan must take good care of the components of an item he/she buys in the market and should even search for each ingredient’s origin when having any doubts about it.
Is Frosted Flakes Vegan?
It is crucial for vegans to know the real consistency of a food item because, as we discussed in earlier passages, uncommon names to the public may be derivatives from an animal source.
Is frosted flakes vegan is a question that has a direct NO as the answer. You may be highly disappointed with this news but do not lose hope because we have also listed some vegan-friendly similar products that are currently on sale in our later passages.
Here onwards, we will discuss based on what aspects it becomes non-vegan. There are also some vegan options in the market currently, and all you have to do is be aware of those and avoid the products that do not match your diet. We are here to help you.
Ingredients Found in Frosted Flakes and Their Origins
As per the information given on the official website of Kellogg, the following are the ingredients found in the frosted flakes.
- Milled corn – The final product that results in wet milling or dry milling. Milling is the process in which the content of the corn kernels is broken separately as starch, oil, fiber, and protein. Therefore, it is clear to you now that this is a plant-based ingredient.
- Sugar – Refined sugar (sugar that is made by converting brown sugar) uses bone char in the process of refining. We have discussed that it is an animal derivative taken from the bones of cattle.
- Malt flavor – This is the product taken from soaking barley, keeping it germinated, heating, and kilning. There is no animal-based product used in this process.
- Salt 2% or less – This is a mineral and, therefore, vegan friendly.
- Iron (ferric phosphate)– Iron is of two types heme irons and non-heme irons. Non-heme irons are vegan-listed. But heme irons are derived from animal bases. Kellogg’s website does not mention the key iron they have used in frosted flakes. Therefore, there is an equal possibility of iron used in to be vegan or non-vegan.
- Niacinamide – This is a type of Vitamin B3. Niacinamide is extracted from nuts, seeds, and green vegetables. Hence niacinamide becomes a pure vegan ingredient.
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride) – Here also, there are both plant-based and animal-based derivatives. But as Vitamin B6 is commonly found in plants, this is often a vegan element. But it is not clear what they used to make frozen flakes.
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) – Riboflavin is also often plant-based (derived from bacteria and fungus which goes under as kingdom of plants), but there are also animal-based products of this. The second type’s origin is milk, eggs, or meat. The site of frozen flakes does not clarify this either.
- Vitamin B1 (thiamine hydrochloride)– Meat, Fish, and whole grains are the main areas that present thiamine. But there are vegan-friendly thiamine sources available in the market now. But which vitamin B1 is available in frosted flakes has no clear mention.
- Folic acid (vitamin B9) – Folate is typically considered vegan, but there is an animal-based form too.
- Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) – Sheep’s wool and lichen, respectively, are origins of animal-derived and plant-derived vitamin D3. Micrograms of vitamin D3 are consumed in frosted flakes.
- Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) – Vitamin B12 is found in meat, fish, eggs, and milk and cannot be found in plants. There are synthesized vegan options of vitamin B12 available. But what they have used in frozen flakes is doubted.
- Gelatin– Frosted flake cereal with marshmallows contains gelatin. We know that gelatin is taken from collagen taken from animal bones like pigs or cows. (Some misunderstand that agar agar which is made from seaweed as gelatin, is totally a different ingredient)
Now it is crystal clear to you that although there are not any direct animal-based products used, there are certain vitamins, iron, and sugar that can be non-vegan.
Does Frosted Flakes have Dairy?
A direct diary is not consumed in frosted flakes. But if you have a good read through the above paragraphs, you should be aware that Vitamin B12 and Vitamin B2 can be synthesized from a dairy product. We don’t have any clue about the used vitamin’s origin on the official website of frosted flakes. Therefore, the fact whether they have used diary or diary-based products is doubtful.
Conclusion
Frosted flakes contain sugar made out of gelatin and vitamins that may be derived from an animal base. We have covered all the ingredients with their origin in this article.
Thus, frosted flakes can be named a non-vegan-friendly food.
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