Olives

[Shisha Fiend]

I love olives, personally, and always assumed they were vegan. But a couple of days ago I bought a jar of stuffed green ones, and I'd eaten a few when I started idly reading the label and saw they had lactic acid as an acidity regulator.
:(

I was really pissed off, I dunno if this is only stuffed olives, or only green ones (but I don't like the black ones so much!), or only that particular brand. But it's annoying cos it also means how do I know when I eat out or what have you, that their olives do not come embalmed in lactic acid?

Does anyone know anything about this? What companies do it and where I can get vegan ones? Or should I just steer clear?

xxx

[foxytina_69]

it must just be that brand because the ones i have dont have that. the ingredients in mine are:

olives, water, pimento pate (water, pimento, sodium alginate, guar gum, potassium sorbate), salt, citric acid.

[Tofu Monster]

i agree about olives. they are yum. i prefer the plain black ones myself.

and lactic acid is not necessarily un-vegan. it can be vegan. you'd have to check on a case-by-case basis of course, if it's not certified by the vegan society.

[John]

The ingredient lactic acid is not animal-derived to my knowledge. A certain bacteria produces it. This bacterium is fed sugar. I'm not a chemist so I suppose that it is possible that they use some type of animal product in the process but I'm going to eat olives until I find out.

[foxytina_69]

Lactic acid (B): acid produced by the fermentation of milk sugar but also by fermentation in pickles, cocoa and tobacco

http://veganpeace.com/ingredients/ingredients.htm#L

[Kim[ba]]

But it's annoying cos it also means how do I know when I eat out or what have you, that their olives do not come embalmed in lactic acid?

When I eat out now, I kind of assume that my meal isn't going to be 100% vegan. I do aim though to order what *should* be all vegan, but really I guess we don't know that the food isn't processed along with, or contains animal ingredients. :(

[foxytina_69]

i do the same.

[Tigerlily]

My grandmother sends me homemade olives (she pickled/cured them herself) from the Middle East. I know she doesn't use lactic acid. :)

[cedarblue]

My grandmother sends me homemade olives (she pickled/cured them herself) from the Middle East. I know she doesn't use lactic acid. :)


does she do mail order?? ;)

[Tigerlily]

I'm not sure. ;) Her brother opened up a cafe, and she makes pickles and preserves and stuff for him. :p

[Kiva Dancer]

']When I eat out now, I kind of assume that my meal isn't going to be 100% vegan. I do aim though to order what *should* be all vegan, but really I guess we don't know that the food isn't processed along with, or contains animal ingredients. :(I do this as well.

[Tigerlily]

Personally for me it's about saving animals and not necessarily about "purity". When you eat out, you take the risk of cross-contamination. Although it's very easy for some people to say they will never eat out again, it's pretty hard especially when on the road or in social situations with friends and family.

[Shisha Fiend]

Although this is true about eating out, for me ordering stuff that should be vegan is different to ordering stuff that I KNOW might have something non-vegan in it. So that means olives may be off the menu...

Anyway I'll check the jar next time and find one without. (I know you can get lactic acid other ways but as I don't know where it actually comes from I'm steering clear.)

xxx

[Shisha Fiend]

My grandmother sends me homemade olives (she pickled/cured them herself) from the Middle East. I know she doesn't use lactic acid. :)

I think I need a grandmother in the Middle East. I went round all the shops today and I couldn't find ANY green olives that didn't have lactic acid in. :(
Tina, where did you get yours?

[RockyRaccoon]

I love olives too. I used to hate them. I was eating out on holiday with a boyfriend when I was younger and he bought to the table a huge bowl of olives. I'd heard they were an aquired taste, and, so wanting ti impress and so as not to appear unsophisticated infront of the boyfriend I started munching. Oh dear, the things I used to do for love :rolleyes: By the end of the holiday I was converted :D

I got my last jar from Somerfield and I just presumed they were vegan. After seeing this thread I checked on the online 'Animal Free Shopper' and yes, they are vegan. The AFS also lists many deli and jars of olives from shops such as Sainsbury's, Safeway, Co-Op, Tesco and Waitrose. Do you have one of these near you? I also believe a brand called Cypressa is okay.

[kokopelli]

Sunita green olives are vegan, they have citric acid instead of lactic.
They come in plastic vacuum pouches and I get mine at local wholefood shops. The same shops also sell really tasty olive salad made by Attis, also in plastic pouches, it has mixed green and kalamata olives, red pepper strips, etc. I've also seen them in Asian food stores.

[gertvegan]

Sunita green olives are vegan, they have citric acid instead of lactic.The Sunita green olives I have in my hand *holds hand up* have lactic acid in the ingredients.

Some of Sunita olives don't have lactic acid, some do but label "non animal origin", and some just say lactic acid.

Back to the green olives, is it these (http://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk/cgi-local/frameset/detail/714355.html) which says lactic acid is a natural by product of olives.

Any clearer ? Me neither. Best contact Sunita or whatever brand you're are not sure about, or try and find somewhere that sells fresh olives, and or a Fresh and Wild in London, shisha.

[Shisha Fiend]

lactic acid is a natural by product of olives.

Any clearer ? Me neither. Best contact Sunita or whatever brand you're are not sure about, or try and find somewhere that sells fresh olives, and or a Fresh and Wild in London, shisha.

No, that was a bit weird. Olives make lactic acid? Maybe. They should teach me this kind of stuff in chemistry and biology, it's far more useful.
Anyway yeah, I will contact the brands. Fresh and Wild? I have not heard of it, but do olives taste as good when they're not in that salty stuff?

[gertvegan]

Fresh and Wild? I have not heard of it, but do olives taste as good when they're not in that salty stuff?xxxFresh and Wild are here. (http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/freshandwild/index.html) As for the olive taste, you'll just have to try em all.

[kokopelli]

That's weird!
I just went and checked my pack of Sunita green olives, and they've definitely got citric acid!

I think someone mentioned earlier, that lactic acid can form as a natural product of fermentation of vegetables, like with sauerkraut, just leaving the cabbage in water in warmth for a few days will produce lactic acid. I agree, this kind of thing would be much more interesting to learn about in school.

So lactic acid can be vegan or not vegan, but I tend to avoid it just because I can't be bothered to have to check everything all the time.

[kokopelli]

And yeah, actually olives are VERY TASTY without the salty stuff, the Attis 'Greek Olive Salad' olives I mentioned are packed in olive oil and they're really delicious. I think they also do green olives with dill in olive oil, which are nice if you like dill, but not otherwise. They have them in all the health shops around here, but I'm in Wales, I don't know about E.London.

[FR]

I love olives, too.

[Caitlin]

Anyone know what company's olives are veg? ie. lactic acid is not from an animal source

And is this true?!... What is cysteine/cystine?
Also known as l-cystine, our research indicates that the source of cysteine is human hair. Cystine is an amino acid needed by humans, which can be produced by the human body. A very small quantity is used in less than 5% of all bread products. Often the hair of third world women is used.

Does anyone know this? That is SO nasty..

[Realfood Mary]

If you see any olives like this, then let us know the contact details of the company, and we will check it out for you. Or if you check it out yourself let us know the answer. Best to err on the side of caution, but sometimes lactic acid is fermented from sugar beet - all of Patak's (Asian food company) lactic acid is derived this way.

[veganrockchick]

I love olives and i know how you feel when i go to a supermarket and pick up olives that are all contained in lactic acid! There are certain jars in the Uk which are vegan for example tesco sliced black olives.. but i must organic olives are safe.. they will be more expensive and will usually still have stones in them