Veggie Sushi - Is It Vegan?

[FR]

I’ve heard that the seaweed used as the outer shell for veggie sushi contains small animals in it. Is this true?

[Pete Teoh]

As far as I know, nori is made completely out of seaweed.

[fiamma]

I’ve heard that the seaweed used as the outer shell for veggie sushi contains small animals in it. Is this true?

FR, that sounds like an urban myth used by meat eaters as a way of criticising the vegan diet... As far as I'm aware nori contains no small animals - any organisms would be killed off during processing.

[FR]

Vegans have told me that. They said that tiny animals feeding on the nori are still on the nori when it is harvested. Of course during the processing of it, they'd die, but that'd just mean there's dead little animals all over the nori. I hope it's an urban myth.

[maya]

I hope it is not true coz that would disturb me babe. I have made veggie sushi before.

[fiamma]

But isn't it like insects crawling on fruit and veggies when these are picked and harvested? I don't see the difference. Not that it makes it any more pleasant of course.

[Jdm1981]

Yeah, I mean not to be unpleasant but I've read in several places that we all eat several pounds of bugs just through the process of eating fruits and vegetables...But yeah, eww. Just that to a point it would be impossible to totally avoid it 100% I guess.

[FR]

I don’t think I’ve seen any insects on my veggies and fruits. I do wash them first.

Now as far as grains go, hmmmm, yeah, I bet ground up mammals and insects get all up in that, and eventually in the finished products we buy. Damn, I need my own veganic green house.

[Tray]

Yeah, I mean not to be unpleasant but I've read in several places that we all eat several pounds of bugs just through the process of eating fruits and vegetables...But yeah, eww. Just that to a point it would be impossible to totally avoid it 100% I guess.

you're damn right, if someone of you has experience in cultivating fruits can easily see it

[FR]

I've never seen insects on my fruit. I'm okay with them feeding on it, and/or walking all over it since I wash my fruit before eating it anyway. Are you all referring to insects we cannot see?

[Ruklal]

But the farmers use tonnes of insecticide/fertilizer etc on the crops that kill insects and also affect the wildlife.

Its impossible not to completely avoid it, unless you grow your own.

[FR]

I buy organic, no pesticides are used.

[Jdm1981]

Well I think it's more like, bug *parts* rather than say whole bugs...Like mixed in with grains , seeds...probably when we eat any processed fruits and veggies (Canned, frozen or whatever), I'm sure tehre is some that ends up in it...I'm not just talking like biting into an apple with a worm in it

[Tigerlily]

I've found a lot of bugs in my lettuces and other leafy veggies.

[IndigoSea]

If that's true then it's horrible :{ but it doesn't sound true, perhaps they meant the sorts of microscopic organisms you find in the oceans.

[claireyveg]

Homemade veggie sushi is definately vegan, nori is vegan its a sea vegetable, you do have to be careful when you buy pre-made sushi though beause often they use mayonaise between the veggies and rice...grrrr...

[foxytina_69]

ive heard that about nori aswell. it bothers me as i LOVE sushi.

[IndigoSea]

Mayonaise! For the authentic taste of sushi... nnnnot.

[John]

There was a thread about this here. For some reason I can't find it. If I remember correctly, ConsciousCuisine started a thread (with a link, I think) explaining how the animals that live on the seaweeds are gathered along with the algae and ground up into those sheets.

[Haniska]

Bugs lay their eggs in fruits, that is how fruit flies get in your house even with the windows shut Can't be helped.

[FR]

Bugs lay their eggs in fruits, that is how fruit flies get in your house even with the windows shut Can't be helped.

That's gross. We eat insect eggs and can't do anything about it.

[Wildflower]

I just found an organic potato in my cupboard, in a plastic bag, with a soft spot that had bugs feasting on it.

they are definately on the fruits/veggies. expecially bananas, which seem to get fruit flies the most. oh, and grains too, I seal whole wheat flour in a tupperware like thing and have gone back to see it full of bugs. the great thing about sealing is then the bugs can't invest other foods, like the dried pasta...

[Mr Flibble]

There was a thread about this here.

Indeed. It's the second link in google for "vegan forum nori":

http://www.veganforum.com/forums/arc...hp/t-7369.html

(Remember kids, if you create new threads that already exist without searching properly then the other kids will laugh at you)

On the subject of fruit, organic food is way more likely to have insects killed during the cultivation than that which is sprayed with chemicals or genetically modified to resist pests living there and multiplying in the first place. Even dubious veganic gardeners suggest crushing eggs/larvae and live insects. Organic is an environmental thing, not a pro AR thing.

Picking fruit/veg by hand and carefully rehoming the animals living there takes forever. Mechanisation (be it the picking process or washing) kills countless insects in the production of vegan food - that's life. No vegan that I've ever met or come into contact with over the internet does not support industry that kills or only eats food that they can be even 80% sure does not contain a few crushed insects. Some think they don't, but that's another matter entirely.

[Jamie]

fibs! that was like an essay, man.

[~*Sarah*~]

ick ick ick

im well aware that bits of insects end up in food and theres not alot i can do about it, so this is one occasion where i will happily stick my head in the sand, cause the thought of eating bugs really grosses me out.

i used to love roasted salted sunflower seeds and once i found a tiny little worm curled up in one. after that i inspected each one before i ate it, which was time consuming, and after i found another one that was it i couldnt eat them any more.

i love nori though... im hoping im not eating bugs with that

[Mahk]

I love avocado and cucumber sushi. Yum.
[Warning: the following is not for the squeamish]:
I accept that a certain amount of animals (mostly insect) die in any mass production harvesting technique whether under water or on ground. Nori, the underwater plant, is also the natural habitat for small brine shrimp and seahorses, so I'm eating those too. Oh well. Even worse, I also have to accept that some mammals probably die too. Field mice live in many crops and they get chomped up and pulverized in the harvesters. This corn combine has a 16 row wide mouth, the poor mice have nowhere to escape:

On a radio program I once heard a tobacco farmer mention that millions of tree frogs live in the tobacco fields and you can hear them chirping at night. He also admitted that unavoidably they too get sliced up with the harvesting process and that all tobacco products contain pulverized tree frogs! Another reason to tell your vegan friends to stop smoking!

[~*Sarah*~]

horrible stuff

i read an article somewhere about tennis balls being converted for mice so farmers could avoid them as they were becoming rare... long time ago so i cant really remember

[Tibetan Snake]

I buy organic, no pesticides are used.

Pesticides can be used if there registerd and only used to the minimom. But who is to say what the minemom is, and who's chequing? and how often? and how well do they look? Introduction to organic certification for farmers and growers
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
UK5. Soil Association Certification Ltd,* Sophia House, 28 Cathedral Road, Cardiff. Wales CF11 9LJ. wales.cert@soilassociation.org ...
www.organic.aber.ac.uk/library/factsheets/9CERTew.pdf - Similar pages

[Tibetan Snake]

horrible stuff

i read an article somewhere about tennis balls being converted for mice so farmers could avoid them as they were becoming rare... long time ago so i cant really remember

I dumped an old matress out in to the garden and the reason that I leev it there ( HONIST GUV ) is that in the winter if I were an ikkle mouse that is where I'd want to live, and they do. I also put bits of boarding down on the ground and give the Slow worms and Lizzerds some where to get away from the cats and kids. I'v also taken several spiders nests in to my house with 1000's of baby spiders on each. I also make nesting spaces for Lady Birds in the garden and if they can't be persuaded not to eat the little flys on me veg then I may be able to eat more of it.
It dose erk me when '' people '' say that Sushi is a raw Fish dish. I went to a Sushi place ( Moshi Moshi In Brighton ) and the litritur they had even said that it is a Seaweed and Rice dish, and the vegan ones are the cheepist. One can stuff ones face £15 max. Ha

[missbettie]

I dumped an old matress out in to the garden and the reason that I leev it there is that in the winter if I were an ikkle mouse that is where I'd want to live ( HONIST GUV ). I also put bits of boarding down on the ground and give the Slow worms and Lizzerds some where to get away from the cats and kids. I'v also taken several spiders nests in to my house with 1000's of baby spiders on each. I also make nesting spaces for Lady Birds in the garden and if they cant be persuaded not to eat the little flys on me veg then I may be able to eat more of it.

That is absolutely the coolest thing I have EVER heard in my life. the only thing I do is leave hair (from cutting it) on my lawn so the birds can use it for their nests. I bow down to you!

[Tibetan Snake]

Well I think it's more like, bug *parts* rather than say whole bugs...Like mixed in with grains , seeds...probably when we eat any processed fruits and veggies (Canned, frozen or whatever), I'm sure tehre is some that ends up in it...I'm not just talking like biting into an apple with a worm in it

I have a pal that works in a whole food where house and stuff that is a little susspect is sent for an al as ees and if the misstereus other substance ( ADMIXTUR ) is less than 0.05% it ts considerd ok for sail. Is that a Rason in me Mus sily ???