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Whenever I pick up a product off a store shelf that I think will be vegan I'm never sure if it is. Natural flavors or artificial colors tend to trip me up. How do I know if a product is actually vegan? - Tammie

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Dear Tammie,

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This is a common problem among vegans. The answer is that there's almost no way for us to know if a product is vegan unless it's vegan certified or unless the company has put the words vegan on the packaging. But if you suspect a product is vegan and you'd like to eat it, here's what I would do:

1. Check the ingredients against the animal ingredients list here at VegFamily.

2. Call the company who makes the product and ask them if it is suitable for vegans or if their product is made without any animal products or by-products. It's really important to know whether the person on the other end of the phone even understands your question. I like to throw around sentences like, "Are you sure this product is vegan? Because if it isn't and I eat it, I hope you are ready for a lawsuit. Now what was your name again?" At the very least they will refer your question on to someone who knows better.

Another thing to consider... if you pick up a product and it's full of chemicals and ingredients you can't identify, you probably shouldn't be eating it anyway. I like to pick up a loaf of bread at the store that says, "whole wheat flour, water, yeast, salt."

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