Remember the days when vegetarians ordered cheese pizzas because they didn't want to eat meat? It's ironic to know that cheese pizzas are not necessarily vegetarian foods; in fact, there is a high probability that the cheese on the pizza was made with pork or beef enzymes. It's becoming harder and harder for people who do not want to consume animal products to avoid eating foods that are made with pork or beef. A grilled cheese sandwich used to be the substitute for vegetarians during lunch at my old elementary school; how ironic that those kids were chewing on the insides of a calf or pig's stomach. When did eating only the foods that you want to eat become so hard? If you're a vegetarian, you might as well go completely vegan to be safe. But, if you're not a vegetarain and are instead a Muslim, a Jew, or Hindu, you may not want to give up cheese; however, if you want to follow your faith and avoid eating pork or in the case of Hindus, beef, then you just might have to give up that dairy product.
When people order cheese pizzas or a vegetarian pizza at that, they may not be getting what they want at all. Instead, they are getting cheese that contains rennet which comes from the stomachs of slaugtered animals, such as pigs or calfs. Sounds delicious right? Wrong.
I miss the days when cheese was from milk and not from pigs. As a Muslim, I am finding it impossible to eat at any restaurants outside of those that are halal. I simply don't know what ingredients are used in restaurant foods. Does the bowl of clam chowder that I'm ordering have mono-dyglicerides? Does the bread and butter that I'm served have mono-dyglicerides or pork enzymes pervading through the food? I don't know. And because I don't know does not excuse me to eat the products when I do know of the possibility of those products being haram.
I am calling for action from all of those out there who believe that people deserve to know what they are eating. I said it before, and I say it again- it is time to start calling out all of the food restaurants that claim specific items to be vegetarian when those products are indeed made with animal products. Complacency will get us no where. We must act. And, we must act now. First, stop eating at resturants that cannot provide a list of ingredients that go into their foods, and more specifically, a list that is clear and identifies animal products unambiguously. Second, call up restaurant companies and demand to know if they use animal enzymes in their foods. If they do, and you have consumed a product that was labeled vegetarian (vegetarian pizza, vegetarian sub, vege burger, etc), but it wasn't, then get a lawyer and sue. Your rights have been violated. Third, spread the word to others who do not know about this issue. People all over are ignorant about the fact that cheese is not a vegetarian product. Furthermore, neither is bread a vegetarian product. And finally, if you have the ability to do so and you are Muslim, only shop at halal grocery stores and restaurants.
Here is a link to a list of brand of cheese that only use vegetable rennet. http://cheese.joyousliving.com/CheeseListBrand.aspx
When people order cheese pizzas or a vegetarian pizza at that, they may not be getting what they want at all. Instead, they are getting cheese that contains rennet which comes from the stomachs of slaugtered animals, such as pigs or calfs. Sounds delicious right? Wrong.
I miss the days when cheese was from milk and not from pigs. As a Muslim, I am finding it impossible to eat at any restaurants outside of those that are halal. I simply don't know what ingredients are used in restaurant foods. Does the bowl of clam chowder that I'm ordering have mono-dyglicerides? Does the bread and butter that I'm served have mono-dyglicerides or pork enzymes pervading through the food? I don't know. And because I don't know does not excuse me to eat the products when I do know of the possibility of those products being haram.
I am calling for action from all of those out there who believe that people deserve to know what they are eating. I said it before, and I say it again- it is time to start calling out all of the food restaurants that claim specific items to be vegetarian when those products are indeed made with animal products. Complacency will get us no where. We must act. And, we must act now. First, stop eating at resturants that cannot provide a list of ingredients that go into their foods, and more specifically, a list that is clear and identifies animal products unambiguously. Second, call up restaurant companies and demand to know if they use animal enzymes in their foods. If they do, and you have consumed a product that was labeled vegetarian (vegetarian pizza, vegetarian sub, vege burger, etc), but it wasn't, then get a lawyer and sue. Your rights have been violated. Third, spread the word to others who do not know about this issue. People all over are ignorant about the fact that cheese is not a vegetarian product. Furthermore, neither is bread a vegetarian product. And finally, if you have the ability to do so and you are Muslim, only shop at halal grocery stores and restaurants.
Here is a link to a list of brand of cheese that only use vegetable rennet. http://cheese.joyousliving.com/CheeseListBrand.aspx
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