Friday, May 7, 2021 7 Brooklin Town Crier Plant-Based Eating by Sheree Nicholson It's about the branding Lately, I've seen food packages with the words "plant-based" when the product has always been plant- based or is not 100% plant-based. I write this because I was recently surprised to see a popular margarine brand now uses the heading "contains plant-based oils" on the container. There were several flavours of margarine, all with the exact phrasing on the tub. Intrigued, I read the label and found it still contained milk products. So, it wasn't plant-based. Since margarine is typically made from plant-based oils, this new heading was, in my opinion, catching the plant-based wave. Read labels If you want to be 100% plant- based, you must read labels which will tell you what the product contains. The government of Canada has 10 priority allergens in labelling. They are: eggs, milk, mustard, peanuts, seafood, sesame, soy, sulphites, tree nuts, and wheat. Food labels will indicate if the product contains any of these. You may also see on a label, "May contain" certain items. This is a warning for people who are allergic to these products that the product is manufactured in a facility where cross-contamination could occur, so it is a precautionary statement. Casein, one of the proteins in dairy, is often labelled as zinc caseinate, sodium caseinate, or even iron caseinate magnesium. Gelatin is also an animal product derived from the collagen in bones and other animal parts. It's widely used as a binder in food as well as in some shampoos, cosmetics, Jell-O, and vitamins. Not complicated Do you need a degree to read labels? No. It may sound complicated, but the fewer ingredients, the better. Iif in doubt, it's easy to search for the information or visit the Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) website at www.peta.org. It's up to you to decide what's right for you. Many people eat plant-based foods but will wear leather or use products that are tested on animals. Some won't. Another great source of information is a Facebook group I recently joined: Vegans of Durham Region. This is a friendly and sharing group where you can ask questions. Several local plant-based restaurant owners are members of which there are over 1600. Since joining, I've heard about new products, recipes and store openings. I also learned that the Fionn MacCool's restaurant in Oshawa has vegan products on its menu and that the restaurant owners live right here in Brooklin. A win-win! Sheree's Hack: Stay connected to your community by joining this Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/ groups/452409884903973