You’ll love Cheerios but are they vegan-friendly?
Cheerios is a cereal brand manufactured by General Mills in the United States. These solid torus-shaped mill oats satisfy different taste buds with over twenty Cheerios flavor.
Some of the popular flavors include:
- Chocolate
- Honey Nut
- Oats
- Multigrain
Both toddlers and adults love Cheerios, making it a “must-have” cereal in most homes. These toasted whole-grain oats cereals are a delight to indulge in, but are they vegan friendly? Let us read on and unravel this mystery…
Table of Contents
Are Cheerios Cereal Vegan-Friendly?
The answer is: No
You will be surprised to learn that Cheerios is not suitable for your vegan diet. It contains ingredients such as Sugar and Vitamin D3 that make Cheerios not vegan friendly.
What are Cheerios Made Of?
Original Cheerios Ingredients
Whole Grain Oats, Corn Starch, Sugar, Salt, Tripotassium Phosphate. Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness.
GLUTEN FREE
Vitamins and Minerals
Calcium Carbonate, Iron and Zinc (mineral nutrients), Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate), A B Vitamin (niacinamide), Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), Vitamin A (palmitate), Vitamin B1 (thiamin mononitrate), A B Vitamin (folic acid), Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3.
Why Are Cheerios Not Vegan-Friendly?
Cheerios are not vegan friendly because of two things; Sugar and Vitamin D3. These two ingredients eliminate Cheerios from the vegan cereal list. How so? Well, if Cheerios has white sugar in it, then this partly answers why.
White sugar originates from bleaching brown cane sugar using bone char. Animal bones are burnt and charred to produce a black natural carbon filter called bone char. This filter is responsible for changing the color of brown sugar to white.
Although some types of vitamin D are vegan friendly, vitamin D3 is not. It is because vitamin D3 has two sources; lanolin (derived from sheep wool) or lichen (a plant-like organism that comprises fungus and algae).
Most manufacturers use lanolin in their products as it is easier for the body to metabolize. Lichen, the plant-based vitamin D3 version, proves to be hard for the human body to absorb.
Since Cheerios has not specified their source of vitamin D3, this ingredient makes them not vegan friendly.
Final Thoughts
Cheerios is a favorite cereal, consumed over the years. It’s the to-go cereals perfect for breakfast and snacking. However, it contains sugar and vitamin D3, which are not vegan-friendly. White sugar achieves its color from bone char, while vitamin D3 is a product of sheep’s wool. These two ingredients are animal-derived products, making Cheerios not suitable for your vegan diet.
For more information about Cheerios, visit their website: https://www.cheerios.com