My Heart Is Broken

And I'm not even kidding.

I've just discovered that gelatin, which is in everything from those delicious blue and white gummy sharks to some desserts to Jello, is extracted from "bones, connective tissues, organs, and some intestines of animals such as the domesticated cattle, and horses." Sweet fucking candy contains the leftovers from slaughterhouses.

Also, not ten minutes ago, I found out that most candy from the Mars Corporation (Snickers, M&Ms, etc) contains whey processed with rennet, which they get from the stomachs of young cows as a by-product of the veal industry.

This means that as a vegetarian I've been unknowingly ingesting animals for years now. And not even the yummy bits y'all enjoy. The gross stuff you'd figure they'd just toss out.

I can't even describe what this means for me. In one regard, I'm horrified and disgusted to think that for years now I've still been eating animal parts. I don't choose to be a vegetarian; the thought of eating another animal makes me sad and sick. And this whole time I've been eating intestines and bones form cows and horses. Imagine if someone came up to you and said, "Hello! I know you've been careful about not eating puppies and kittens and your own beloved household pets, but for the last 2.5 to 3 years, you have been." That's how I feel.

In another regard, this means unless I find some sweets that explicitly list themselves as vegetarian, my sweet tooth is screwed. And I have a big sweet tooth. Or a lot of little ones, depending.

I'm not a nutritionist. Lots of people, vegetarian, vegan, or carnivorous, are not nutritionists. They don't know what riboflavin is or where it's derived from. Without Googling or going to Wikipedia, tell me what dextrin is and where it comes from. Tell me how the whey in your food is processed. I'd bet dollars to donuts you don't know any better than I do.

I feel so disillusioned, so lied to. Why can't packaging be upfront about it's contents? Labels appear to be required to notify consumers if their contents contain, or are even processed in the same plant, as peanuts and other things people could be allergic to. Why not meat and meat by-products? "Warning: This product contains animal by-products." That's all it'd take.

I guess I'm going to have to make myself a laminated 3x5" card with all these sneaky ingredients on it and carry it around with me. God, I didn't want to have to be that guy.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go cry and/or drink myself to sleep.

- David