A Hindu cleric told ice cream maker Baskin-Robbins this week that the company hadn’t made it clear that the ingredients used in the Rocky Road flavor’s marshmallow ingredient could be derived from beef. asked for an apology. “For Hindus, it was a shock to learn that the popular ‘Rocky Road’ we’ve been eating for many years contains beef. The beef, on the other hand, was not explicitly listed under the listed ingredients on the package or box,” said Raman Zedd, president of the Universal Society of Hindus. in the news release.
List on the Baskin-Robbins website component For Rocky Road, it comes in scoops or pints (the pint ingredients are also printed on the carton). Of course, marshmallows are one of the flavor’s signature ingredients, and it’s listed as containing “corn syrup, sugar, modified food starch, gelatin, and water.”The Food and Drug Administration Defines Problem Ingredients therefore: “Gelatin means a product obtained by partial hydrolysis of collagen derived from bovine or porcine skin, connective tissue and/or bone.”
But not everyone, even avid vegetarians and vegans, knows about the animal origins of the substances that help maintain that fluffy sweetness. Marshmallows often appear on the list of foods commonly misunderstood as plant-based, along with other foods that may contain gelatin, such as some cheesecakes. In a statement, Zedd said that the gelatin in Baskin-Robbins ice cream may come from cows, which are revered by Hindus and Hindus, “in clear and simple terms. It lacks transparency,” he said. their milk. (Most Hindus are vegetarian. )
A spokesperson for Baskin-Robbins released a statement in response to Zedd’s complaint, saying it was not trying to hide the gelatin content from customers. “Baskin-Robbins complies with all regulatory standards and strives to provide clear and simple nutritional and ingredient information on our menus and labels,” the statement reads. “Our website and app provide links to ingredient information, nutritional breakdowns, a list of major allergens, and information on allergen interactions with other menu items in our store.”
It’s unclear why Zedd singled out the popular ice cream maker for his outrage, as many makers of Rocky Road (with marshmallows, of course) use similarly simplistic packaging and wording. But his brand of ice cream, Tillamook, goes one step further. on the websitelists the components of that version, some with hyperlinks to provide more information. Click on ‘Gelatin’ and you’ll see the description ‘animal protein that gives food its chewiness’. Ben & Jerry’s also sidestepped potential confusion by substituting carrageenan, a seaweed-based thickener, for gelatin in marshmallows that enhance the flavor of its “fish food.”
Baskin-Robbins wasn’t the only company targeted by Zedd. “He received an apology after demanding yoga mat towels with images of Lord Ganesha from companies such as outdoor recreation retailer REI,” the paper said. christian century, a publication that explores faith in society. “He regularly calls on Amazon to stop selling apparel with Hindu gods, goddesses and symbols. (Canadian banknotes are said to contain traces of beef and mutton fat.)
Marshmallows aren’t the only food vegetarians are trying to lose weight these days.posted video on TikTok And a Twitter post earlier this year caused a wave of surprises to learn that Parmesan cheese isn’t usually vegetarian. Parmesan cheese is made with veal rennet, an enzyme derived from the lining of the stomach of animals. While some cheese makers are developing non-animal alternatives, traditional cow-based products are used in classic Parmigiano Reggiano and many other cheeses.
