This is a question that many sweet-toothed vegans have taken to Google to investigate. And, if you’ve found yourself on this page, then you’ll be relieved to know that Oreos are vegan!
Having said that, there are many different varieties of Oreos these days, and not all of these products are suitable for those on a vegan diet.
Are Oreos really vegan though?
If you’re surprised to learn that these tasty cookies don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients, then you’re not alone. It’s easy to assume that they contain milk, especially given how often they are paired with this dairy drink.
If we head on over to the official Oreo website, then the brand itself states that these cookies might have cross-contamination with milk. It’s for this reason that the product isn’t explicitly advertised as being vegan. However, this type of cross-contamination risk is incredibly common in the food industry and does not mean that a product itself actually has milk in it.
What’s cross-contamination?
This is a risk in any food factory where allergens are present. When dairy milk is being used in a factory, all of the other products manufactured in that factory will generally have a milk warning on the packaging.
The risk of a product actually coming into contact is naturally very low. However, since the risk is not zero, brands must be cautious and warn milk allergy sufferers about consuming the product.
What are the ingredients?
If we look at the ingredients in ‘Oreo Vanilla’ – which is the original variety, then we’ll discover:
“WHEAT flour, sugar, palm oil, rapeseed oil, fat-reduced cocoa powder 4.3 %, WHEAT starch, glucose-fructose syrup, raising agents (ammonium carbonates, potassium carbonates, sodium carbonates), salt, emulsifier (SOYA lecithins), acidity regulator (sodium hydroxide), flavouring.”
There’s absolutely nothing on this list that has been derived from an animal source.
The following oreo varieties also don’t contain any animal ingredients:
- Golden
- Birthday Party
- Double Cream
- Thins Vanilla
- Thins Chocolate
- Mini
- Crunchy Bites
Having said that, NOT ALL products from this delicious brand are suitable for vegans.
The following Oreo varieties do contain animal ingredients:
- Crunchy Bites Dipped
- Cadbury Coated
- Sandwich Ice Cream
- Stick Ice Cream
- Tub Ice Cream
- Doughnuts
So, can vegans eat Oreos?
The fact is that many of the products from this company are suitable for vegans. However, some people may decide not to eat them due to the cross-contamination risk. This is down to personal choice, and opinion within the community will naturally vary.
What about palm oil?
Oreos are a fantastic example of how not all vegan foods are healthy or ethical.
These cookies, however delicious they might be, contain palm oil, which is harmful to the planet and harmful to our health.
Click here to learn more about what palm oil is and why it’s not great!
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