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There are many different brands that make animal-shaped cookies called Animal Crackers.
Most plain Animal Crackers are considered vegan to non-strict vegans, but there are some ingredients that may concern some vegans.
Let’s take a look at the potentially non-vegan ingredients in various brands of Animal Crackers.
Potentially non-vegan ingredients in Animal Crackers
Here are some ingredients found in many brand of Animal Crackers that are concerning to strict vegans:
Sugar: The cane sugar in many packaged products in the United States and Canada is filtered through bone char. This means that during processing, the sugar comes in contact with charred animal bones, but the sugar does not actually contain any bone char.
Some vegans are okay with this, while more strict vegans are not. It’s completely up to you.
Natural flavor: When you see natural flavor listed as an ingredient, there is usually no way of knowing what it is made of. Natural flavor can be sourced from plants or animals, and unless it contains a major allergen, the source will not be written on packaging. Most companies will also not reveal what their natural flavors are made of.
Many vegans are okay with this uncertainty, but some strict vegans are not. Again, this is up to you.
Artificial colors: Some flavored animal crackers contain artificial colors. Even though most artificial color does not contain any animal ingredients, some vegans avoid them because they are sometimes tested on animals.
Are Barnum’s Animal Crackers Vegan?
Most non-strict vegans would consider Barnum’s Animal Crackers to be vegan.
Barnum’s Animal Crackers contain sugar that may be filtered through bone char and natural flavor that could possibly be sourced from animals (although this could be unlikely).
Are Stauffer’s Animal Crackers Vegan?
Stauffer’s Animal Crackers would be considered vegan to most non-strict vegans.
They come in three varieties, which are listed below with the ingredients they contain that may be concerning to some vegans.
Original: Contains sugar, natural flavor.
Chocolate: Contains sugar, natural flavor.
Iced: Contains sugar, natural flavor, artificial color.
Stauffer’s Animal Crackers also place a warning on packaging that they may contain egg and milk. This is usually just a cross-contamination warning for those with serious allergies, and most vegans aren’t concerned with a warning like this.
Are Kirkland Animal Crackers Vegan?
Most non-strict vegans will consider Kirkland Animal Crackers to be vegan.
The sugar is in Kirkland Animal Crackers is organic cane sugar, so it is likely not filtered through bone char due to being organic. This is good news for vegans who avoid sugar that is processed with bone char.
However, some vegans may be concerned with another ingredient in Kirkland Animal Crackers: cream of tartar. Cream of tartar does not contain animal products, but it is a byproduct of the winemaking process, which sometimes uses animal products in the fining process. It is however possible for wine to be made without any animal products, so many vegans are okay with consuming cream of tartar.
Kirkland Animal Crackers also contain natural flavor of an unknown source, and they are processed on equipment that also packages products that may contain milk and eggs.
Are Keebler Animal Crackers Vegan?
Keebler Animal Crackers contain milk, so they are definitely not vegan.
Are Kellogg’s Austin Zoo Animal Crackers Vegan?
For non-strict vegans, Austin Zoo Animal Crackers would be considered vegan.
Concerning ingredients for strict vegans: Sugar, natural flavors of unknown sources.
Are Glutino Animal Crackers Vegan?
Glutino Original Animal Crackers and Glutino Graham Animal Crackers are definitely not vegan, as they contain egg whites. They also contain sugar and natural flavor.
