Hindus urge Canada Govt. to mandate listing of gelatin source on food, which many times is beef

2024-12-22 10:39:48 Religion

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Hindus are urging Government of Canada and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to mandate food manufacturers to mention the source of gelatin, if used in the product, on its ?Ingredients? label.

When the source of gelatin is not listed and if it is beef, it is a serious non-disclosure affecting the Hindu devotees and would severely hurt their feelings when they would come to know that they were inadvertently consuming beef-laced popular food products, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed stresses.

Consumption of beef was highly conflicting to Hindu beliefs. Cow, the seat of many deities, was sacred and had long been venerated in Hinduism; Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out in a statement in Nevada today.

Canadian food labeling regulations reportedly suggest that gelatin, when used as ingredient in other foods, is exempt from component declaration.

It would be shocking for the Canadian Hindu community to learn that some of the popular food products, which they might had been unknowingly eating for years, might contain beef as part of the gelatin while beef was not explicitly mentioned under the ingredients listed on the boxes/packages to caution them, Rajan Zed indicated.

Zed further said that it was hard to comprehend that why corporations, both Canadian and international, many times were not transparent enough to mention beef explicitly under the ingredients on the box/package when, being constituent of gelatin, it was part of the product inside; so that an ordinary consumer could make right and appropriate choices.

Rajan Zed urged Canada?s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Governor General Julie Payette, Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor and CFIA President Paul Glover to seriously and urgently look into this issue affecting Hindu-Canadians who had made lot of contributions to the nation and society.

Dutch-British transnational consumer goods company Unilever, which ?has been in business since the 1880s? and which claims to have ?developed a clear and global approach to nutrition labeling?, in a response to Zed, noted: Gelatin ?is used in some of our products to provide a lower fat, lower calorie product with a pleasing texture and consistency?We cannot guarantee if the gelatin is derived from beef or pork?.

Many products of Wrigley, said to be the largest manufacturer and marketer of chewing gum in the world, contain gelatin that is sourced from beef. Gelatin derived from beef is found in the many products of multinational Kellogg?s, which claims to be ?world's leading cereal company?.

Gelatin/gelatine is procured from various animal body parts and is usually used as a gelling agent in food. It can be from cows, pigs, fish, chicken, etc.; but there are animal-free and plant-based alternatives to gelatin like seaweed extracts. Gelatin is an ingredient in some cereals, ice creams, candies, yogurts, desserts, marshmallows, aspic, trifles, dips, fruit snacks, sour cream, margarine, frosting, confections, gums, Chinese soup dumplings, puddings, nondairy creamers, cakes, cream cheese, lozenges, etc. It is also used for clarification of vinegar, juices and wine.

Headquartered in Ottawa, CFIA claims to be ?dedicated to safeguarding food?, ?verifies that the information provided to consumers is truthful and not misleading? and protects ?consumers and the marketplace from unfair practices?.

Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about 1.1 billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal.