Avoid Hidden Horrors in Your Food: How to Check for Bone Char-Free Sugar
There is an unspeakably horrific ingredient making lattes, sweets, and everyday foods not vegan.
Published Jan. 27 2025, 2:08 p.m. ET
One of the boons to a plant-based diet is the plethora of options to satisfy your sweet tooth. However, not all sugar is sourced equally. Some types may undermine your health and vegan values.
Alternatives like high fructose corn syrup may be considered plant-based, but they are extremely deleterious to one's health, as high fructose corn syrup is linked to obesity, diabetes, some diseases, and some forms of cancer.
Other options, such as artificial sweeteners like erythritol, have similarly been linked to strokes and heart attacks. So, where can plant-based foodies turn to ensure that the desserts they enjoy aren't secretly sabotaging their lifestyle?
If you're feeling overwhelmed in the pursuit of proper sweeteners, we explore important details below to help you identify sugar swaps that are better for you, for the planet, and for animals.
What is bone char and why is it in sugar?
According to Allrecipes, the refinement process of non-organic white sugar involves the charred bones of farmed animals.Bone char removes the impurities from unrefined sugarcane, contributing to its bright white color.
The inclusion of charred animal bones in the sugar refinement process is what makes the consumption of some candies, as well as popular cereals, some types of chocolate, and other common foods, a gray area for many vegans.
According to an article in America's Test Kitchen, if the granulated sugar on the market shelf you're considering purchasing isn't labeled as organic or if the package doesn't feature a vegan certification, it's probably safe to assume that the sugar is not vegan.
Ultimately, to confirm whether some supplies and various types of candies and desserts with unclear labels are truly vegan and made without sugar that underwent bone char processing, you should contact manufacturers to be safe.
These vegan sugar brands are bone char-free.
According to Ordinary Vegan, there are many vegan sugar brands that vegans can confidently use in their homemade recipes.
Wholesome Sweeteners is a brand that offers vegan sugar alternatives, and NOW Foods' organic beet sugar is a great vegan swap. Additionally, the white and brown sugar options from Woodstock Farms contain vegan and Kosher labels.
Does brown sugar have bone char?
Unfortunately, some brown sugar brands also utilize bone char. According to Exploring Vegan, some brown sugar brands are derived by adding molasses to white sugar that underwent purification via bone char.
Demerara sugar, turbinado sugar, muscovado sugar, black sugar, and piloncillo may be vegan brown sugar alternatives, per Exploring Vegan. You should always check package labels and company website information to be absolutely sure.
Here is your brief guide to alternative sugars.
Naturally, alternatives to white sugar and corn syrup have proliferated over time and are now ubiquitous in markets throughout the U.S.
According to Switch4Good influencer chef Jason Wrobel's book Eaternity, agave nectar is considered a better alternative, while coconut nectar and maple syrup are among the best alternatives.
If nectars aren't your preferred sugar swaps, there are other options that won't wreak havoc on your glucose levels like xylitol would. To that end, unsweetened applesauce is an excellent, low-glycemic natural sweetener with many benefits, per WebMD.
Allulose, which is sourced from fruit, is another excellent sugar swap and is accessible in online markets. Compared to sugar, allulose may lower blood glucose levels and insulin levels, according to GoodRX.