Animal product

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Animal products are either produced by an animal or taken from the body of an animal. The term is primarily used in relation to diet, particularly for vegetarians, vegans and those concerned with maintaining a Kosher, Halaal, or raw food diet.

The term animal product is generally not applied to products made from fossilized or decomposed animals. Petroleum is formed from the ancient remains of marine animals but is not considered an animal product. Crops grown in soil fertilized with animal remains are also not considered animal products.

Common animal products used for food

• blood, especially in the form of blood sausage
• carmine also known as cochineal (food dye)
• casein (found in milk and cheese)
• civet oil (food flavoring additive)
• dairy products (e.g., milk, cheese, yoghurt, etc.)
• eggs
• gelatin
• honey
• honeydew (secretion)
• isinglass (used in clarification of beer and wine)
• L-cysteine from human hair and pig bristles (used in the production of biscuits and bread)
• lard
• meat, including fish
• rennet (commonly used in the production of cheese)
• shellac
• swiftlet's nest (made of saliva)
• whey (found in cheese and added to many other products)

Non-food animal products

• ambergris
• beeswax
• blood and some blood substitutes (blood used for transfusions is always human in origin, though some blood substitutes are made from animal sources. Many diagnostic laboratory tests use animal or human sourced reagents)
• bone, including antlers, ivory, tusks, bone char, bone meal, etc.
• casein (used in plastics, clothing, cosmetics, adhesives and paint)
• castoreum (secretion of the beaver used in perfumes and possibly in food flavoring)
• coral rock
• feathers
• foreskin (used to treat burns victims)
• fur
• gallstones (from livestock)
• ivory
• lanolin
• leather
• manure
• musk
• pearl or mother of pearl
• shellac
• silk
• sponges
• tallow, may be used in food and soap
• urine
• whale oil
• wool

See also

• animal testing

References

• Vegan Society - Criteria For Vegan Food
• Mian N Riaz, Riaz N Riaz, Muhammad M Chaudry Halal Food Production, CRC Press, 2004. ISBN 1-58716-029-3

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Last updated on Wednesday February 06, 2008 at 14:26:50 PST (GMT -0800)
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