- Nutritional yeast. This inactive S. cerevisiae yeast culture can be used to add a savory, cheesy, or nutty flavor to foods. Nutritional yeast is deactivated during manufacturing and often fortified with additional vitamins and minerals.
Is Nutritional Yeast animal derived?
- Thread starter houseunderpool
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David3
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Per the Vegetarian Resource Group, yeast extract is vegan: Guide to Food Ingredients | Vegetarian Resource Group , so we can assume that yeast production is also vegan.
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Thanks, is that particular to nutritional yeast or yeast in general?
Lou
Forum Legend
I never understood the confusion on this topic. I don't think it has ever come up on this forum but it used to come up regularly on one I belonged to a long time ago. I think sometimes it's a question trolls bring up but I'm not sure about that.
But yeast has nothing to do with animals and that is the only thing "prohibited" by veganism. Maybe the confusion stems from yeast not being a plant.
Yeast is classified by botanists as part of the fungus kingdom. so are mushrooms. I suppose there might be some confusion about what yeast eats. But yeast just eat plant-based things. Like flour.
But yeast has nothing to do with animals and that is the only thing "prohibited" by veganism. Maybe the confusion stems from yeast not being a plant.
Yeast is classified by botanists as part of the fungus kingdom. so are mushrooms. I suppose there might be some confusion about what yeast eats. But yeast just eat plant-based things. Like flour.
David3
Forum Legend
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The Vegan Society recommends both yeast and nutrition yeast, so it's safe to assume that both are vegan: Vitamin B12
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I am being repeatedly told that yeast is animal derived and can't find enough information for confirmation or denial.
It's in tons of certified vegan products, so I'd think it would be 100% vegan.
I wonder whether there is some confusion with candida yeast ( a type of fungus) which effectively can live within the body?
Bob Who
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Repeatedly told by whom?
I've had certain people push all kinds of wacky theories, but I've always trusted the evidence based science on what to believe myself. It isn't as though yeasts of all kinds haven't already been studied and deemed vegan.
Lou
Forum Legend
In another forum I used to belong to the problem they had was that it wasn't vegan because its not a plant. but not even those guys thought it came from animals.
Its a single cell organism. I would say that back before we had the 5-Kingdom system some one-celled creatures were classified as animals so maybe they were looking at some old textbooks but ... nope. even back then yeast was classified as a fungus.
Perhaps the source of confusion is because some yeasts (and other fungi) are parasites.
A Doctorate level scientist is claiming it is classified as both a fauna and fungi and fauna is animal.
Lou
Forum Legend
1
"Yeast is a species of single-celled organism, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, that is a member of the fungi kingdom, which comprises yeasts, molds and mushrooms—organisms that are neither plants nor animals."
- Is Yeast Vegan?
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"Yeast consists of single cells. They are smaller than animal and plant cells, but slightly larger than bacteria.
These cells also have several similarities with cells of (green) plants and animals, but lots of differences, which is why they are put into a kingdom of their own."
-https://biotopics.co.uk/g11/yeast_cells.html
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"Yeast is a single-celled fungus that naturally grows in soil and on plants. It can be used in the food manufacturing process to enhance the flavor, texture, or nutritional value of foods or help them leaven or ferment. It’s also useful in pharmaceutical research."
"Unlike animals, yeasts do not have a nervous system, and hence, no capacity to experience pain or suffering. For this reason, yeast is typically considered a vegan food."
-https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-yeast-vegan#bottom-line
Three reliable sources. all in agreement. Lets put this baby to rest.
"Yeast is a species of single-celled organism, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, that is a member of the fungi kingdom, which comprises yeasts, molds and mushrooms—organisms that are neither plants nor animals."
- Is Yeast Vegan?
2
"Yeast consists of single cells. They are smaller than animal and plant cells, but slightly larger than bacteria.
These cells also have several similarities with cells of (green) plants and animals, but lots of differences, which is why they are put into a kingdom of their own."
-https://biotopics.co.uk/g11/yeast_cells.html
3
"Yeast is a single-celled fungus that naturally grows in soil and on plants. It can be used in the food manufacturing process to enhance the flavor, texture, or nutritional value of foods or help them leaven or ferment. It’s also useful in pharmaceutical research."
"Unlike animals, yeasts do not have a nervous system, and hence, no capacity to experience pain or suffering. For this reason, yeast is typically considered a vegan food."
-https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-yeast-vegan#bottom-line
Three reliable sources. all in agreement. Lets put this baby to rest.
That doesn't mean anything. I also have a doctorate, and I too can talk nonsense.
Let's get to the fundamentals. Veganism is about not eating animal-based products. Yeast does not necessarily come from an animal, nor is it an animal. It's a single-celled fungus.
But perhaps you're less interested in scientific nomenclature, and more interested in ethics. From an ethical perspective, the salient question would be is yeast sentient? There is no evidence of that. There is no brain in a single-celled organism. If yeast is ethically problematic to a vegan, then plants are probably unethical to eat as well.
I have heard your last sentiment before as well. What would be a realistic food source if plants are indeed sentient? There is already research that shows how water is too. This is just a question for discussion.
David3
Forum Legend
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It's a question for discussion on a woo-woo metaphysical website, perhaps. Water is not sentient. It's 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom. It displays no behaviors that would indicate sentience.
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David3
Forum Legend
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Yes - all living cells consume food and release waste. Plant cells consume carbohydrates and release carbon dioxide and water as "waste". When yeast consume sugar in the absence of oxygen, they release alcohol and carbon dioxide as waste. When yeast consume sugar in the presence of oxygen, they release vinegar and carbon dioxide as waste. That doesn't make them sentient.
Yeast are a fungus, like a mushroom:
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Lou
Forum Legend
....it just means that they are alive.
Alive does not equal sentiment.
Plants are alive, mushrooms are alive. bacteria are alive.
If we, vegans, were to stop eating things cause they were alive we would starve.
BTW, water is not alive nor sentient.
Now can we close the book on this?
