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Pumpkin Spice Cheerios is a cereal made with pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and nutmeg. At first glance, the ingredients in Pumpkin Spice Cheerios appear to be vegan. Oats are a type of plant and pumpkins are a vegetable – right? So what’s the problem? Are Pumpkin Spice Cheerios vegan or not? Let’s look more closely at this popular cereal.
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Are Pumpkin Spice Cheerios Vegan?
The answer is NO Pumpkin Spice Cheerios are not vegan. This is because they include animal-derived components such as lanolin and bone char within their ingredients. For vegan cereal options that include pumpkin spice try Purely Elizabeth Pumpkin Cinnamon Granola.
Pumpkin Spice Cheerios Ingredients
Pumpkin Spice Cheerio Calories per 36g Serving: 140kcal (1)
| Whole Grain Oats, Sugar, Corn Starch, Refiner’s Syrup, Canola and/or Sunflower Oil, Salt, Cinnamon, Baking Soda, Nutmeg, Cloves, Annatto Extract Color, Natural Flavor. Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness. Vitamins and Minerals: Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate), Iron and Zinc (mineral nutrients), A B Vitamin (niacinamide), Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), Vitamin B1 (thiamin mononitrate), Vitamin A (palmitate), Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), A B Vitamin (folic acid), Vitamin B12, VITAMIN D3. |
Non-Vegan Ingredients In Pumpkin Spice Cheerios
There are two non-vegan ingredients in Pumpkin Spice Cheerios: Vitamin D and refined sugar.
Vitamin D3
Vitamin D is essential for bone health. It can be found in fortified foods or supplements, and it can also be produced by the body when exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D3 is commercially made from lanolin. Lanolin is a waxy substance derived from sheep’s wool. Given vitamin D is derived from an animal source, this means that breakfast cereals fortified with this are not vegan, however, they are suitable for vegetarians. (2)
Sugar
The problem with sugar is not the actual ingredient itself, but the way it is processed. Sugar cane is processed using bone char, made from animal bones heated at high temperatures. Bone char is used to filter and whiten sugar. Even though sugar doesn’t have any bone fragments in it, the number of animals used to produce bone char is a big issue. (3)
Frequently Asked Questions
Even though General Mills markets Pumpkin Spice Cheerios as gluten-free, The Canadian Celiac Association recommends that people with gluten sensitivities avoid them. This is because there is a high risk of cross-contamination during processing. (4)
Cheerios are low-fat, low-calorie, and nutritious cereal. However, they have high sugar levels in some varieties. Nutritional experts recommend the Multigrain option, which contains more protein. (5)