Food Additive Of The Day

L-Cystein
Did you know that L-cysteine, a common dough conditioner, flavor enhancer in human and pet foods, and precursor in some dietary supplements, is most often derived from human hair or duck feathers, and to a lesser extent from pigs' bristles and hooves? We reported the human and animal origins of L-cysteine in The Vegetarian Resource Group's Dictionary of Food Ingredients ten years ago. Then, the most common source was human hair found on the floors of Chinese barbershops. Today, it is derived from Chinese duck feathers approximately 80% of the time (estimation based on values given by several companies that manufacture and sell L-cysteine).

Read more at:http://www.vrg.org/journal/

Source:Jeanne Yacoubou is Research Director for The Vegetarian Resource Group and holds master's degrees in philosophy, chemistry, and education. She wrote Is Your Sugar Vegan? An Update on Sugar Processing Practices for VJ Issue 4, 2007