Is Molasses Vegan? The Surprising Truth!

Is molasses vegan?

The short answer to your question is yes, molasses is usually vegan.

However, it is not always.

There is one aspect to molasses manufacturing you might not consider vegan.

Although I will keep this brief, you may need some background information to understand the reasons.

What Is Molasses?

A dark and thick syrup, molasses is a byproduct of sugar milling.

It’s most often sourced from sugarcane but can also be derived from grapes or beets.

Some call sweet sorghum “molasses” in the south or “trample” in the UK.

There are many types of molasses.

The most common is blackstrap molasses.

It contains the highest mineral content and is very dark.

This is why it is called “blackstrap” or “black syrup.”

Blackstrap Molasses was used to treat arthritis, constipation, and menstrual problems.

These claims are based on old wives’ stories and don’t have any scientific support.

There are many reasons to eat it.

What Is The Make Of Molasses?

Molasses syrup making is what Bob Ross would describe as a “happy accident” since it’s a byproduct of the sugar milling process.

Sugar cane is first processed by removing the sugarcane juice from the pulp.

The sugarcane juice is then boiled three times by sugarcane producers to make it crystallize and separate from the liquid.

In The 3-Step Boiling Process:

The first boil results in light molasses, or cane syrup, a sweet, golden syrup.

The second boil results in thicker, more affluent, and slightly sweeter dark molasses.

Blackstrap Molasses is made by the third boil.

It is a dark, rich, almost bitter, and highly thick syrup.

Molasses: Is It Good For You?

Unsurprisingly, sugarcane juice is high in sucrose.

Sugarcane juice should be consumed in moderation and less frequently as part of a healthy diet.

Molasses nutrition has a lot more nutritional value than table sugar because it loses a lot of its sucrose in the milling process.

The more processed molasses is, the better.

This is unlike most other foods.

This is because, with each boil, more sugar is removed from the extract process.

However, many nutrients remain and are concentrated in the liquid sweetener.

Molasses is rich in iron, proving difficult to find for vegans.

The third boiling of blackstrap molasses may result in 40% less sucrose than the dark molasses that boils only twice.

We have more blackstrap molasses advantages:

• A tablespoon of calcium provides 20% of our daily needs.
• Each serving contains 2.4 mg of the essential mineral iron, up to 30% of the RDI.
• Magnesium (around 30% of RDI) is high in magnesium to support nervous system function.
• It also contains copper, potassium, vitamin B6, selenium, and vitamin B6
• Molasses has a lower glycemic index (than table sugar), so it won’t spike blood sugar as much.

You can see that there are many health benefits to molasses, which other sweeteners such as honey, sugar, and maple syrup don’t offer.

Is Molasses Vegan Or Not?

Molasses doesn’t contain prominent animal ingredients.

Molasses has a thick, rich texture but no dairy products or related derivatives.

Molasses is made entirely from sugar beets or sugar cane, which are plant sources.

Molasses is therefore vegan-friendly.

It all depends on where it is produced.

Molasses from the United States may not be vegan.

This is due to sugar refineries using bone char to filter sugar and bleach it to remove impurities.

Molasses is extracted from sugar after it has been filtered.

This could be considered a byproduct of animal cruelty, as bone char might have been used previously.

This issue is a contentious one for many vegans.

You’ll find some who will continue to eat sugar without further questioning and others who refuse to eat it.

According to Vegan Society, veganism is “a philosophy and way to live that seeks to eliminate all forms of cruelty and exploitation to animals.”

It can be taken in many different ways by any individual, so everyone is free to interpret it as they wish.

You can be safe by choosing organic molasses and sugars.

Sugar refineries cannot use bone char to make sugar.

Is Molasses Gluten-Free?

Molasses can be eaten without gluten and is safe for gluten allergies.

Molasses can be made from sugar cane, sugar beets, or other plant sources that don’t contain gluten.

I recommend that you still read the ingredients list on the label.

We never know if gluten was processed in the same facility.

Although it is unlikely, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Is Molasses Keto?

Because molasses is a byproduct of sugar, it is not keto-friendly.

It is also a carbohydrate-heavy ingredient.

This means that it can cause ketosis.

20g of molasses has 58 calories.

All of the carbohydrates are from carbohydrates.

Is Molasses Suitable For Vegans?

Let’s first learn what molasses actually is.

It comes from the refining of sugar.

It is halfway through the process of turning cane into refined sugar.

The thick, dark syrup left behind during the process is what we call molasses.

Molasses is usually vegan, but it can also be made from non-vegan ingredients.

You may have heard that not all sugar products are vegan.

Some sugar products can be made white by using bone char to filter them.

It is essential to consider whether bone char is used after making molasses.

It might be considered vegan if used before the creation of molasses.

Some would argue that the sugar filtration was done after making molasses.

Summary

Molasses can be a problematic ingredient.

It is made from sugar cane and sugar beets, but it could be vegan as sugar refineries often use bone char to make sugar.

However, this is not true for sugar derived from sugarbeets (and organic sweeteners).

Frequently, cane sugar is filtered with bone char before being extracted from molasses.

This suggests that molasses could be the result of animal cruelty.

However, keep in mind that this is a common practice in North America.

As bone char is currently prohibited in other countries, such as the European Union, it is not permitted to be used in these other countries.

It’s not easy to tell if molasses or cane sugar is vegan.

This is a controversial issue that many vegans disagree on.

You can draw your own line.