Original Boca Burgers - vegan or not?

[Minibean]

I always thought these were vegan (says they are on the Boca website), although I know the other varieties aren't. But last night I was looking at the nutritional information and it says there is 1 mg of cholesterol per burger. Has anyone else noticed this? Isn't cholesterol found only in animal products?

Also, on my box of Health is Wealth potstickers, it says 10 mg of cholesterol per serving - but I'm positive that's a typo as it says cholesterol free on the box, their website states they are vegan, plus the ingredients are totally vegan without a doubt (not even natural flavour is listed).

The Bocas, though, I'm not sure of, since it says the 1 mg of cholesterol in two different places on the box. And they do have natural flavour...it does list disodium guanylate (sp?) under natural flavour and I heard this can come from animal or vegetable sources...

So, does anyone know if original Boca burgers are really vegan?

[Michael]

There are some that are labelled Original (vegan). I know it's displayed prominently right on the front of the box. Those are showing 0mg of cholesterol.

If you go to http://www.bocaburger.com there's a list of products and then the ingredients and nutritional info for each. If you find which one you were looking at then we'd probably be of more help.

[Corri]

I know that the morning star better n burgers are vegan///also, they smell like cat food. :-/

[punkmommy]

I don't buy Boca Burger anymore since they got bought out by Kraft. I prefer California Burgers.

[JLRodgers]

The original (vegan in green stripe/flag) on mine say 0mg (everywhere)... unless yours comes from a new batch, or a misprint, it's not on mine (both the 16-pack and 4-pack both bought within the past week, one 2-3days ago from a new shipment).

Are you sure you have the Original Vegan ones?

[Kurmudgeon]

Hmmm, Kraft..... reminds me, I should stop buying Vegemite; it's not Aussie anymore.

[Minibean]

Hmm...mine just say "Original". Nowhere on the box does it say vegan. These are the ones they've always had at the supermarkets here, I've never seen ones that say vegan. I wonder if they are different in Canada?

On their website, there appears to be only one kind that is called Original and it says vegan in brackets. So I always assumed they were. Strange.

[Michael]

Ah... could be different in Canada. The original's here are clearly marked vegan. I don't know if that means they have a non-vegan 'original'. If a fellow Canadian can't help you out it might be best to post the ingredients here (if you still have the box) or e-mail the company.

[zimngir]

I loved Vegan Bocas, then all of a sudden directly after eating a Boca, my stomach would clench up and I would feel awful. I have a case of them I bought and I guess I will eat one every now and then and hope it doesn't happen again. Does this happen to anyone else? Shannon/Zimma

[Loki]

Yeah, unfortunately, the corporate world means that companies get bought out, so unfortunately, boca got bought by kraft, and silk got bought out by some big company.

But don't feel like there isn't hope. My friend enjoys drinking newcastle brown ale, and in 1988, they were threatened with a hostile takeover from an australian company, but they managed to whip up public support. The takeover bid fell through because the beer label was put on upside down during the bid. This was to show that the beer would not be the same if it was australian.

Yeah, I know it's an isolated incident, but it's some hope. i don't know how these companies could do some othe rkind of protest to whip up public support. I guess that the majority of purchasers of boca burgers don't care if they're owned by kraft or not, since about 70% of vegetarian products are purchased by omnivores who want to be healthy, or so I hear. But the small guys can win sometimes, so don't be disheartened whenever all the veggie companies are getting purchased by multinationals.

Perhaps if another veggie burger company finds itself in a similar problem, they can change their packaging to say "Communism rules" The company's reputation will change, and no American multinational will want to touch it." However, the free-thinking, hippy-ish veggies will still buy it, since we're all commie pinkos. Any other suggstions on avoiding corporate takeover in the style that Newcastle Brown ale managed to do so?

[Walter]

zimngir, I sometimes have similar things happen to me if I eat too much processed soy products at one time. Never eat an entire tube of Gimme Lean... yikes! :p

[vegan_drummer]

They are bocaburgers that are labeled Vegan Boca Burgers, I'm pretty sure that the regular ones aren't, don't they contain cheese?

-Chloe

[JLRodgers]

I think it's the "American Boca Burgers" that have cheese...