The short answer: Yes, Oreos are vegan!
Oreo cookies are made without any animal products. However, the company that makes them says these cookies are made in facilities that handle milk. As a result, there may be traces of milk in Oreo cookies.
In this article
Are Oreos really vegan?
Oreo cookies do not contain any animal-derived ingredients and are safe to eat for vegans. If you have a dairy allergy, keep in mind that Oreos have milk as cross-contact.
Oreo ingredients
The ingredients listed on the Oreos packaging are:
- Unbleached enriched flour
- Sugar
- Palm and/or canola oil
- Cocoa
- High fructose corn syrup
- Leavening
- Corn starch
- Salt
- Soy lecithin
- Vanillin
- Unsweetened chocolate
Yet, Oreo, the company states that the cookie might not be suitable for vegans because the cookie has milk as cross-contact.
Which means they are produced in the same facility.
Can vegans eat Oreos?
Given that most products are made in facilities that contain animal products, does a trace amount of milk make something definitively not vegan?
Some packaged foods have a long list of ingredients. People who have made the compassionate decision to stop eating animal flesh, eggs, and dairy products may wonder if they need to read every ingredient to check for tiny amounts of obscure animal products.
The general advice is not to worry too much… The goal of sticking to a vegetarian or vegan diet is to help animals and reduce suffering!