Understanding the Ethical Stance: Why Don't Vegans Eat Gelatine Products or Honey?

October 7, 2025 •

4 min read

According to The Vegan Society, veganism is a way of life that seeks to exclude all forms of exploitation and cruelty to animals for food or any other purpose. This core principle explains why vegans consistently choose to avoid gelatine and honey, as both are products derived from animal exploitation. This dietary stance goes beyond simply avoiding meat and dairy, encompassing any products resulting from the use of animals.

Quick Summary

This article explores the ethical and production-based reasons behind the vegan rejection of gelatine and honey. It details how gelatine is an animal-derived product made from collagen, while honey is produced by bees for their own consumption and survival. The piece also presents numerous plant-based alternatives for both products.

Key Points

Animal-Derived Ingredients: Gelatine is made from boiling animal bones, skin, and connective tissues, making it a non-vegan ingredient.
Ethical Principles: The vegan philosophy seeks to exclude all forms of animal exploitation, which includes the commercial harvesting of honey from bees.
Honey for Bees, Not Humans: Honey is the food source bees produce for themselves and their colony; commercial practices often replace it with an inferior sugar substitute.
Harmful Practices: Commercial honey production can involve cruel practices like wing clipping, colony destruction, and breeding that weakens bees.
Versatile Alternatives: Vegans use plant-based substitutes like agar-agar, pectin, maple syrup, and agave nectar to replace gelatine and honey.

The Ethical Foundations of Veganism

Veganism is a philosophy rooted in the belief that animals should not be exploited for human consumption or use. This differs significantly from vegetarianism, which primarily excludes meat, poultry, and fish but may permit animal-derived products like dairy, eggs, and honey. The vegan ethos extends beyond diet to a broader lifestyle choice, influencing decisions on clothing, cosmetics, and entertainment. The rejection of gelatine and honey stems directly from this fundamental principle, viewing the animal kingdom not as a resource for human use but as sentient beings deserving of consideration and respect.

The Truth About Gelatine

Gelatine is a gelling agent found in many common products, from gummy candies and marshmallows to certain desserts and medications. Many consumers are unaware of its origins, but the process is far from plant-based. Gelatine is made by extracting collagen from the body parts of animals, including the skin, connective tissues, and bones of cows and pigs. This process involves boiling these animal by-products, which are often sourced from the meat and dairy industries. For vegans, consuming gelatine is directly supporting these industries, which contradicts their ethical stance against animal exploitation.

Vegan Alternatives for Gelatine

Fortunately, a growing market of plant-based alternatives offers excellent substitutes for achieving a similar gelling or thickening effect without using animal products. These alternatives are both effective and readily available.

Agar-Agar: A popular vegan substitute derived from red algae or seaweed. It creates a firmer, more stable gel than gelatine and is flavorless, making it suitable for both sweet and savory dishes.
Pectin: A natural polysaccharide found in fruits, particularly apples and citrus rinds. Pectin is commonly used for making jams, jellies, and fruit-based desserts.
Carrageenan: Extracted from red seaweed, this gelling agent is often used for creating creamy textures in desserts, plant-based milks, and other dairy-free alternatives.
Tapioca: A starch extracted from the cassava root, tapioca acts as a thickener and is ideal for giving creams and puddings a soft texture.

The Problem with Honey

For many, honey is simply a natural sweetener. However, from a vegan perspective, honey is an animal product produced by bees for their own survival, not for human consumption. Bees create and store honey as their primary food source, especially for the winter months. The commercial honey industry, driven by profit, often engages in practices considered exploitative and harmful to bee welfare.

Exploitative Practices in Commercial Honey Production

Nutrient Deprivation: When beekeepers harvest honey, they often replace it with an inferior sugar or high-fructose corn syrup substitute, which lacks the essential micronutrients found in honey that are vital for bee health.
Queen Wing Clipping: Some beekeepers clip the queen bee's wings to prevent her from leaving the hive and starting a new colony, a practice that is unnecessary and can cause her to be abandoned and perish.
Colony Destruction: To cut costs, some commercial operations kill entire bee colonies after the honey harvest rather than incurring the expense of keeping them alive through the winter.
Monoculture and Disease: The mass breeding of honeybees can increase their susceptibility to diseases, which can then spread to other vital pollinator populations.

Vegan Alternatives to Honey

There are numerous sweet, plant-based alternatives to replace honey in cooking and baking.

Maple Syrup: A popular and versatile sweetener extracted from the sap of maple trees.
Agave Nectar: A liquid sweetener derived from the agave plant with a lower glycemic index.
Date Syrup: Made from boiled and blended dates, this syrup offers a rich, caramel-like flavor.
Molasses: A thick, dark syrup that is a byproduct of the sugar-making process.
Vegan Honey: Innovative brands create plant-based honey alternatives that mimic the taste and texture of bee-made honey using ingredients like apples or tapioca.

Comparison: Gelatine & Honey vs. Vegan Alternatives


Feature	Gelatine (Animal-Derived)	Vegan Gelatine Alternatives (e.g., Agar-Agar)	Honey (Animal-Derived)	Vegan Honey Alternatives (e.g., Maple Syrup)
Source	Animal by-products (bones, skin, connective tissue)	Plant-based sources (algae, fruit, roots)	Bee secretions, collected and processed by humans	Plant-based sources (tree sap, agave plant)
Production	Involves boiling and processing animal parts	Requires extracting and processing plant matter	Involves bee labor, with potential for exploitative practices	Involves harvesting plant sap or fruit
Ethical Stance	Avoided due to animal exploitation in its production	Aligns with vegan ethics as it is plant-based	Avoided due to exploitation of bees for their food source	Aligns with vegan ethics as it is plant-based
Texture	Soft, wobbly, and melts at body temperature	Can produce a firmer gel than gelatine	Syrupy, sticky liquid	Can be thick and syrupy, or thin and liquidy, depending on the type
Flavor Profile	Tasteless and odorless	Typically neutral in flavor	Distinctive floral, sweet flavor	Varied (e.g., caramel-like for date syrup, rich for maple syrup)

Conclusion: The Ethical Choice

The reasons why vegans don't eat gelatine products or honey are rooted in the central ethical principle of avoiding all forms of animal exploitation. Gelatine is a direct byproduct of the meat and dairy industries, derived from the boiling of animal bones and tissues. Honey is the product of bee labor, and its commercial harvest often involves practices that harm or exploit bees, depriving them of their own vital food source. By excluding these items from their diets, vegans align their actions with their values, choosing plant-based alternatives like agar-agar, pectin, maple syrup, and agave nectar instead. These readily available substitutes make it easy to enjoy a wide variety of foods while respecting animal welfare. Choosing a vegan diet is a powerful way to promote compassion and reduce the environmental impact associated with animal agriculture. For further information on the broader philosophy, visit The Vegan Society's official site.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, gelatine is not vegetarian because it is derived from animal body parts. Some vegetarians may not be aware of this, but it is not suitable for a vegetarian diet.

The main reason is that honey is an animal product produced by bees, and its commercial collection involves the exploitation and potential harm of these animals.

Vegan honey alternatives are made from plant-based sources, such as agave nectar from the agave plant, maple syrup from maple trees, and date syrup from dates.

Effective vegan substitutes for gelatine include agar-agar (from seaweed), pectin (from fruits), and carrageenan (from red algae).

In commercial operations, harvesting honey can harm bees by depriving them of their primary food source, replacing it with less nutritious sugar water, and sometimes involving cruel practices like wing clipping.

Yes, vegans also avoid beeswax because it is a product created and used by bees, and its collection involves exploiting the animal.

While some beekeepers claim to follow 'ethical' practices, the consensus within the vegan community is that any honey production inherently involves animal exploitation. Plant-based alternatives are the preferred ethical choice.