I hate how things are snuck into staple foods I've been enjoying for years without even having to be listed as an ingredient. First it was apples (shellac), then bread (emulsifier origins and L-Cysteine), now I learn that gelatine is commonly used to clarify fruit juices such as apple and grape, as well as vinegar... gah!

Does anyone have information about juice companies who don't use gelatine in this way? There is very little on google... I don't know if that's just because hardly anyone would think gelatine was used for their morning apple juice, especially when it doesn't have to be listed as an ingredient.

All I could find were:
http://www.vnv.org.au/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1...d=133

"Bulmers   (Details correct as at January 2006)

    "None of the Foster’s cider products contain raw materials of animal origin, but as gelatine is the most commonly used fining aid for apple juice production worldwide, we cannot guarantee that the apple juice has not been prepared using gelatine finings."

    Bulmers Original  (NS)
    Scrumpy Jack  (NS)
    Strongbow Cider  (NS)"

and this:
http://www.jainworld.com/society/jainfood/softdrink.htm

"All Schweppes  soft drinks and fruit juices, (those include Sunkist, Gini and Kia-Ora  as well as Schweppes own brand) were free of animal products, with the exception of some of the Kia-Ora range. Kia-Ora Orange Drink and Kia-Ora Orange and Pineapple Drink (regular and no added sugar versions) contained gelatine stabiliser, and gelatine was used in the processing of juices in Kia-Ora Mixed Fruit Drink and Kia-Ora Pear and Blackcurrant Drink. "

We don't have most of the other brands it mentions here in Aus and that information is ridiculously old anyway (1994).

Hello Tir and Welcome.  I think quite a few fruit juices use gelatine and I don't think it is used to fine the juice so much but to thicken it ever so slightly - maybe this is what is meant by stabilising them.  Must admit I prefer to eat my fruit not drink it, so I never buy fruit juices.

Tir I am not much help to you as I don't buy fruit juices. I rarely make fruit juice at home preferring the whole fruit with the roughage etc. But I do think these days you should be more surprised if there are not additives to your processed foods.

So how do we know which fruit has a shellac coating?

This link suggests that shellac is not common as a coating in Australia (Carnauba wax is most commonly used)... but it doesn't state shellac is NOT used:

http://www.apal.org.au/assets/content/3540/Apples%20and%20Wax.pdf

Food additive 904 is shellac, so it beats me why there is no legal requirement to list 904 as an additive to apples (and other fruit) if it is used...

Hmmph!

http://www.sardi.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/45111/hort_cpac...6.pdf

http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/AR9530264.htm

Those links were interesting Mandolin, I hope you're right about them not using Shellac much in Australia but yeah there's no way of knowing. Lately I've been avoiding the nicest looking "display" apples as I think they're the ones most likely to be coated in it (as the first link said, it provides the best shine but with drawbacks of being fickle over storage). Instead I've been going for the dinged up "lunchbox" apple packs which still taste nice. But it's all guesswork.

Regarding fruit juices, it just never occurred to me that they of all things would not be vegetarian, even though I check the ingredients of the ones I buy. I hate that all these things don't have to be labelled. I might try emailing some companies to see what they say anyway as it doesn't look like many people have.

Here's a bit more info I found:
http://thevegandetective.blogspot.com/2009/06/your-fruit-juice-is-not-....html

Which mentions anything with beta carotene likely to contain gelatine also. You'd think you'd be safe with a colour from fricken carrots. Another thing I now have to avoid.