Viewers horrified after learning how vegan sausages are actually made

People are flocking to social media in horror after realising how vegan sausages are made.

It may not be quite as bad as how crab sticks are made - no animals were harmed in the making of the sausages obviously - but it doesn't mean viewers weren't left slightly scarred after watching Channel 4's Supermarkets Unwrapped: The Vegan Aisle.

If you wanted to learn all about a process called 'gelation' - even the word makes me squirm - then you've come to the right place.

Be warned, you may never look at your vegan sausages the same again.

Channel 4

Vegan products have spread hard and fast around the world - but particularly in the UK - as many turn to a plant-based diet for health, animal rights or environmental reasons.

But how much do you actually know about the fake meat you're eating?

Channel 4's Helen Lawal, Kate Quilton, Briony May Williams and John Whaite dived head first into the booming industry in Supermarkets Unwrapped: The Vegan Aisle to explore how vegan products such as burgers, sausages, eggless quiche and oat milk are actually made.

But it's Whaite's discovery in particular which has everyone slightly freaked out.

Channel 4

There may be no mushing of meat, but the process of making a vegan sausage isn't much more appetising.

It involves dunking a 'seaweed gel' into calcium chloride to form the 'skin' of the sausage.

"In no time at all that's really stiffened up," Whaite notes. *Shudders*

Channel 4

And viewers at home weren't massive fans of seeing how the vegan sausages they consume are made either, flooding to Twitter in horror.

One user said: "Have a look at the ingredients of vegan canned cream and mayonnaise. Wow they are horrible. Good luck to them."

"Watching Supermarkets Unwrapped on C4. They're doing 'vegan aisle'. Dear God, the extent that food manufacturers will go to produce UPF crap to replace natural foods. If you want to be vegan eat actual plants not this synthetic s**t!" Another wrote.

However, a third reflected: "That is gross. What’s crazy it’s is not even close to as disgusting as how they make the ones made of real meat."

Channel 4

Indeed, vegans have stuck up for the programme and vegan products.

One said: "Lol people upset by what's in vegan sausages, [...] but are perfectly fine with millions of pigs being slaughtered, mashed up and shoved into their own intestines.. incredible.."

And another resolved: "If they think this is bad someone should tell them what happens in abattoirs."

Topics: Channel 4, TV and Film, Food And Drink, Vegan, Social Media, Twitter

Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck is a Senior Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from The University of Manchester in 2021 with a First in English Literature and Drama, where alongside her studies she was Editor-in-Chief of The Tab Manchester. Poppy is most comfortable when chatting about all things mental health, is proving a drama degree is far from useless by watching and reviewing as many TV shows and films as possible and is such a crisp fanatic the office has been forced to release them in batches.