This will be rather shocking news for vegans out there, especially for those who consider sugar an important part of their diet.

Some sugars may not be considered vegan as they may come in contact with bone char derived from cows, according to the Huffington Post.

Vegans may want to be cautious of refined sugar, which is commonly used to add to coffee or baking. Refined sugar is reportedly made from either sugarcane or sugar beets and have different refining processes.

In order to manufacture table sugar from sugarcane, sugarcane stalks are reportedly crushed to separate the juice from the pulp. The juice is then reportedly processed and heated to crystalize and is then filtered and bleached with bone char, which results in the sugar’s white color.

Sugar companies reportedly use bone char derived from cows for this filtering and bleaching process in the U.S. Although the sugar doesn’t contain the bone char, it reportedly comes in contact with them.

“Refined sugar does not contain any bone particles and is therefore kosher certified. The bone char simply removes impurities from the sugar, but does not become a part of the sugar,” Caroline Pyevich stated in The Vegetarian Journal.

Vegans must take note that although bone char is used in the bleaching and filtering process for cane sugar, some companies have reportedly chosen to reply on alternatives including granular carbon, which does not contain animal products during the filtering process.

The bone char element in the making of sugar has caused concern for many vegans. Although the bones that are used are required to come from animals that die of natural causes, there is reportedly no one to monitor that, according the website Ordinary Vegan.

For a list of vegan sugars on the market, click here.