Sunday, December 30, 2007

Vegan Review of 2007 - Vegan Market Trends

Vegan Review of 2007 – A Vegan Year

January 2007 – A London Nutritionist predicted 2007 would be the year of the seed, hemp seed. Meanwhile animal rights and vegan charities predicted the numbers of vegans would double during 2007 as vegans reached critical mass in terms of percentage of the population. A BBC 2 Newsnight correspondent went vegan for a month and even a Government website recognised the vegan diet as a sustainable option to counteract global warming and reducing carbon emissions.

February 2007– Veganism cropped up more and more than ever in the media. An LBC radio presenter turned vegan and in BBC 2’s ‘The Truth About Food’ a group of people with high cholesterol and high blood pressure was studied whilst locked in a zoo and fed nuts and raw fruit and vegetables. Dramatic reduction in blood pressure and cholesterol levels were observed. ‘Diet Energy and Global Warming’, a report from Chicago University, was published and revealed that you should be more concerned about your diet than the car you drive if you are concerned about global warming. Meanwhile more condemnation of factory farming followed the bird flu outbreak at Bernard Mathews Norfolk plant "the most bio-secure turkey plant in Britain”. The Vegan Oscars were launched.

March 2007– Radio London discussed veganism, exposés about pig farming and the plight of the world’s oceans due to overfishing encourage more people to look at veganism. Food manufacturers are encouraged to review unnecessary ingredients in their products following a published report on current market trend showing increase in demand for animal free vegan products. Micro Algae is hailed as a potential vegan saviour of the planet’s oceans for providing an ethical, sustainable vegan source of omega 3 long chain essential fatty acids EPA and DHA.

April 2007 – April 1st rumours of the world’s first vegan fried egg sadly prove to be merely another April fool’s joke. As a report is published that claims bacon can cause cancer, vegans seem more excited by a number of new ethical fashion ranges featuring vegan shoes and vegan handbags following in the footsteps of UK vegan designers such as Natalie Dean and Stella McCartney (who won Elle Style award 2007 for best international designer following her work with Adidas). Meanwhile UK Vegetarian and Vegan charities lay down the gauntlet to Green Party candidates and members of Friends of the Earth – ‘How can you call yourself environmentally friendly if you eat meat?’ they ask.

May 2007 - A Eurobarometer survey says that 8 out of 10 EU consumers are willing to make an extra effort to buy animal welfare friendly products, even if this means changing where they shop or paying more for goods. Over 25 Vegetarian and Vegan organisations join together to pool resources and help as many people as possible go Vegan during the weeks following national vegetarian week. Meanwhile a furore kicks off about a change in Mars’ non vegan recipe for Mars bars. Mars backtrack and agree to change rennet contaminated whey powder but still use battery eggs. Mono, a Glasgow vegan restaurant counters with a vegan Mars bar style dairy free ice cream dessert.

June 2007 – Vegan festivals spring up, not just all over the UK but all over the world in places such as Sweden and Thailand. The biggest of it’s kind is The Bristol Vegan Fayre attracting more than 10,000 pro - vegan festival shoppers. Vegan chocolate is hailed as providing numerous health benefits such as helping heart function through nitric oxide production and endorphin release to reduce stress. This is good news not just for companies such as Plamil Foods, who make vegan chocolate and rebranded during 2007 to highlight organic and sustainable production, but also the many raw chocolate companies who sprang up in 2007.

July 2007 – Even newspapers traditionally filled with animosity towards vegetarians start to publically recognise the new vegan trend. In a 2 page spread a Daily Mail reporter revealed he lost 2 kilos and reduced his cholesterol levels by 23% whilst spending a month on a vegan diet. Despite EU legislation threatening to ban the term ‘superfoods’, vegan superfoods continue to attract notoriety. Victoria Beckham provoked a flurry of activity on Google after admitting her secret to her svelte figure was partly down to drinking 2 pints of vegan seaweed and algae shake per day.

August 2007 – An article in The Economist reveals that the number of Vegan young adults is set to soar and warned that the food industry should prepare itself for big changes. More research reveals the colours in fruit and vegetables could be behind their apparent ability to dramatically reduce cancer risks and destroy cancerous cells. Vegans are popping up everywhere - fire stations in Texas, running for president, in Jim Henson’s Muppet cast and even in Donny Osmond’s BBC TV game show.

September 2007– Even The Sun newspaper has started using the word vegan. The tabloid vegan word count is helped along by paparazzi quarry supermodel Kate Moss, who started dating vegan rock star, Jamie Hince, a guitarist with the indie rock group The Kills. More famous for their hand-made Vegan Chocolates the multi award winning Booja Booja company launched what is probably the world’s healthiest ice cream. Made from cashew nuts, filtered water, agave syrup and either chocolate, ginger, coconut, vanilla or maple syrup and pecan nuts it immediately won an annual nutrition award. A nutritionist with London Nutrition consultancy Foods for Life said “It’s vegan-daz, it made choosing the winner of The Foods for Life 2007 Health Food Award very simple.”

October 2007 – Vegetarian Visitor Vegetarian Guide says Glasgow now vies for title of no1 UK Vegan destination as caterers at Glasgow University join the many vegan establishments in Glasgow such as the café at mono, the organic restaurant bar at 78, the Flying Duck nightclub and vegan deli-café Stereo. Deans Foods one of the USA’s biggest milk distributors announce very tough market conditions forcing them to axe 700 jobs. This was in stark contrast to the ever increasing fortunes of European dairy-free leader, Alpro, who cranked up their TV advertising campaign for their vegan dairy free yoghurts and milks. Google trends and sales figures from leading vegan food companies such as Plamil Foods and Yaoh Hemp products confirm a greatly increased demand for vegan products. Vegan Hollywood star Jacquin Pheonix launches new vegan documentary called ‘Earthlings’

November 2007 – For the first time World Vegan Day is celebrated in high streets all over the UK as Lush Cosmetics stores’ staff go vegan for a day and launch their new website redesigned to make mail order vegan soap shopping easier than ever before. UK Vegan month is launched by Animal Aid who continue with their tour of UK cities. Meanwhile vegan fashion designer Stella McCartney was named Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards proving appreciation of her leading a market trend towards cruelty free fashion. Stella’s stepmother Heather Mills McCartney hopped out of a Range rover at Hyde Park’s speaker’s corner in London to launch a new vegan anti dairy pro environment campaign. A quest for a nationally available healthier vegan Pizza and a petition to The UK Prime Minister to legalize the word ‘Vegan’ was promoted by an organisation calling itself simply MiV, just one of a number of new Vegan groups suddenly springing up all over the world.

December 2007 – Whilst animal rights champions PeTA dish out awards almost weekly the most exclusive vegan awards were handed out at Christmas without Cruelty in London. Winner of the prestigious annual Arthur Ling Memorial Award sponsored by Plamil Foods went to Dr Dan Lyons from Sheffield based anti vivisectionist campaigners Uncaged. The 008 Vegan Awards sponsored by Yaoh Hemp Foods were launched whilst a vegan booby prize was awarded to Quorn by The Vegan Society for including egg and dairy throughout their entire myco-protein range. The Vegan Society’s new press officer also launched a new vegan catering guide, a CD Rom for schools and a booklet about environmental issues with Vegan solutions.


The Vegan Future

Following a string of Vegan awards during 2007, including the RSPCA good business awards, Lush cosmetics’ vegan campaigns team were invited to speak in the houses of Parliament on ethical retailing. This has won them many new friends in high places. The RSPCA claim Ethical consumerism is now worth a staggering £29.3 billion per year. This fact alone will ensure that veganism is driven forward in an ever more increasingly unstoppable vegan tidal wave of vegan awareness that’s blasting the dusty cobwebs out of every crevice of the establishment.

See also Vegan Market Trends

Friday, December 28, 2007

Benazir Bhutto Vegetarian Premier - Murdered

Ex Prime minister of Pakistan - Murdered
Benazir Bhutto 1953 - 2007



European Vegetarian Union News - Global Consciousness through Vegetarianism: Mrs.Benazir Bhutto, the ex Prime Minister of Pakistan - told her countrymen once.
'A Vegetarian Diet keeps me fit inspite of the strains of office. All Muslims should take to Vegetarianism"

Obituary - BBC

http://www.benazirbhutto.co.uk/

Friday, December 21, 2007

Night Mare Before Christmas - Free Movie

Free Movie - Night Mare Before Christmas

Christmas - Free Video. WARNING : No Under 18 - XXX - over 18 only , Adults only, graphic images, groups, gangs, uncensored, close up shots, young females, Vegan Porn.

Free XXX Video - MiV

Mars Bar on Visvisection Fraud

mars bar lies PETA Boycotts Candy Maker, Mars - Associated Content

On the Mars website they claim to bar animal torture to include euthanasia, vivisection or suffering of any animal.It's alleged that Mars' claim is clearly a lie with a number of torture incidents and killings cited presumably in an attempt to prove the flavanoid effects on animal blood pressure and heart health.

Surely it's not hard to organise randomized double blind and placebo human trials using flavanoid rich and flavanoid depleted chocolate. After all it's human that buy mars bars not animals.

Read more mars bars

VegBang News Beats Digg

Tech savvy vegetarians launch VegBang, the first veggie news sharing site, to fight the Digg mafia

Yipee! we may be able to retire soon - As more Vegans get fed up with attempts to protect the status quo vegans are doing it for themselves!

The trick will be to ensure quality content so there is always something worth reading otherwise you may as well just use google news. Hopefully this new news service will grow organically and self police like Wikipedia does.

Perhaps by this time next year they'll be no need for this Worldwide Vegan News blog and I can be making Vegan Christmas Cake instead of typing gobbledigook into a blog window.

Only one snag I can see - I tried to register 3 times and each time my request was rejected ;-( - do the vegbang team have their own mafia? Are they just going to replace the Digg mafia with the Vegan Police?

By the way - Merry Christmas and a very vegan new year!

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Vegan Awards for a Christmas Without Cruelty

Vegan Awards at Christmas Without Cruelty in World Vegan Month Finale!

Super Vegan Awards Animal Aid's Christmas without Cruelty show will see a shower of awards as vegan organisations shower people, companies and products with awards in one of the most successful years for veganism ever.

As world Vegan Month draws to a close it seems vegan organisations are on target to double the number of vegans before the end of the year.

Although the membership of the pedantic, stick in the mud Vegan Society ironically lower than ever, Google trends, other vegan organisations such as Viva! and Animal Aid, feedback from UK vegan festivals, and sales figures from vegan manufacturers expose a rising tide of popularity for a vegan lifestyle.

Vegans are celebrating with a flurry of awards for people and products. The most prestigous of these vegan awards is The Arthur Ling Memorial Award sponored by organic Vegan chocolate manufacturer Plamil Foods. The Arthur ling Award celebrates Ling's innovative spirit and awarded annually to high achievers and projects that benefit the vegan lifestyle.

Rather more for for fun, the back patting Vegan Awards sponsored by Yaoh Hempseed and Hemp Oil products and Veggievision Free Online TV recognise innovative products, eye catching vegan campaigns and publications and leading lights in the independent health food industry

Meanwhile Activeg have initiated the UK Supervegan Awards in an effort to reward Veganism's unsung heroes.

Christmas Without Cruelty Show hosted by Animnal Aid will be at Kensington Town Hall on Sunday 2nd Dec Highlights include speech by Anthony Wedgewood (Tony) Ben and an auctioning off of some 2nd hand knickers from Pretenders icon Chrissie Hynde.

See also Christmas Without Cruelty Vegan Awards

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Heather Mills McCartney Says Cut Down on Dairy!

Heather McCartney / Mills Wants People to Cut Down on Dairy and go vegan

heather mills Paul mccartney's wife says go vegan

Lady Heather Mills McCartney is on a mission to expose meat and dairy as being more damaging to the environment than cars and planes. She quoted figures from the United Nations report on agriculture - Livestock's long shadow.

"When (Viva!) told me it was 18 percent, that's more than all global transport, I was in shock. Airplanes only bring 3 percent, while they are being picked on with taxes," she said Monday.

"We are the only species that drinks another person's milk" she said.

"It's mad that we are having cow's milk. Even cows don't drink it after one year but we continue forever."

She challenges environmentalists and greens like Al Gore who haven't yet gone vegan and says "they haven't got a leg to stand on!"

Monday, November 05, 2007

Vivisectionists Could Face Bancruptcy

Animal rights groups claim Huntingdon vivisectionists would be bancrupt were the UK Government not bailing them out and subsidising the horrific and cruel animal experiments. Many other companies (such as LUSH and even L'Oreal) are putting money into seeking more humane alternatives.

SHAC (Stop Huntington Animal Cruelty) say "HLS (Huntington Life Sciences) remains $100 million in debt, and doesn't even own its buildings. Only 2% of HLS shares are currently being traded, and even then only on an obscure and little used trading scheme, since all the major stock exchanges still refuse to list them. Even the very few companies who recently bought shares in the company, are now getting rid
of their shares just as quickly. Recent large investors who have been added to the long, long list of companies who have stopped dealing with HLS include some of the biggest names in international finance, such as Dresdner/Allianz, Deutche Bank, Rabobank and BNP Paribas."

SHAC allege that "The UK government has repeatedly stepped in and used hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers money to bail out HLS. The government now provides banking and insurance facilities for HLS, the only company in the world with access to such priveleges."

See more at www.shac.net/

Saturday, November 03, 2007

World Vegan Day 2007- News Coverage - World Vegan Day | Google Groups

World Vegan Day 2007- News Coverage round up

A round up of World Vegan Day news for 2007 - if you spot more please add links in Comments below - Many thanks

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Google Trends Shows Rise of Vegans

Environmentalists Say Google Shows Rise of Vegans and Vegetarians for World Vegan Day

Vegan food manufaturer rising sales figures confirm Google trends statistics that show veganism has increased by about 60% in the last few years.

Sales of Vegan Chocolate, Meat free foods and Hemp seeds are very healthy. The biggest increased demand is for Vegan Superfoods such as organic Hemp Protein Powder says Tim Barford of Yaoh Hemp Foods.

Vegan Google Trends

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Earthlings - Ethical TV with Joaquin Phoenix

TV, DVD, Earthlings Earthlings - VEG-TV Joaquin Phoenix narrates a documentary that looks at our planet , the earthlings , and the speciest and racist humans that are running (or ruining)the planet

See it now Earthlings

See also Bonobo TV and VeggieVision TV

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Alicia Silverstone Naked Video & Pictures

PETA.org // Alicia Silverstone's Naked Vegetarian PETA PSA

Britney Spears naked ? Paris hilton nude? No No No - Alicia Silverstone gets naked in another PR stunt by PeTA!


Alicia Silverstone’s Sexy Veggie PSA
Order a FREE vegetarian starter kit at GoVeg.com

Saturday, October 27, 2007

World Vegan Day Glasgow

Glasgow University goes vegan for World Vegan Day
The University of Glasgow has become the first university in the UK to gain official ‘Sunflower Standard’ accreditation from the Vegan Society.

As one of the world’s top universities, the University of Glasgow takes great pride in its Hospitality Services, catering for 18,000 students and more than 5,000 staff as well as extensive conference business.

Following discussions with the University of Glasgow Vegan Society, Hospitality Services have introduced a daily vegan hot food option as part of their service improvements aimed at providing best value, freshly prepared products made, wherever possible, using locally sourced ingredients.

Neil Campbell, Director of Campus Services said: "I am delighted that the team at Hospitality Services continues to move forward and engage with service users. The input from vegan colleagues is welcome and the award demonstrates the joint effort that has gone in to securing this achievement."

Among the mouth-watering vegan options on offer are the following: vegetable Thai Green Curry; Tofu Sausage Cassoulet; Falafel with Cauliflower Gratin; Butterbean Burger with Soya Spring Onion Dip; Chick Pea Arriabatta; Baked Squash with Cajun Tofu; Grilled Tofu Sausage with Cranberry Polenta; and Falafel with Asparagus and Fennel Compote.

Meanwhile Mono, glasgows favourite vegan cafe/ bar/ arthouse/ mini health food shop has a special world vegan day menu for you to try. Visit some of their sister sites too - stereo, the 78, and the flying duck.

Vegan restaurants Scotland

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

World Vegan Day Petition to UK Prime Minister

Petition to: create a legal definition of the words Vegan and Vegetarian.

Please sign this World Vegan Day petition and forward to your friends.

The UK Govt confirms - "There is no single definition in law for the use of the terms 'vegetarian' and 'vegan' either at UK or European level, and any labelling of food or drink products as 'vegetarian' or 'vegan' is voluntary. However, consumers are protected by general legal provisions outlawing false or misleading labelling in UK legislation. The Food Safety Act 1990 (as amended), the Trade Descriptions Act 1968, and Article 16 of European Union Regulation 178/2002/EC must be complied with if such labelling is used."

Many Thanks for signing

World Vegan Day Petition

See also Legal Definition of Vegan

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Weapons of Mass Destruction Brandished by Restaurants - ethical pulse

Weapons of Mass Destruction Brandished by Restaurants - ethical pulse

Restaurants urged to feature alternatives to 'Weapons of Mass Destruction' (Meat and Dairy) on their menus for World Vegan Day 1st November 2007

See also Restaurants:Weapons of Mass Destruction

New Poll - World Vegan Day Poll please vote - one click.


Vegan Pizza
UK Tragedy - Vegan Pizza USA Resounding success

No legal definition of Vegan or Vegetarian for Restaurants in Europe says UK Govt

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

World Vegan Day Melbourne Festival 2007 - a healthy and sustainable lifestyle

World Vegan Day Melbourne Festival 2007 Australia

Oct 16, 2007 – World Vegan Day Melbourne Festival
Sunday the 28th of October 10am to 5pm (FREE EVENT)
Phoenix Community Reserve East Malvern
www.wvd.org.au

Healthy Diet Healthy Planet

Saving the world could be as easy as eating delicious plant based meals according to a fast growing number of people (including celebrities like Alicia Silverstone, Joaquin Phoenix, Daniel Johns, and Moby) who choose a lifestyle that excludes animal products, not only in their diets, but in all aspects of their lifestyle.

The Melbourne World Vegan Day Festival is now in its 5th year and attracts around 5, 000 people and almost 80 stalls. The free entry festival aims to promote a plant based, cruelty free way of living by showcasing vegan foods, cruelty free skincare and cosmetics, health products, organic vegan wines, clothing, pet care and much more. Live music and entertainment for the whole family and free samples and
giveaways provide a colourful backdrop for the celebrations.

This year's highlights include a live performance by Steve Kilbey, ex member of the band The Church, free workshops and seminars and free makeovers using natural vegan cosmetics by an internationally experienced makeup artist.

'We're all concerned for the planet' says coordinator of the festival Mark Doneddu, a long term advocate for a plant based lifestyle 'switching to a diet based on plant foods is a smart way of reducing a host of environmental problems including water and energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, not to mention the health benefits for everyone and the animals lives saved'.

Compelling statistics on water usage alone make many rethink their diets. To produce a kilo of beef it takes 50,000 litres of water (that's equivalent to almost 1,400 four minute showers with a water saving showerhead) compare this to a kilo of rice (2,385 litres) or a litre of milk (4,000 litres) compared to a litre of orange juice (780 litres).

'We can make simple yet effective changes to the way we eat, and have a fundamentally positive impact on the health of ourselves and the planet.' Mark says.

This year, Mark and other organisers are so confident that a vegan lifestyle is the way of the future they are encouraging non vegetarians and vegans to come and experience what the World Vegan Day Festival has to offer. 'We want to challenge people's attitude to their food, where it comes from and the far reaching impacts it has, so if you're passionate about the environment, human health or social justice, an animal lover, or even just curious to know what a plant based lifestyle is all about, we invite you to come to World Vegan Day and experience it for yourself, we think you'll be more than
pleasantly surprised'.

For more information, contact Mark Doneddu on 044871 2063 or email meghan.street@gmail.com

World Vegan Day Melbourne is proudly sponsored by: Soulmama and Happy and Healthy Foods

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Pizza Express -What happened to the Vegan Pizza?

Pizza Express - loosing their minds or just their independence?

Pizza Express - a vegan history As World Vegan Day approaches we ask - "whatever happened to the Pizza Express perfect vegan pizza?" Remember that? - it was awesome - suits and punks together in Reading and Croydon salivating at the real McCoy - dairy free vegan pizzas to shout about.

Not your usual half hearted insult to your intelligence, 'can't be bothered to even try to please you' typical lack of catering effort.

A logical reason? - No one seems to know - but we have a theory. One of the owners of Pizza Express is Capricorn Ventures International Limited registered in The British Virgin Islands. See more here.

Capricorn, owners of Nandos and their MD South African little Charles Lux were behind the demise of the original Vegetarian restaurants, Cranks, started in Carnaby Street London in 1961 and who got bled dry, raped and pillaged, and eventiually shut down, just after Cranks 40th Birthday. Staff were made redundant a few days before Christmas in a move that warranted Capricorn nominating for the Dicken's Christmas Carol award!

Barely a few years later Capricorn were playing Scrooge again cancelling World Vegan Day Vegan Pizza Parties all around the UK just a few days before the event.

Did Capricorn have some kind of veggie vendetta? There seems no other logic to their madness.

The franchise and venture capital group has moved on (and the share price) maybe it's time to try again to help the Pizza Express chain see the sense in a vegan pizza? Read this first.

Contact Gondola Holdings

Contact Pizza Express

Ask them why - despite all the evidence and clear profitability that Capricorn was allowed to trash this initiative.

Currently Pizza Express is the only one with we know of with a dairy free / egg free pizza base but please ask these others about vegan pizzas, dairy free pizza bases and how they can justify charging the same price for a pizza without the vegan cheese!

Contact easyPizza - Contact Pizza Hut - Contact Dominos Pizza - Contact Perfect Pizza - Contact Papa Johns Pizza - Contact Pizza Go Go - Contact Pizza Joe

For Wholesale Vegan Pizza toppings and ingredients such as meat free pepperoni, vegan chorizo, meat free minced beef and superb vegan dairy free melting mozarella see Vegan Pizza Toppings

For Vegan Consultancy Pizza execs should contact MiV

See the Healthy Pizza Recipe with 64 Ingredients - Ethical Pulse

Monday, October 15, 2007

World Food Day

EUROPEAN VEGETARIAN UNION
Press Release - World Food Day, Tuesday 16 October

Meat, the hidden reason for growing food insecurity

This World Food Day was preceded by a series of FAO-warnings "Wheat prices
hit record-high level", "28 countries face food shortages", "Climate change
disaster is upon us", etc., and also the European Union cautioned that "2007
total cereal harvest will be ...1,6% below the average of the last five
years", and that cereal intervention stocks "have shrunk from 14 million
tonnes at the beginning of 2006/2007 to around 1 million tonnes now".

Environmental changes are given as a major cause for failing harvests, and
the FAO even names the culprits, pointing to future disasters by informing
that livestock's environmental impact "will worsen dramatically...".

So it's official: It's the beef!

What vegetarians have tried to get across for decades has finally become
official wisdom: 'Livestock's Long Shadow' puts a dramatic pressure on the
environment, contributes critically to climate change and global warming,
leads to failing harvests and threatens the global food supply. But that's
not all: Even in times of dwindling resources, enormous harvest shares
continue to be requisitioned for farm animals.

The result is obvious: Food is getting scarce and expensive for everyone
and, as always, the poor are the first to suffer and suffer the most.

Stop meat-business as usual

Since animal husbandry is one of the most prominent reasons for the world's
greenhouse pollution which threatens the food supply of billions of people,
more sustainable lifestyles have to be adopted urgently. There is absolutely
no need for the citizens of some countries to continue eating roughly their
own weight in meat every year! Reason and solidarity must bring about
lighter ecological footprints of the individual, and vegetarianism is the
prime choice in this quest.

On the occasion of World Food Day 2007, the European Vegetarian Union
appeals to all people of good will, and especially to national and
international decision makers, to accept and promote the vegetarian
alternative. The present terrifying crossroad shows clearly that for us and
all future generations, new ethical alternatives have to replace old
destructive habits - today.

Renato Pichler
President
European Vegetarian Union
Bahnhofstrasse 52
CH-9315 Neukirch (Egnach)
Fax: +41 (0)71 477 33 78

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

supernatural supervegan super humans: 72 Year Old Vegan Mr America

supernatural supervegan super humans: 72 Year Old Vegan Mr America

Check out Jim Morris 72 year old ex Mr America and Vegan ! Vegans are what? Shut UP!

Jim Morris

See video and interview with Jim Morris on LA's KABC TV

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Largest US Dairy Milk Company in Trouble

US: Dean Foods problems mount; 700 jobs could go : Food News & Comment

The Dairy industry really is in a mess - despite removing some of the fat (skimmed milk) adding in vitamins and flavour, using anti biotics to curb mastitis, removing the lactose to make it more digestible (lactolite)and adding in Omega 3 from fish oil in an effort to make it more similar to the nutrients in human breast milk and massive government subsidies the dairy industry is still struggling to be sustainable....

Dean Foods, the largest milk processor in the US, has suffered as dairy costs continue to rise and the company blamed "unprecedented" costs and a glut of organic milk in the US.

"Rapidly increasing and record high dairy commodity costs have created a very challenging operating environment and 2007 results have been well short of our expectations," admitted Gregg Engles, chairman and CEO. "The third quarter has been particularly challenging as dairy commodity costs have risen sharply, hitting all time highs."

Engles added: "This is by far the most difficult operating environment in the history of the company."

In a bid to reduce costs, Dean Foods said it would cut up to 700 jobs from its workforce. "It is a tough decision but it is a necessary action to improve our competitive position," Engles said.

Monday, October 01, 2007

2012 Olympic Games Cats Death Warrant

News: Animal Clinics, Appeals and Sanctuaries - Celia Hammond Animal Trust UK Rescue Shelters

Celia Hammond Trust has so far rescued 147 cats from the Olympic site. There are many more but now the committee have banned further rescue for no apparent reason.

They have signed a death warrant for hundreds of cats and brought shame to a nation of cat lovers. This is the sort of behaviour that we hear stories about in Greece but it is shocking to find this disregard of life in the UK home of organisations such as the RSPCA where we have laws to protect domestic and wild animals.

See www.celiahammond.org for more

World Vegetarian Day

Eat your vegetables all month long - Today World Vegetarian Day - kicks start a whole international Vegetarian and Vegan month - It ends with World Vegan Day on the 1st of November.

Sponsored by the North American Vegetarian Society, World Vegetarian Day has kicked off a month of meatless meal parties, potlucks, presentations and food tasting displays around the world for the past 30 years.

See also Typical Vegans to play spot the vegan

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Ethical Sunblocks and Suntan Cream

Bring on the sun - Times Online

organic natural sun block and sun cream -vegan
Bit late I know but I'm just back from Sunny Beach in Bulgaria - These same two natural ethical organic Sun Tan Lotions / Sun Creams /Sun screen that scored 4 stars are the same we took with us. They were so effective they lulled me into a false sense of security and the one afternoon I was playing on the beach without them I got slightly burnt. I can thus recommend them.

The whole sun cream thing isa catch 22 situation - you need the sun for vitamin D - but burning isn't going to do you any good at all.

Here's what the Sunday Times said

6 Yaoh organic hemp seed oil

SPF15, £9.95 for 240ml - The white cream has a pleasant coconut smell and rubs easily into the skin. And my pallid skin has remained that way, no sunburn. Although it has an organic tag, this sunblock contains a host of chemical-sounding ingredients and only certain ones are certified organic. However, farther down the list is organic olive and hemp oil, and aloe vera. Yaoh claims the chemicals it uses are the least damaging available, as well as being vegan.

Hemp Sun Cream - Hemp Sun Block

Stockists 0117-923 9053 www.yaoh.co.uk Tested by Claire McDonald

3 Green People sun lotion - SPF15, £15.99 for 200ml

The nicest thing about this suncream is its delicious cool fragrance. It was easy to apply, too, without any residual stickiness. The ingredients include edelweiss, green tea and avocado, and a couple of scientific-sounding things – phenoxyethanol and ethyhexyglycerin – which may have something to do with the product’s suntan accelerator. It did prevent my fair skin from burning, so definitely one for the holiday suitcase.

Stockists 0808 1003102; www.greenpeople.co.uk - Tested by Ann Brady

BUY NOW telephone 0207 6378436 (Int +44 207 6378436) and quote Practitioner Code ZZYB001 'Foods for Life' to qualify for a 10% discount.

Friday, September 07, 2007

Vegan Chocolate Companies Win Awards

Vegan Booja Booja Ice Cream Wins Award

Vegan Vegan Chocolate Manufacturers continue to win awards beating off competition from dairy milk chocolate companies.

Not long after Vegan pioneer company Plamil foods won another award for their chocolate Booja Booja have added to their string of 25 awards for their new healthy vegan organic raw ice cream - 'stuff in a tub'

Foods for Life Nutritionist London say "something this pure and natural really shouldn't taste this addictively and splendidly delicious - It's Vegäan Dazs!"

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Kate Moss Chooses Vegan

Moss’ new beau is rocker Jamie Hince -International Buzz-Entertainment-The Times of India

kate moss Croydon girl Kate Moss seems to finally be taking steps to getting nihilistic drug fuelled Pete Doherty out of her system. Helping with the purge is Jamie Hince a guitarist with the indie rock group The Kills, a self proclaimed 'vegan chain-smoker'! Kate & Jamie sparked the rumours of them being in a relationship, because of a 30-hour drinking session at a London pub.

Jamie was named as one of the world's sexiest vegetarians earlier this year. Although Kate Moss looks like the media's stereo-type impression of a vegan it seems she doesn't eat much of anything. A good healthy vegan diet maybe exactly what she needs after all that alleged boozing and drug taking with Pete Doherty.

However from the look of vegan Jamie Hince, his self professed chain smoking and the fact that the relationship with Kate is started on the basis of late night drinking it sounds like health, diet and nutrition won't be featuring very high up on their list of priorities.

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

The Sun Use the Vegan Word

The Sun Online - TV: TV tough guy Bear is vegan

the sun

What is the world comming to? You just can't trust anyone these days. Time was when you could read a tabloid paper such as The Sun and avoid being affronted by confrontational words such as Vegan.

These days the word vegan even slips into headlines!! Outragous!

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Liar Liar Kraft Dairylea NOT Good Stuff

BBC NEWS | UK | Dairylea advert 'misled' public
liar liar kraft dairylea NOT packed full of good stuff say ASA ruling KRAFT DAIRYLIAR ? Kraft have joined Nestle and other manufacturers of dairy foods reprimanded for making pseudo health claims about dairy foods that just aren't true.

A Dairylea online advert claiming its Lunchables snack was "packed with good stuff" was misleading, a watchdog says.

The Advertising Standards Authority said on average each portion contained half the recommended daily intake of salt for four to six-year-olds.

ASA found two of the six products tested had high levels of saturated fat. It received three complaints about the advert which showed various Dairylea Lunchables sandwiches and the phrase: "Packed with good stuff".

The watchdog found the claim had breached advertising rules and told Kraft not to repeat it.

ASA said the advert claim implied "that Lunchables contained a high proportion of nutrients that were beneficial to health, when we understood that they contained high levels of saturated fat and sodium".

ASA added: "We therefore concluded that the claim 'packed with good stuff' was misleading."

See ASA Adudication Kraft Dairylea

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Vegan Futures - Economist.com

Business.view | Lone woman seeks bald man | Economist.com

economist, economy futures

If you say a fact enough times it becomes a truth..........

The number of “vegan children” is also set to soar. Already, around 1.5m American children aged 8-18 are vegetarian. This trend could spell trouble for the meat industry, which has already launched a counter-offensive. “If the Veggie Child trend is sustained through adulthood, the industry’s future could be at risk,” says Mr Penn, who foresees a growing market for “designer veggies” and tips soya-bean futures as “a great investment”.

(AS CHIEF strategist to Hillary Clinton in her presidential bid, Mark Penn has been tipped by The Economist as the “next Karl Rove”. But when not wondering how best to take the White House, Mr Penn is a business guru too. He runs a corporate public-relations giant, Burson-Marsteller, and has advised many top company bosses. Washington, DC insiders will browse his new book, “Microtrends”, for clues on how the Hillary-for-president campaign will be run; others should read it for its dozens of social insights that could well be turned to profit. )

Friday, August 24, 2007

Donny Osmond Vegan TV Identity is Toughest Test

Identity

donny osmond - Identity Vegan on TV show

On Donny Osmond’s new TV game show on BBC 2, Identity, guessing the vegan identity proves to be one of the toughest identities of the whole TV series.

70’s Pop icon Donny Osmond hosts the new TV show Identity – the ultimate TV mind-game on weekday afternoons on BBC Two.

Already a massive hit in the US, Identity is an intense game of impulse and reasoning. It stretches the contestants' powers of judgement, perception and instinct as they attempt to match 12 complete strangers with their secret identities. The more strangers they identify, the more cash they win.

The Identity contestant has to use all their powers of deduction and perception to work out who is who – from the first Bond girl to the world’s strongest man or the GP to the glamour model. If they can match all 12 strangers to their identities, they can walk away with a cash jackpot of £10,000.

In one of the shows one of the strangers is a vegan and trying to identify their vegan identity proves to be one of the hardest shows of the Identity TV series.

Just what does a typical vegan look like? These days it’s hard to tell, the old stereotypes painted by the media of skinny, bearded, smelly left wing hippies are long gone. There was recently a two page feature in the Daily Mail detailing the diary of one of their journalists who went vegan for a month and cut his cholesterol levels by nearly 25%. With the realisation that a vegan diet and lifestyle can be a recipe that’s kinder to the environment, kinder to health and of course kinder to animals, people from all walks of life and all age groups are becoming vegan.

There are vegan Doctors, vegan firemen, vegan athletes even vegan accountants.

How can you tell a vegan from the average stranger? By the clothes they wear? “Not any longer” says a spokesperson from www.supervegan.org “Fake furs are now better than the real thing, Italian suits can be made in linen and fine spun organic cotton or even hemp.” By their shoes? Not any more, apparently companies such as Beyond Skin and Stella McCartney have haute couture for even the most ethically minded. By their physique? “Not all vegans are super healthy,” say the super-vegans “most vegans adopt a vegan lifestyle for ethical reasons rather than health benefits, however many vegans still manage to look much younger than they actually are.”

So who is the vegan stranger on Donny Osmond’s new TV show. Is it a he or a she? Is he or she old or young? Fat or thin? Old or young? You’ll have to watch to find out, this could prove to be one of the hardest mind games on TV ever –.

Would be contestants are being invited to try their luck and play “spot the vegan” at www.typicalvegan.org.uk

See - Donny Osmond

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Vegan Foods Cure Cancer

Fruit and Vegetables - Cancer Cure

Was it Gandhi who said if you say a truth enough times it will become a fact? OK here goes..... Veganism can prevent cancer , vegan diets can prevent cancer, a wide variety of fruit and vegetables in your diet could cure cancer.

Cancer cure stories are all over the press like a rash this week after reasearch showed colours in fruit and vegetables could kill up to 20% of cancerous cells.

Do we here shouts of "Eat more fruit and Veg! Prevent Cancer!" No, they are all excited because they think they can isolate the colour (forgetting about all the other anticancerous nutrients in the fruit) and turn it into a drug.

Please help me out here people.

How many people died of eating too much fruit and veg in 2006?

How many people died of taking too many drugs or died of side effects of 'safe' drugs in 2006?

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Vegetarian Pies Banned in NZ Pie Contest

Hunt on soon for tastiest Taranaki pies - Taranaki Daily News: local, national & world news from Taranaki's daily newspaper

Pie lovers in New Zealand have banned vegetarian pies from their contest as they are scared of their meat pies getting beaten again as they were in the National competition.

Taranaki Daily News

After the disgrace of the national pie contest, in which the top award was given to a vegetarian concoction, we at the Taranaki Daily News have decided there is nothing else to do but have our own pie contest.


So we're looking for all you commercial pie-makers out there to enter your creations and vie for the title of Taranaki Daily News Pie of the Year.

We will select four category winners, from which the ultimate winner will be chosen.

The rules are simple:

No fruit or vegetarian pies will be allowed to compete.

Pies must be produced in Taranaki no national franchises allowed and be on sale somewhere in the province.

There will be four categories: Traditional mince, traditional steak, traditional bacon and egg, and cosmopolitan (which includes any ingrdients, as long as one of them is meat).

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Award Winning Vegan Chocolate

organic vegan chocolate Press Release - Organic Award Winners-Plamil Health Food Wins Best Vegan Chocolate Awards Plamil Foods win yet another award for their organic Vegan Chocolate, this time from PeTA.

Plamil have launched a number of new products such as a vegan chocolate drops with seeds in a pot and a new carob bar.

All products are now made with 100% renewable energy.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Vegan Gluten Free Christmas Cake

gluten free Christmas Cake, Christmas Pudding, vegan, vegetarian

Gluten free Christmas recipe is suitable for everyone - dairy & wheat free, vegan Christmas cakes, puddings, snacks & baking.

Zedz Foods Gluten Free Vegan Christmas Cake & Christmas Pudding.

Yvonne Bishop-Weston from Foods for Life Nutritionists, London says "Up to 1 in 3 people now believe they have some form of food intolerance. It's not just small family businesses such as Zedz that are fulfilling the rising demand for gluten free and free from foods"

Arla one of the biggest dairy producers in Europe report that 95% of Asians, 75% of Afro Caribbean and 1 in 7 of people in the UK are likely to be intolerant to dairy and have targeted the free from market with a new milk. "Sales of Dairy free foods have risen dramatically and you can get a range of dairy free milks from rice and hazlenut milk to quinoa and even hemp seed milk." says Yvonne.

For more information see Zedz Gluten Free Foods at www.zedzfoods.co.uk

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Vegans Beat Carnivores in Battle of The Kruger

battle of the Kruger Battle of The Kruger

YouTube - Battle at Kruger

If ever you needed an example of the power of numbers or are seeking inspiration for the potential power of veganism then watch this video.

A pride of lions (the ultimate carnivore) creep up on a herd of water buffalo (Vegan Herbivores) and kidnap a baby calf. After a tussle with two crocadiles the pride settle down to their supper but the baby buffalo is having none of it and keeps kicking and shouting to his dad. The vegetarian water buffalo regroup, charge and the calf's dad tosses a lion in the air and chases the othes off helped by some of the other older fiercer bulls.

Calf rescued and reunited with his family safe in the centre of the herd the water buffalo proceed to chase the rest of the lions away from the watering hole to leave only the crocadiles to contend with.

AWESOME! In another You Tube Video A Zebra fights off a Crocadile by biting it's eye

Monday, August 06, 2007

New Vegan Muppet in Henson Puppet Plans

Hensons -Animation Magazine

muppets,Pictures
The Jim Henson Muppet Animation team have been working on a TV series that stars a gay vegan pig - quelle surprise the US TV networks have been lukewarm about the idea - it seems it will be now screened on line.

Animation Magazine report;

'The Hensons offered a first look at Tinsel Town, a new puppet web series about a bull named Samson Knight and a pig named Bobby Vegan, a mismatched gay couple living in Hollywood. The episode was a big hit with the audience and is sure to garner a lot of attention when it hits the web.'

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Vegan Diet for Weight Loss & Reduce Cholesterol

Vegan Diet in The Daily Mail - Yet again we see a vegan diet helping with weight loss and cholesterol reduction. The Daily Mail today features a month trial where a journalist tries a vegan diet for a month.Without even really trying or taking any sound advice he lost 2 kilos and reduced his cholesterol levels by 23%.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Christian Aid Partly to Blame For Carbon mess

Animal Aid: As charity launches climate change rallies... Christian Aid plan exposed

With some livestock losses in Africa running at nearly 93% not only is money to Christian Aid to 'send a cow' a waste of money - it actually exasperates the situation and makes things worse. Cattle all have to eat and drink too putting a tremendous strain on limited resources.

Animal Aid Director Andrew Tyler says:

‘Christian Aid’s emotive advertising has featured photographs of dead, bloated goats in barren landscapes. Cattle losses in regions such as Northern Kenya are as high as 93%. Yet Christian Aid encourages the public to give money so that more animals can be provided for communities that cannot support them. The number of hoofed animals in sub-Saharan Africa increased from around 275 million in 1961 to more than 655 million by 2005. In that same period, the levels of poverty and environmental destruction increased alarmingly. By providing more animals, Christian Aid will produce more human misery, more land degradation and ensure that more animals will die from starvation, thirst and exhaustion.’

Thursday, July 12, 2007

£119m Spent on Vegan Food for Children Fails

Healthy Eating , Nutrition and Health News - Children

£119 million pounds spent by the NHS on trying to get school children to eat more vegan foods has failed to counteract the billions of pounds spent by snack food manufacturers advertising unhealthy foods to children.

Fruit and Vegetables just aren't cool enough in the brain-washed minds of UK children.

See £Million failure for our Children's nutrition

Neil Lea : A Sad Loss

Neil Lea : from Veggies / Sumac Diary

Neil Lea of Real Food / ARC news / Vegan Buddies died this week after a long illness that he refused to allow to stem the tidal wave of his campaigning.

Neil Lea was an incredible and inspiring individual who despite his restrictive health conditions did the work of at least 10 normal vegans.

Creative, inspirational, enthusiatic and dedicated to the end, his achievements were awesome and his obsessive positivity humbling.

Our wishes and thoughts go to Mary and Seamus and Neil's many friends and fellow vegan animal rights activists.

See http://londonanimalrights.org.uk/neilbook1.html

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Boycott , Esso, Miller, Nouvelle say Ethical Consumer

ethiscore.org info

As Live Earth calls on individuals, companies and government to take urgent action on climate change, Ethical Consumer calls consumers to boycott three climate criminals lobbying against a greener future.

boycott esso ethical consumer

boycott miller ethical consumer


boycott nouvelle ethical consumer

Monday, July 02, 2007

Vegan Superfoods Will Be a Secret!

Healthy Eating , Nutrition and Health News

The European Parliament seems to have finally lost it's grip on reality. Millions of people die each year from reactions to drugs. What's the EU up to ? banning Vegan Superfoods! It's now apparently forbidden to call a vegan superfood a superfood.

Utter, utter, utter utter UTTER madness! They should be trying to find ways to get people to eat more brocolli and hempseeds but what? No, instead trying to protect us from SPINACH!

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Vegan Festival in Sweden Huge Success for Swedish Teens

Vegomässan 2007 - Djurrättsalliansen

Infectious Veganism

Sweden has been infected. The vegan Swedes are hot on the UK's Vegan heels. The sudden infectious explosion of Vegan festivals from Bristol to Liverpool and everywhere else in between has also caught on in Sweden.

They had nearly 3 times the amount of visitors they were expecting!

"The Veggie Fair 2007 in Sweden turned out to be a great success, 1700 (instead of the estimated 600) people came to take part in the abundance of food, cakes, talks, film-viewings and information on animal rights.

The fair was a taste of what the future holds for everyone interested in a cruelty-free lifestyle. The film- and lecture rooms were packed with people. . . actually the whole fair was packed! This was the first ever Veggie fair organised by the grassroot animal rights group Djurrattsalliansen."

For more about Swedish Teenagers, hi res pictures and photos and their vegan exploits see their Swedish Vegan website - www.vegomassan.org

Also see the free full length video of the vegan Swedish teens in action.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Supervegan - Steph Davis

supernatural supervegan super humans: Super Vegan rock climber - Steph Davis

Real life Spiderman top rock climber and vegan Steph Davis. No coincidence that like Toby Maguire who bought Hollywood Spiderman to life using a vegan diet Steph Davis claims her success is due to a vegan diet.

spiderman, steph davis

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Victoria Beckham on Seaweed and Algae Shake Diet

Victoria Beckham on Seaweed & Algae Shake Posh Diet

Victoria Beckham is downing 2 pints of vegan superfoods per day according to Look magazine.

Harley Street Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston says it's not as daft as it sounds.

Nutrients in algae such as Chlorella and seaweed such as Dulse or Nori have many nutrients that many people miss out on.

SOURCE: Posh Diet - Seaweed and Algae Shakes

Buy Seaweed & Algae Shake - call 0871 2884642 or see www.optimumnutritionists.com

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Over 25 Vegan Organisations Form Super Team to Turn Everyone Into Vegetarians

Major Summer Offensive: Over 25 Vegan Organisations Form Super Team to Turn Everyone Into Vegetarians

As over 25 vegan organisations and the vegan cream of the UK vegetarian manufacturers gang up for a major offensive on the UK's unsustainable eating habits events in Bristol seem to be building up to the battle of the little big horn. This could be a turning point for world veganism.

Summer Battle for UK hearts and minds at the Vegan Festival in Bristol.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Vegan Firemen - Healthy Firefighters

Engine2.org > Home

I've spoken to a number of Vegan Firemen over the years but never come across a whole crew of fire fighters who were vegan.

This lot are amazing. One of them had heart problems and very high cholesterol - he has reveresed all his symptoms on a healthy vegan diet. The rest of the crew were so impressed they went Vegan too.

vegan fireman vegan firefighters

Friday, May 18, 2007

Animal Rights , Activists, Extremists

Animal Rights Activists: 16 May 2007: House of Commons debates (TheyWorkForYou.com)

Who is this guy???

Evan Harris Evan Harris (Oxford West & Abingdon, Liberal Democrat). Given that it is both Government and Opposition policy to support well regulated animal research, does he agree that it is vital to win the battle for the hearts and minds of young people, who should be exposed to arguments that are at least balanced? Given that there is underfunding of some of the non-governmental organisations working in this area in comparison with the anti-vivisection organisations, could he look further into the co-ordination and funding of efforts in schools to put balanced arguments about animal research?

Arrrggghh what planet is this cretin from? The Pharmaceutical companies invest millions in support of Animal Testing! Has anyone ever seen a rich animal rights campaigner? The Vegan Society spent about £2.50 on anti-vivisection last year. To suggest anti vivisectionists are well funded is plain stupid - I guess ignorance is bliss.

2 Jag John Prescott 2 Jag John Prescott - "the extremists have done an excellent job" we have been discussing how we can do more to continue the education in schools about such extremism. We are working to provide materials for teachers to help them to approach these topical issues in the classroom. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills is leading work to provide training for teachers through a national network of science learning centres and the Government are also funding the production of a DVD of the play "Every Breath", which addresses animal rights issues, for distribution to teachers.

We would expect nothing less from you John!

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Survey: Better Animal Welfare say 8 out of 10 Europeans

EUROPA - Rapid - Press Releases

european survey

EU consumers are willing to make an extra effort to buy animal welfare friendly products, even if this means changing where they shop or paying more for goods, according to a Eurobarometer survey on attitudes to animal welfare, published today. The report shows, however, that citizens feel they lack the necessary information to distinguish between products on animal welfare grounds.

In the first EU survey on animal welfare to cover all 27 Member States, as well as Turkey and Croatia, 62% of respondents said that they would change their shopping habits in order to access more animal welfare friendly goods. The survey also revealed that citizens do not feel that they are provided with this option at the moment, due to insufficient information on animal welfare in food production. A large majority of respondents backed the idea of labelling or logos to indicate the animal welfare standards met in producing the foods they buy. The survey demonstrates general support for financially rewarding EU farmers who use better animal welfare practices.

Markos Kyprianou, Commissioner for Health, said "The message from EU citizens is clear – they view animal welfare as a priority and are willing to contribute to its promotion. The results of this survey are an affirmation of what the Commission is trying to achieve in the field of animal welfare and confirm that our efforts are a response to public demand for action in this area. The Commission attaches great importance to improving animal welfare both in the EU and internationally, and it is good to see that citizens support our efforts."

A priority for citizens

The Eurobarometer shows that animal welfare is an issue which EU citizens rank highly, giving it an 8 out of 10 on average in terms of importance. Most perceive that animal welfare has improved in their country over the last decade, although 77% still believe there is more to be done. Greeks (96%) Cypriots (91%) and Portuguese (90%) in particular would like more attention to be given to the wellbeing of animals in their country. The Eurobarometer also shows that citizens are in favour of further incentives to promote animal welfare in the EU. Over 70% of respondents supported the idea of financial rewards for producers who apply high animal welfare standards. There was also strong consensus (89%) that imports should have to be produced under the same animal welfare conditions as those originating in the EU.

Perceived benefits of animal welfare

In addition to the traditional ethical concerns that generate support for animal welfare, the wellbeing of animals during the production of food now appears to be strongly associated with the healthiness and quality of products. Over half of those surveyed perceived food produced in keeping with high animal welfare standards to be healthier than other food, while 48% said they thought it to be better quality.

Monday, May 14, 2007

Mars Bars - Now With Free Cow Sick!



BBC NEWS | Business | Mars starts using animal products in Mars bars

Some of the UK's best-selling chocolate bars, such as Mars bars and Twix, will no longer be suitable for vegetarians.

Also affecting brands such as Snickers and Maltesers, owner Masterfoods said it had started to use animal product rennet to make its chocolate products.

See Hemp Chocolate for sustainably made, ethical, healthy, sugar free chocolate.

See also Mc Mars Bar - Glasgow Vegetarian Restaurant launches Vegan Mars Bar Dessert - Mono / Stereo / The 78

See also Daily Mail - This is London - Food Production Daily - The Guardian

Vegan Kitchen Nightmares

Real Kitchen Nightmares - London Nutritionists Challenge British Chefs and Restaurants for National Vegetarian Week.

"Diners looking for meat free options on restaurant menus are still often getting a raw deal on quality, choice and value for money," says Tony Bishop-Weston from Foods for Life, Nutritionists, London. "Chef's should use extra demand during National Vegetarian Week ( 21st - 27th May) to try out healthy new dishes."

Despite the many vegetarian and vegan pubs and restaurants that have sprung up all over the UK (mono & Stereo in Glasgow, Banns in Edinburgh, 222 , Pogo and Mildreds in London , Bob Trollops in Newcastle, The Porter in Bath, Cafe Maitreya in Bristol, The George in Brighton), it seems only The London Brewery Fuller's in Chiswick are taking vegetarian demand seriously. According to The Publican Fuller's are now training their chefs about vegan diets, how to avoid vegan kitchen nightmares, and following the lead of Aramark, leaders in USA college catering.

There is a prize on offer to the best healthy vegan innovation from a chef during The UK Vegetarian Society's National Vegetarian Week - a gift box of Lush goodies from notoriously smelly, sparkling, vegetarian eco-superstars, Lush Cosmetics. Winners will be announced at The 5th Bristol Vegan Fayre on the 9th & 10th June after the program of vegan cookery demonstrations.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Welsh Say "Nuts" to Eco Friendly Green Vegan Fashion

icWales - Howies finds alternative to wasteful plastic

AN ETHICAL Welsh company has found a solution to the plastic buttons problem – using dried nuts from South America.

Sounds nuts to me - great if you get caught out needing a quick vegan snack! I hear a mass migration of squirrels has already begun.

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Last Minute Holidays & Holiday Bargains

Are you looking for Last Minute Holidays ideas and holiday bargains? Short Breaks? Forget the last minute cheap flights and burdoning your carbon footprint! Get yourself along to one of the Vegan Festivals this summer !

The biggest one, probably the biggest vegan festival in the world will be in Bristol at The Bristol Vegan Fayre on the 9th and 10th June.

Download the programme here...

Bristol Vegan Festival

Destination Bristol has been in touch with all the local hotels to see which ones can accommodate people who are vegan. You can now book online from a wide range of accommodation that they have vetted, and if you go onto www.conferencebookings.co.uk , where it says 'New Reservation' you will need to enter the code BRSVEGAN2007.

Good value offered in a range of selected hotels kindly provided by Destination Bristol. See Bristol Events

This Weekend there is the Cruelty Free Festival in Southampton

Southampton vegan festival

Then there is The Vegan Festival in London on the 19th August

London Vegan Festival

Great ethical opportunities for last minute holidays and holiday bargains for all the family.

Much simpler than www.lastminute.com don't you think?

See also Vegetarian Visitor activity holidays and courses

Sunday, May 06, 2007

Gluten Free Vegan Wedding Cakes New Trend

Gluten Free Vegan Wedding Cakes & Birthday Cakes See New Demand As Eco-Chic Make by Zedz Foods Gluten Free Vegetarian Cakes, Muffins & Snacks

Apparently gluten-free wedding cakes are very in and U at the moment. Perhaps all the in-breeding has left the upper classes more susceptable to food intolerance ? (although food intolerance is very un U). The trouble is as soon as something becomes popularly known as being U it becomes Un-U very quickly - The Times reports Tomatoes are vulgar and now very un-U (proper people don't eat tomatoes)

Doves Farm report 20% of people believe that they have adverse reaction to particular foods including wheat, dairy, eggs and gluten.

Whatever, it seems to be wedding etiquette that you don't have a wedding cake that is full of ingredients that a quarter of your guests are trying to avoid.

Certainly veganism is becoming an unstoppable trend with fancy vegan restaurants opening up all over America and veganism now featuring regularly in the Fashion pages (see elsewhere on Vegan News)

gluten free wedding cakes, wheat free snacks and Muffins




Gluten Free Vegan Wedding Cakes & Birthday Cakes

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Posh Nosh for Vegans and Vegetarians

Worcester Telegram & Gazette News

sublime A new breed of fine dining vegan restaurants are opening up all over the world - the latest is apparently Sublime.....

At Sublime, cascading waterfalls trickle from 10-foot windows in a low-lit dining room filled with live palm trees and customers sampling $19 caviar — made of seaweed, not fish eggs.

Once a network of grungy, obscure cafés, the vegetarian and vegan experience in some cities has blossomed on par with its carnivorous counterparts, complete with Zagat ratings and celebrity clienteles.

There are between 1,000 and 1,200 vegetarian restaurants in the U.S., almost double the number seven years ago, according to Dennis Bayomi, president of VegDining.com.

For Vegetarian Restaurants in the UK see www.vegetarianvisitor.co.uk

For London see Croydon Vegetarians webpage Favourite Vegetarian Restaurants London

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

The Hundreth Monkey Syndrome

have you seen the hundreth monkey?
The Hundreth Monkey Syndrome: "Organisers of an international ethical living eco festival at The Eco chic greener than green, 5th Bristol Vegan Fayre plan to broadcast live on international TV channel www.veggievision.co.uk as they search for the hundredth monkey. Viewers will be encouraged to spot the person who will invoke the hundredth monkey principle and provoke spontaneous veganism in millions of people around the world.
"

See PR Leap Press Release Here

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Vegan Handbags dispel weird vegan granola hippie thing

Animal-Friendly Accessories For Hipsters - More Eco Chic From MSNBC.com 1News Story - KNTV | San Francisco:

"These bags dispel the weird-vegan-granola-hippie thing." What's that then? I never eat granola - and all the hippies I ever knew (at Stonehendge free festival and the odd Here and Now / Steve Hillage/ Hawkwind gig) seemed to survive mainly on porridge, beans and small mushrooms.

They explain "Eco-chic" is the new buzzword when it comes to fashion. Mainstream companies are rolling out organic-fabric clothes and beauty companies are doing anything they can to compensate for it. Could vegan-friendly accessories be the next wave? The May issue of Lucky has an increasing number of faux-leather products, which are still sexy and stylish. But what does vegan mean when it comes to fashion? It means any products derived from an animal were not used. Truly vegan accessories use synthetic leather, vegetable dies and vegetable based glues. Thanks to Stella McCartney, who started the trend many others are committed to avoiding leather and fur, and also any animal-based glues or dyes. She (McCartney) started the trend, now we have the next wave.

Could Eco Chic be the straw on the camel's back of status quo and invoke the hundreth monkey syndrome? There's no doubt there is a new wave of veganism.

For more about Eco chic, Green fashion and Vegan Fashion see www.fashion.net/fashion/green/

Vegan Shoes for Green Fashionistas.

See also green Fashionista news from The Bay Area

Koskella, a former Silicon Valley-ite, says the company started two
years ago when a stylish vegan friend complained that all nonleather
shoes were either ugly or poor in quality.

"This was an issue that the fashion world was not facing as people
were becoming more socially aware," she says. "There was a
misconception that if you care about animals and the environment,
you're a hippie.You can be a fashionista and be green," she says. "It's no longer a
fringe movement."

Monday, April 23, 2007

Freedom of information vs Censorship

Freedom of information on the Internet














Information that has has been censored by Governments
A Human Rights campaign by Amnesty International

See irrepressible

Friday, April 20, 2007

Earth Day - Go Vegan or forget it.

Vegans celebrate Earth Day every day so this headline gave us a warm glow!...
You Can't Be a Meat-Eating Environmentalist: Celebrate Earth Day by Going Vegan:

"A November 2006 United Nations report revealed that raising animals for food generates more greenhouse gases than all the cars and trucks in the world combined. Senior U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) official Henning Steinfeld said that the meat industry is “one of the most significant contributors to today’s most serious environmental problems.”

So that's a vegan green or a dirty mother earth choking polluting green.

Just once more for your friend at the back - You Can't Be a Meat-Eating Environmentalist!

Pig fat to be mixed in with diesel

pigs fat for diesel

BBC NEWS | Business | Pig fat to be turned into diesel

Ethical osmetic companies such as Lush are obviously having an effect on the animal fat soap trade. Now factories processing pigs are turning their attention to turning pig fat into Diesel.

It seems that Hindhu, Jewish, muslim, vegetarian and vegan lorry drivers may be looking for new jobs. The oil companies plan to mix the pig oil in with ordinary diesel so you won't even be able to choose.

Unbelievably they are pitching this as an environmentally friendly product!!

While other car fuel replacement products already exist in the form of bio ethanol - made from grain, plant fats and sugar cane - Mr Webster said that animal diesel will not be made at a cost to food production.

"We won't be processing animals simply to get the fat to turn them in to fuel. We're taking a by-product and using that for fuel," Mr Webster said.

Ironically he also says "We feel that it is a huge step forward as opposed to taking grains which are needed for food around the world and turning those in to fuel."

Well DOH! whose food are the animals eating? How much rain-forest is being chopped down to grow GM soya to feed to animals not people??!!??

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Bacon Causes Lung Disease

Bacon Causes Lung Diseases such as Lung Cancer

A new study suggests that even taking into account smoking, bad diets amongst less educated people who tend to eat more bacon, that the nitrates in cured meat may cause lung disease or at least make it more likely and increase your chances of lung failure.

Basically if you eat bacon butties, smoke and don't eat fruit and vegetables you are banjaxed, history, kaput, feeding the worms, freeing up a hospital bed.

Seems like Danish Bacon may be doing more for increasing the percentage population of Vegans than The Vegan Society with Danish Bacon's perfect bacon buttie campaign

Vegan Cyclists to Go Pro

Vegan Cyclists go pro

Vegan Cyclists

The team, part of the nonprofit organization Organic Athlete, is the first elite cycling team in the United States whose members exclusively follow a vegan lifestyle.

OrganicAthlete is the creation of Sebastopol resident Bradley Saul, who is also a member of the cycling team. Saul said he created OrganicAthlete to inform other athletes about veganism and to create a community and support group for athletes who are vegan.

“We’re trying to dispel the myth that you can’t be health-based and fit,” Saul said.

Although there are other vegan cycling teams, Team Vegan, founded this year, is unique because it has so many category one and two riders, Saul said. The team participates in the highest-level amateur races.

They made need some help from iron man Brendan Brazier to reach today's modern athletic standards http://cellularfoods.com/

Vegan shoes and Vegan fashion

chic vegan shoes

newsobserver.com | Style goes vegan: by samantha.smith@newsobserver.com.

For years, vegans who wanted to stick to a cruelty-free philosophy in both their diet and fashion meant they often had to sacrifice style. Jimmy Choo stilettos don't come in synthetic leathers. Louis Vuitton isn't known for canvas satchels. In fact, only a few high-end designers - among the best-known, Stella McCartney - are conscious about not using animal products in the vegan shoes, jackets and handbags they design.

Vegans say the changes have made sticking to their beliefs easier.

Stephanie Hodges, a 33-year-old vegan from Chapel Hill, said now she often finds a vegan shoes at most national stores she shops at. "A lot of times you come across something when you're not even looking," she said. "I don't feel like there's anywhere that's mainstream where I can't shop."

Zita Resnais, a 22-year-old from Cary, said her vegan finds these days are typically by accident.

"There are vegan things all over the place," she said "People who want to find them, do. If you're a vegan, you want to go that extra step."

The widest selection of vegan shoes and accessories, however, are found on the Web, local vegans say, including specialty stores such as alternativeoutfitters.com and mooshoes.com, but also at shoe giants such as zappos.com, which has a limited selection of vegan shoes for men, women and children.

And when all else fails, there's even a new fashion blog now for vegans, veganfashionblog.com, helping vegans find cruelty-free style options, including shoes and handbags.

For some ofthe best Vegan Shoes in the world see http://www.beyondskin.co.uk

For a vegan fashion show visit the ethical living vegan festival at www.bristolveganfayre.co.uk

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Vegan Gentleman - Michael Sutcliffe - Dies 84

michael sutcliffe



We are deeply saddened to have recieved these words from Andrew Tyler of Animal Aid

Dear All

A very special person, Michael Sutcliffe, died over Easter. He was a great supporter of Animal Aid and several other groups; went on all the major and a great many minor demos; wrote non-stop to government departments and newspapers; chaired and participated in all kinds of meetings; was personally very kind and supportive...and brave: his non-stop campaigning barely flagged through a series of painful and debilitating ailments and illnesses over recent years. He was 84. He was found, presumed to have suffered a heart attack, at his desk with his research papers all around ...active and determined to the last. He was an inspiration and a wonderful asset to the animal rights movement. He will be sorely missed.

Andrew Tyler
Director Animal Aid

Michael Sutcliffe was the epitome of a true English gentleman, too much of a gentleman to be anything other than a vegan.

Michael was interviewd at the launch of Animals Count he was quoted '82-year-old Michael Sutcliffe, who is retired, said the creation of the new party marked "a very brave effort which is badly needed' see - BBC NEWS | UK | UK Politics | Activists welcome animal rights party

There are more of Michael Sutcliffe's words on the SHAC website -

"I write as an Animal Rights (and a few human rights) person, as a rather ageing Vegan foot soldier, now fortunate to be retired, as from 1987, after 41 years hard work, as a Chartered Shipbroker (Before that straight from school, wartime naval service, 1942 – 46) – now, to have the time, to be able to try and help support all the wonderful friends in our movement of compassion, and to express my indignation, and anger, over the never ending and systematic cruelty to animals done by “man”.

The numbers of suffering animals throughout the world are absolutely horrendous, and in their billions, be they in research laboratories (as “tools”); in “factory farms” (markets, transport, slaughter, as animals for food); in zoos, circuses (for entertainment); in the fur industry (for personal adornment); in the countryside, in the wild, as targets for hunting, shooting, angling, trapping, either as “vermin control” or merely as “sport”, amusement and “leisure pursuit”; at sea, its inhabitants decimated, cruelly, by whaling, dolphin slaughter and over-fishing, trapped in huge small-mesh nets.

In this country alone, each and every week, some 600,000 cattle, pigs, sheep, and some 16 million poultry, chickens, turkeys, ducks, are killed ruthlessly, to be eaten, merely for their taste and enjoyment, to be chewed, trashed through a diseased digestive system, and summarily flushed down the lavatory, all totally unnecessary for human health and existence. Such is the monstrous disregard by “man” for sentient creatures, with their own rights, who try and share this small world with rapacious greedy and brutal “man”.

Our thoughts and wishes go out to Michael Sutcliffe's family, many friends and colleagues from the animal welfare and vegan movement and hope that many more people step up to try to fill Michael's shoes and make the future that he dreamed of a practical reality.

Sunday, April 01, 2007

The World's First Vegan Fish

The world's first headless, brainless, vegetarian, vegan, fishless fish bred by Swiss Scientists

world's first vegan fish



Embargoed Until 00.07 April 1st 2007

The world's first headless, vegan, fish - Scomberomorus Maculates Scervellato

Swiss Biochimeric engineering scientists have managed to breed the world's first headless, brainless, fishless, fish by adding in proteins and fatty acids from EPA DHA rich micro algae. Macrobiotic Chimeric Engineering has reached new heights with the breeding of a new species that is closer to algae and seaweed than a fish.

Dr Oeildoiseau from the Lake Geneva Institute in Switzerland said “Zis is an amazing breakthrough that was achieved without genetic engineering and has incredible repercussions for the health of the world’s poor and landlocked communities. Ze technique used was a little like skin grafting and is made possible by ze very special properties of omega 3 rich essential fatty acids in micro algae which we added into vegetarian caviar eggs made from seaweed and potato starch.”

Marine biologists have confirmed the new fish is not a fish and classes as a plant as it is genetically simpler than plankton. Plankton falls just within the animal kingdom so isn’t classed as vegetarian or vegan. Hugh Haddock from Aberdeen University said “This unique plant is perfect for farming, because it has two tails and no head it just swims around in circles. Because it’s not technically a fish there are no issues with all the usual harvesting dilemmas such as electrocution, gassing, or stunning with a truncheon and then gill slitting”

A spokesman Redwoods foods who make the fish free making waves range of vegan scampi, fishless fingers, vegan salmon pate and tuna said today “We are assessing the ethical and sustainability implications of this rather intriguing development. We will also be seeking feedback from our customers to find out their reactions to it. Even though it’s not technically a fish I suspect that some of our customers may still be a bit squeamish about something that looks like something from Dr Doolittle - a headless Push-Me-Pull-You fish.”

Vegan Society spokesman Joe King said “There’s no doubt that Scomberomorus Maculates Scervellato is not an animal, it has no central nervous system. This product would be eligible for registration with The Vegan Society – whether or not vegans would buy it is another matter.”

Plamil Foods who make sugar free vegan chocolate fortified with hempseeds for extra amino acids and essential fats have ruled out the possibility of including the vegan fish in their chocolate. “It may go well with our organic egg free mayonnaises but it’s not something we are looking to use as an ingredient.” said managing director Adrian Ling.

A spokesperson for Water 4 Investments the company behind the world’s first vegan alternative to omega 3 fish oil DHA and EPA - V Pure said today “We can see no benefit to us from this vegan fish, our strain of algae already provides all the nutrients we need – there would just be extra expense and effort but no advantages from making oil from this Frankensteinesque creature.”

There are plans to launch the fish at the International ethical living festival at the 5th Bristol Vegan Fayre on June 9th & 10th in Bristol City’s new waterside development. A big tank is being borrowed from the London Aquarium and they will be grown on site. Negotiations are underway with Bristol City Council, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth to ensure none of the creatures escape into the wild.


Editor's Notes

Picture - World's first Vegan Fish - Picture