Vegans on the March to take over World

The Observer | Food monthly | Peace, love and profit - meet the world's richest organic grocer

UK Retail Grocery trade and in particular Holland & Barrett with their vegan pork pies and stranglehold on the UK retail health food business should be looking out for this man.

John Mackey is a vegan who means business - a business valued at $5bn Sales are expected to top $12bn in the US by 2010.

He has spent £21 million taking over Fresh and Wild and is currently refurbishing London Department Store, Barkers to give us the UK's biggest ever Health Food & Wholefood Store. He has plans to have a whole Foods store in every major city in the UK.


Mackey asks: 'Are you familiar with Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs? His theory is that our first and most important needs are physical - food, water, sex. When those needs get met, other needs begin to assert themselves - safety, belonging, having a sense of love and friendship, then self-esteem. Beyond that it is self-actualisation.'

Whole Foods' journey to self-actualisation has taken time - some 25 years so far - and Britain is the company's first overseas investment. Mackey is anticipating a certain amount of scepticism. 'They said our first store in Austin would not work. Then they said it would not work outside Austin, that it would not work outside Texas, that we would never succeed in California or Chicago or New York. People dismissed us sort of a fad, just a bunch of weird food hippies. But we've proved them wrong everywhere we've gone, and we'll carry on.'

Over the last two-and-a-half decades, Mackey has proved almost everyone wrong and, in the process, has turned conventional business wisdom on its head. He has transformed 'hippy business' from a recipe for disaster to a prescription for world-beating - and, perhaps, world-changing - growth. Whole Foods is battling the industrialisation of farming. It sells natural food from reputable, small-scale suppliers.

Dairy food industry uses vegan ingredients for health

Having obviously finally grasped the concept of veganism and the benefits to health, Dairy manufacturers have started using plant foods in a last ditch attempt to hold on to their market share in the face of more people eating vegan than ever before.



Spotted this in the Independent On Sunday 22nd Jan.....



MiniCol cheese

The product MiniCol - a healthy alternative to cheese, in which all buttermilk has been replaced by wheatgerm oil.

What it claims Plant sterols in the oil help to reduce the absorption of cholesterol through the gut. It's guilt-free dairy overweight people can eat.

Where to get it £1.98 for 195g, from supermarkets

Value of the ethical consumerism at ?26bn

Co-op calculates value of the ethical consumerism at �26bn -

December 14, 2005

The dramatic rise in the sales of Fairtrade label products ? now worth over �140 million a year ? is well documented. But the value of the Fairtrade category is dwarfed by wider spending on ?ethical? goods says the Co-operative Bank, which has just carried out a survey into ethical consumerism.

The Co-op survey found that the value of ethical consumption increased by 15% in 2004 to a staggering �25.8 billion. The reason for this huge figure is that it includes categories such as ethically invested funds (valued at over �10 billion) and products and services bought because they offset climate change (�3.4 billion). Spending ethically on food ? including organic food and free-range eggs ? surpassed �4 billion for the first time, whilst spending on ethical fashion reached �680 million.

Consumer awareness of energy efficiency also increased, with the amount spent on energy-efficient electrical appliances rising by 23.5% to �1.3 billion. Spending on eco-friendly cleaning products rose to �13 million, from �11 million in the previous year.

The survey found that 54% of those questioned agreed with the statement: ?As a consumer, I can make a difference to how responsibly a company behaves.? This compared with 19% the year before. Greater awareness of ethical issues also led to an increase of boycotts on foods and shops.

Vegan - A nightmare before Christmas?

Author of a vegan cook book has challenged mothers around the world to prepare for what they may consider to be their worst christmas nightmare.

He asks mothers "How would you cope with this situation?"

"Your son texts from school to say he?s bringing his girlfriend back home for the holiday season."

"Before you can get the cork off the bottle of champagne to celebrate - he says ?just one more little thing - She?s Vegan!?"

"What would you do? Would you panic? Would you frantically search google online for a cruise on last minute dot com ?"

"How would you feel about the prospect of no turkey? What gift would you buy a vegan? No silk, no leather, even non organic cotton un-fair trade cotton has a vegan question mark over it these days."

As the full implications dawn on one it does seem to get worse.

No Chocolate, no wine (often contains fish or gelatine), no un-cruelty free cosmetics?

Tony offers a suggested ten point plan and coping strategy with a recipe for a happy vegetarian Christmas.

New UK Vegetarian Guide book 2006 to Britain

Vegetarian Visitor - UK Vegetarian Guide book 2006

Looking for weekend breaks, short breaks, beds and accommodation in Britain with recommended meals for vegetarian diets?

Out now, The latest edition of the No 1 vegetarian, annually updated, GB guidebook to approved cafes, recommended restaurants, best B&B, great guest houses, best pubs and good hotels in England, Scotland and Wales. Top places and best venues in United Kingdom catering for vegetarian and vegan meals.

Buy the guidebook now for only £2.50 or check out the online directory. Used internationally by the British Tourist Authority

London Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston says "Most of us could benefit from eating more nutritious vegetarian and vegan meals and this book sets out to help us"

More at PR WEB News

Cook Book- Diets, vegan, recipes, vegetarian

Top Ten Pick of the Cookbooks - Cook Book - Diets, vegan, recipes, vegetarian

The perfect recipe book for the cook who has everything - the cook book that no good housekeeping fan should be without. Full of innovative recipes you wont find in Betty Crocker, Fanny Farmer, Homes and Garden, Delia Smith, Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay cook books and with more colour photos than Moosewood by Mollie Katzen or artfull vegan. No wonder the cook book has many top reviews and is featured on the BBC ,Veggievision. and all good book shops.

Vegan features recipes with an emphasis on nutrition and health that are turning the minds and hearts of committed flexitarians and meat lovers not just vegetarians, vegans and those wishing to get more fruit and vegetables into their diet.

The cook book even appeals to diabetics, weight watchers, south beach diet and low carb chocoholics as although not a diet book as such it follows basic principles for a healthy diet that have been shown in a recent study to assist healthy weight loss.

The chocoholics section with non dairy ice cream and chocolate cake, cookies and dairy free desserts leave you in no doubt that these vegan home and garden recipes are to be enjoyed.

There is a handy nutrition and health section with healthy diet advice on key vitamins, minerals, essential fats and other vital nutrients.

More - www.vegan-cookbook.com Published by Hamlyn Authors Tony & Yvonne Bishop-Weston.

Oldest vegan on earth, longest living now 175

Famous Vegans, Celebrity Vegans, Vegan Quotes

Harriet, a giant (vegetarian) Galapagos Land tortoise and the world's oldest living creature, celebrates her 175th birthday.

While Harriet is currently the oldest living being on earth, she isn't the oldest living animal ever.

According to the Guinness Book Of World Records, the oldest ever lived was a Madagascar radiated tortoise called Tui Malila presented to the Tongan royal family by Captain James Cook in the late 1700s, was either 188 or 192 when it died in 1965.

Vegan Founder Dies at 95 - Donald Watson

Donald Watson the founder of The Vegan Society and the man who created the word vegan has died a few months after his 95th Birthday.

Donald Watson 02/09/1910 - 16/11/2005

Donald died peacefully at his home in the Lake District whilst Janet his daughter and Joe Connolly, editor of Veg News, were at his side.

Joe said "Donald appeared to be totally at peace and was chatting philosophically and optimistically until shortly before he passed away"

Donald Watson had taken a back seat on running The Vegan Society shortly after he handed power over to committee fairly early on in it's history. He kept an eagle eye on everything that was going on however and watched with admiration as it grew into a worldwide movement with vegan societies in every corner of the world and exciting vegan alternatives for everything from Ice cream to caviar.

For his 95th birthday this year (2005) Donald spoke to millions of people via the BBC World Service.

"The genie is now out of the bottle and no one can ever put it back to the ignorant days before 1944, when this seed was planted by people full of hope. Now wherever Man lives he can have a vegan diet."

Donald Watson Dies - BBC Obituary - Other Obituaries For Donald Watson - Scotsman - Doncaster Free Press - Independent - Cumberland News - Vegan Society (Jan Watson)

Interview With Donald Watson (Foods For Life)-

Other Famous Vegans

Vegan couple cleared in baby's death following Vegan witch hunt

Floodgates open to prosecute parents for feeding children certain diets following landmark Florida case.

Baby Woyah Andressohn died from an infection caused by a congenital defect which weakened her immune system.

The Andressohns were still found guilty of neglect despite even Prosecutor Walker admitting there was very little evidence to prove neglect.

Even as Judge Stanford Blake denied a motion to drop the neglect charges Friday afternoon, he told the attorneys in open court that were it not for evidence of growth charts showing that the Andressohn children were smaller than 97 percent of other children their age, he would have considered dismissing them.

This "evidence" however is rediculed in the face of statistics which show the vast majority of children in the Florida are overweight and obesity levels that the governor of Florida's Department of Health has described as an epidemic.

"Obesity-related health problems affect African Americans at rates substantially higher than non-minorities," Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson said. "These startling statistics clearly show the need for a campaign to increase awareness among this impacted population. We want everyone to know the facts and understand that they can take action to improve their health."

Obesity rates have doubled among children and tripled among teenagers since 1980, with unhealthy diet and lack of exercise contributing to this epidemic. Obesity could soon overtake smoking as the leading killer of Americans.

Cultural factors, including traditional diets and exercise habits, can increase obesity among some minority groups, particularly African Americans and Hispanics. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), only about one-fourth of U.S. adults eat the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. African Americans consume less than half the amount of vegetables that Caucasians consume.

According to the CDC:

More than half of African American and Hispanic women are obese.

One in four African American women over age 55 has diabetes.
2.7 million African Americans over age 20 have been diagnosed with diabetes. That accounts for 13 percent of all African Americans.

"The disturbing statistics about obesity-related illnesses in African Americans should serve as a wake-up call," said state Senator Anthony C. "Tony" Hill Sr., of Jacksonville. Hill, a member of the Florida Caucus of Black State Legislators and vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, helped initiate the public awareness campaign. Hill's Senate district includes Duval County, which has an African American population of more than 333,000.

If the Florida authorities are going to start prosecuting parents for not feeding their children their state recommended diet they have a big job ahead of them! The courts will be very busy.

more - Florida Governor's Task Force on the Obesity Epidemic

McDonalds get state protection.

Fast Food - Escape Fat Food Responsibility. Even if the fast food giants are found guilty and more evidence is provided that prove giant food companies knowingly encouraged customers to over eat (supersize me) cheap, unhealthy, sugar, fat and salt rich, highly calorofic, fat producing food, they are now protected by congress from being held responsible.

WASHINGTON -- The Republican-controlled House voted Wednesday to shield fast-food chains from lawsuits that blame them for making people fat.

Nicknamed the "cheeseburger bill," the measure stems from lawsuits accusing McDonald's of causing obesity in tens of thousands of children. The food industry has asked Congress and state legislatures to protect it from liability, and so far, 21 states have agreed.

The measure, which won approval on a 306-120 vote, would prevent class action lawsuits blaming restaurants and food companies for weight gain or obesity. The House passed a similar bill last year, but the Senate ran out of time to act.

Two-thirds of American adults are overweight, and nearly one-third are obese, while obesity among children and teenagers more than doubled in the past 30 years, according to government estimates.

Fast food giants and global food manufacturers are now free to take advantage of the nutritionally naive and let the health insurers and state health services pick up the tab for fast food irresponsibility and greed.

World Vegan Day Challenge for Editors of National Newspapers

A Vegan cookbook author and food writer has issued a World Vegan Day challenge to the editors of the national newspapers to find pictorial evidence of their vision of a typical Vegan.

Tony Bishop-Weston is giving them until the end of National Vegan Week ( Nov 5th ) to come up with evidence of who they think embodies a Typical Vegan.

more

World Vegan Day Lifetime Achievement Award for Vegan Chocolate Pioneer

The Vegan Society have named Arthur Ling, the founder of Plamil, as winner of the achievement category at the annual World Vegan Day Awards.

Adrian Ling, Arthur’s son and MD of Plamil said “It’s so sad that my father died before he received this award. He would have been so honoured that his achievements had been recognized by the organisation he’d helped to build. He’d won awards before but this one would have been very special to him”

More

Vegan Society AGM and Awards and Bristol Vegan Festival

Vegan Society AGM and Awards and Bristol Vegan Festival

On October 30th 2005, the day after the Bristol Vegan Fayre 2005, The Vegan Society will hold its Annual General Meeting in Bristol.

After the Bristol Vegan Fayre 2005 Yaoh hosts the Vegan Society Awards At the Rajpoot, Clifton, from 8pm till 1am.

Entertainment includes Classical North Indian Sitar and Tabla players upstairs, with intelligent drum and bass from SeFire downstairs. And legendary original award winning ClubYeyo DJ ChrisXCross will be dropping some classic late 80's and early 90's party tunes till the early hours.

Before that a gourmet Indian vegan buffet and the Vegan Society's 2005 Awards ceremony, compered by Tim from Yaoh, and featuring, among others, vegan MP Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East). Many of the UK's leading vegan people will be attending and everyone is invited.

Tickets are £23.50 (including food and entertainment) and are available from Yaoh ( 01179239053 ).

New Vegan Chocolate for World Vegan Day

I am proud that as an independent chocolate manufacturer we can be
truly innovative. The selling points of these bars are unique;
lots of cocoa, no added sugar, dairy and gluten free!
These bars have a place in every health food store.
With growing realization as to the health benefits of cocoa,
the shelled hemp variety in particular gives these
vegan chocolate bars a really good nutritional profile.

Adrian Ling, Managing Director, Plamil

Manufacturers of the world's first truly scrumptious, truly healthy,
Vegan Chocolate bar.

Full Story & Pictures - Try for Yourself

Live Exports Start From Dover Again.

DOVER DOCKS (KENT)

It is now certain that a private company is attempting to restart live animal exports from Dover.

Empty Dutch transporters were seen leaving the docks (complete with a police escort) to go up north to load up for the journey from Dover from Tuesday Night.

Demos will start approx 8pm. The animals are expected to leave on a midnight sailing.It appears that the export consignment has been arranged by Machins of Yorkshire; well known to Dover campaigners from days gone by.

In October 1998, Machins had their export licence revoked by the Government as they and their drivers were found guilty of no less than 377 breaches of animal welfare and transport rules. Source: The Express - Thurs October 22nd, 1998.

Around November 1999 at Dover Magistrates Court, Machins were fined £7,800 plus £100 costs after pleading guilty to transporting unfit lambs. The lambs were severely lame due to foot rot and were unfit to travel.

Complaints please to Dover Harbour on 01304 240400 and

The State Veterinary Service (Dover) on 01304 240020.

The KALE Hotline 01304 204688 is the best way to keep updated with news.

Warning to Dairy Producers to Stop Misleading Public on Milk

The UK Advertising Standards Authority uphold Vegan Society Complaint about Nestle Claims That Cow's Milk is an essential Part of The Human Diet.

London Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston said "Manufacturers and agencies that promote cow's milk products will have to be far more careful in the future. Cow's milk is a good source of calcium for a baby cow - helping it grow to the size of a small shed in a few weeks. Human nutritional needs are more complex - we need magnesium, vitamins K & D to utilise calcium and we certainly don't need all that saturated animal fat that comes free with milk."

More fruit and vegetables are needed in people's diets - especially green leafy veg rich in essential fats, vitamins, minerals, antioxidents and phytonutrients.

There have been a lot of misleading claims about milk recently - the Nestle advert is just one amongst many. Their peers should watch their step from now on.


Complaint:

The Vegan Society and a member of the public objected to an advertorial on the AOL website. The article was aimed at women and entitled "Mastering Your Metabolism Part 3: Eat well, feel great." One paragraph was headed "Dairy Products" and stated "Essential for healthy bones ...". The complainants objected that the ad was misleading because it was not necessary to eat dairy products to obtain healthy bones.

Codes Section: 3.1, 6.1, 7.1 (Ed 11)

Adjudication:

Complaints upheld
Nestlé UK said they recognised that there were other sources of calcium and they had not intended to suggest that dairy products were the only source of calcium.

The ASA considered that the use of the word "essential" implied dairy products were the only source of calcium. Because that was not correct, they concluded that the advertorial was likely to mislead and advised Nestlé to amend the claim and to seek assistance from the CAP Copy Advice team before using a similar campaign in future.

The advertorial breached CAP Code clauses 3.1 (Substantiation), 6.1 (Honesty) and 7.1 (Truthfulness).

Full Adjudication

Milk Myths new poster

MilkMyths.org.ukViva have launched a new campaign against the dairy industry.

They have also produced an anti-dairy billboard which will be travelling to 7 cities later this month on a postervan. The tour will be starting in London on Tues 20th Sept.

Viva!’s new billboard, which is sure to turn heads, features a well-dressed businessman suckling straight from a cow under the slogan ‘Cut Out the Middleman. Milk – still think it’s natural?’

Low-fat vegan diet hailed

the Mail online | Low-fat vegan diet hailed: "Women who stick to a low-fat vegan diet are more likely to lose weight than those whose diets include meat, claims a new American study published in the American Journal of Medicine.
Half the 59 overweight volunteers followed a strictly vegan diet as part of the experiment conducted by Dr Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

The remaining half were given food in line with a national programme designed to reduce illness and death from coronary heart disease in the US, which endorses the consumption of low-fat animal products.
The remaining half were given food in line with a national programme designed to reduce illness and death from coronary heart disease in the US, which endorses the consumption of low-fat animal products. "

More about vegan diet study

New UK Vegetarian Magazine. LifeScape

Response Source | Press Releases - UKs latest vegetarian lifestyle magazine, Lifescape is launched.

September 13th sees the launch of the latest vegetarian lifestyle magazine, Lifescape.
Lifescape is a new alternative lifestyle magazine for the self-aware consumer; people who are concerned with what they eat, where they shop, today’s ethical dilemmas and how to keep their minds and bodies in good condition. It is promises to showcase the best of fair trade fashion and promotes the use of organic products.

Sitting next to Top Sante and Zest on the shelves Lifescape is a unique glossy magazine distributed by Comag and published independently by Madafu Publishing Ltd.

Lifescape is a monthly magazine, which provides an excellent resource for alternative health practices. Each issue is packed with real life stories and the latest fashion, cruelty-free beauty and celebrity gossip with a unique twist providing an excellent read to those who are interested in that lifestyle.

Tony says "We wish the magazine every success and hope to see it live much longer longer than Vegetarian Living, Vegetarian Today, Tescos Vegetarian Magazine , BBC Vegetarian Good Food and other vegetarian magazines that have struggled to win space on WH Smith's shelves"

Other magazines have had a very limited appeal as nothing more than recipe mags. By additionally focussing on health, travel , vegetarian fashion and the environment this magazine could find a niche loyal readership.

VeggieVision on BBC

Veggievision on BBC TV Webscape program Kate Russell From Webscape says "It never ceases to amaze me just how diverse the multimedia content is on the web. No matter what your hobbies or interests are, there is always plenty of information online, and Veggie Vision is a fine example of some great free content all about being a vegetarian.

It's still quite a young channel, so don't expect hours and hours of content yet, but they've already managed to secure a couple of veggie-celeb interviews, and there are some great recipes and reports in the archives."