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Category: Vegan

  • Climate-Conscious German Consumers Say They Want More Plant-Based Products in Supermarkets – New Poll

    germany plant based
    5 Mins Read

    Over a fifth of German consumers (21%) believe the range of plant-based alternatives to animal products available in grocery stores is too small, according to a new survey. In fact, a higher number of options would lead to 29% buying more vegan products, while 43% would do so if they were cheaper.

    The new survey spotlights consumer sentiments about plant-based food in Germany, finding that more and more people are buying vegan products because they’re better for the environment (62%). Just over half of consumers purchase these foods for their animal welfare benefits and health credentials, while 21% do so because they taste good.

    Germany – Europe’s leading plant-based food market – boasts 41% of flexitarians, 9% of vegetarians and 3% of vegans, according to the 1,026-person online poll by BVLH, a federal association of German retailers. So it perhaps comes as no surprise that the demand for vegan products is high, with 21% of Germany’s population wanting more alternatives to animal-based foods on their supermarket shelves.

    Here are the key takeaways from the survey:

    Some Germans want more vegan options on shelves – local foods are key

    The younger the consumer, the stronger this sentiment. Nearly half (45%) of 18- to 29-year-olds believe grocery stores have too few vegan products, as do a quarter of 30- to 44-year-olds. There’s not too much of a difference between people across income brackets: 21% with a net income below €2,500, 17% between €2,500 and €4,000, 26% above €4,000 consider the number of options to be limited.

    Increasing shelf presence will push 29% of Germans to buy more plant-based food. More people (43%) will also buy these products if they cost less. It’s likely why German MPs are proposing a change in the nation’s tax laws to reduce the current 19% VAT on plant-based milk and reach price parity with conventional dairy (which is taxed at 7%).

    Meanwhile, just over half (51%) feel retailers should promote locally grown plant-based food to encourage consumer adoption. Women (56%) are more likely to be swayed by regional food than men (46%), and interest in these products decreases with age.

    Among people aged 18-29, 65% would buy more vegan food if it was locally made, compared to 54% for those between 30-44, and 52% for 45- to 59-year-olds. For people 60 and over, the number drops to 42%.

    meat tax
    Courtesy: Rewe Group

    The political divide is real: Greens exhibit more demand for vegan food

    The report underlines the prevalence of veganism across the political spectrum, though unsurprisingly followers of the left-leaning Green Party have the highest number of vegans (2%), vegetarians (14%), and flexitarians (53%).

    Of those who support the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), 2% are vegans, 6% are vegetarians, and 42% are flexitarians, while members of the pro-tech, pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) have no vegans in the survey, with only 1% vegetarians and 43% flexitarians. The more right-leaning supporters of the Christian Democratic Union and its sister party Christian Social Union count more vegans (1%) and vegetarians (6%) than the FDP.

    SPD, FDP and the Green Party make up the coalition currently in power in Germany. 34% of the Greens believe there aren’t enough vegan products in supermarkets, as do 15% of the other two parties polled. Among CDU/CSU members, this number is 19%. The demand for locally produced plant-based food, meanwhile, is high for all parties: 42% for FDP, 43% for CDU/CSU, 47% for SPD, and 67% for Greens.

    Clean-label is important to Germany’s consumers

    Many plant-based alternatives contain additives, fats and at times more salt and sugar than animal products, according to the pollsters. It’s a form of constant criticism by the meat and dairy lobby.

    And German attitudes to these ingredients align with global consumer trends – a worldwide survey by Ingredion last year revealed that more than half of respondents find it important for products to have a short ingredient list. In BVLH’s poll, 65% of respondents said the presence of these additives and extra ingredients would deter them from buying vegan products.

    This affects the purchasing habits of 70% of women and 60% of men. Interestingly, it impacts Gen Z the least, albeit still with a high share at 57%. 71% of those aged 45-49 say they wouldn’t buy plant-based products with these ingredients, and this also holds true for 72% of flexitarians – a key market for vegan brands.

    germany flexitarians
    Courtesy: Getty Images via Canva

    Germany are eating less meat overall

    The results tie into multiple reports showcasing the rise of the alt-protein sector in Germany. Its meat consumption has dropped to a record low, according to a report earlier this year, and research by the Good Food Institute (GFI) Europe has found that Germany had the highest plant-based meat sales in Europe last year, among the countries surveyed.

    This also holds true for alt-dairy, with Germany being the leading market for sales for plant-based milk, cheese and yoghurt. Unit sales of alt-milk grew by 20% between 2020-22 in the nation. Meanwhile, research by the University of Hohenheim last month revealed that Germany has the greatest market potential for plant-based milk in Europe, with purchases already growing by 62% between 2020-22.

    These results align with another report last year, which found that 32% of the country’s population was aiming to cut its intake of conventional dairy in the following six months. GFI Europe states that Germany also leads the overall vegan food market in terms of sales, while it has the second-highest plant-based food spend per capita.

    Additionally, a report published by the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service in February stated that Germany has the largest flexitarian (55%) and vegan population (about 10%) in Europe, and called for US brands to export plant-based products to Germany. The report identifies a few reasons that can explain why Germany has been able to shift the culture around meat consumption: unlike in most other countries, politicians are outspoken about the need to reduce meat consumption and younger generations are influencing their parents and older relatives about the importance of climate-friendly food choices.

    The post Climate-Conscious German Consumers Say They Want More Plant-Based Products in Supermarkets – New Poll appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Animals Cry Out After Slaughterhouse Workers Botch Six Stun Attempts; PETA Calls For Changes

    Following a whistleblower tip that animals were suffering at Fitch Ranch Artisan Meat Co. in Craig, PETA has obtained a “Letter of Concern” that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) sent to the slaughterhouse following six recent botched attempts to stun animals—including a steer, who remained standing and crying out after a worker shot him in the head. In response, PETA fired off a letter today to owner Deborah Fitch calling on her to report the employees involved in the incidents to local law-enforcement officials for possible violations of the state’s anti-cruelty statute and to reassign them to positions that don’t involve contact with live animals. The group is also asking Fitch to butcher only wild animals killed by hunters or at least to livestream video footage from the slaughterhouse in order to help prevent additional violations of the law.

    On June 14, 2023, a worker electrocuted a pig near the shoulder blades instead of the head. The pig cried out, ran around, and tried to climb out of the “stun box” before another employee finally rendered the animal unconscious. Similar incidents at the facility this year include the following:

    • On June 28, a pig was electrocuted, remained conscious, and cried out after the electrical tongs slipped off her ears.
    • On June 26, a steer continued standing, looking around, crying out, and bleeding after he was shot in the head.
    • On June 21, a worker shot a lamb twice after the first shot failed to stun the animal.
    • On June 20, a cow continued to stand and look around after being shot in the head.
    • On March 1, a steer remained conscious after he was shot in the head.

    “Animals have endured prolonged, agonizing deaths after being shot and electrocuted repeatedly in a disturbing pattern at Fitch Ranch,” says PETA Vice President Daniel Paden. “PETA is calling on this facility to make immediate changes to stop this horrific cruelty and reminds everyone that the only humane meal is a vegan one.”

    PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview, and offers a free vegan starter kit on its website. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.

    PETA’s letter to Fitch follows.

    September 21, 2023

    Deborah Fitch

    Owner

    Fitch Ranch Artisan Meat Co.

    Dear Ms. Fitch:

    Given the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recent “Letter of Concern” and noncompliance records detailing the cases of at least six animals who remained conscious after your workers shot or electrocuted them during a recent four-month period at Fitch Ranch Artisan Meat Co., we ask that you immediately change operations there in the hope of reducing—if not ending—animal suffering in your slaughterhouse.

    In light of the egregious pain and terror that your staff have caused cows, pigs, and sheep, in violation of federal law, won’t you please stop slaughtering them? Rather than risking further, similar violations, you could focus on solely processing the bodies of wild animals brought to you by hunters.

    If you feel you must continue to slaughter farmed animals, will you please publicly livestream video from all areas of your facility where live animals are handled? Workers would take their duty to handle animals lawfully more seriously if they knew that caring people were watching. As the world’s foremost expert on livestock welfare, Dr. Temple Grandin, writes, “Plants [t]hat are doing a good job should show what they are doing.” Your industry often complains that today’s consumers don’t understand how animals are raised and killed for food. You could help by enabling us to observe your workers moving countless individual animals—who value their lives as we value ours—off crowded trucks in all weather, attempting to stun them, slashing or sticking their throats, and bleeding them to death.

    At the very least, will you reassign your staff referenced in the federal reports to jobs that don’t involve having contact with any live animals—such as evisceration, butchering, and packaging—and report the involved personnel to your local law-enforcement agency for investigation for possible violations of the state’s anti-cruelty statute?

    Thanks for your consideration.

    Sincerely,

    Colin Henstock

    Investigations Project Manager

    The post Animals Cry Out After Slaughterhouse Workers Botch Six Stun Attempts; PETA Calls For Changes appeared first on PETA.

    This post was originally published on Animal Rights and Campaign News | PETA.

  • Give Animals a ‘Brake’: PETA to Dish Up Vegan Vittles at Roadkill Cook-Off

    Festivalgoers at this year’s West Virginia Roadkill Cook-Off will spot a vendor booth from an unlikely ally: PETA. While the group gives the green light to turning accidental vehicular victims into vittles, it also knows that going vegan is the kindest and healthiest choice—so PETA’s booth will feature delicious meat-free chili prepared by vegan chef and Guy’s Grocery Games winner Sasha Raj, along with free vegan starter kits that can help everyone make the switch.

    When:    Saturday, September 23, 9 a.m.

    Where:    200 Eighth St., Marlinton (PETA’s booth will be located between the Pocahontas County Opera House and City National Bank.)

    “Animals who lived free and died in tragic accidents had far better lives than those confined to filthy feedlots and whose throats were slit in slaughterhouses,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “If meat addicts must get their fix, they can feast on flesh found on highways, but PETA reminds everyone that the kindest meals are free of animals and asphalt.”

    Each person who goes vegan spares nearly 200 animals every year, dramatically shrinks their carbon footprint, and reduces their risk of suffering from cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and obesity.

    PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview.

    For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.

    The post Give Animals a ‘Brake’: PETA to Dish Up Vegan Vittles at Roadkill Cook-Off appeared first on PETA.

    This post was originally published on Animal Rights and Campaign News | PETA.

  • Pigs Found Dead After 33-Hour Trip on Freezing Truck to Local Slaughterhouse; PETA Seeks Criminal Probe

    Following a just-released federal report documenting that 221 pigs arrived at Independent Meat Company near Twin Falls after an overnight journey in subzero temperatures without food or water—leading to the deaths of 10 of the animals—PETA sent a letter today to Twin Falls County Prosecuting Attorney Grant P. Loebs calling on him to investigate and file appropriate criminal charges against those responsible.

    According to the report, the trailer carrying the animals arrived at the slaughterhouse after the 33-hour trip—during which overnight temperatures dropped to 4 degrees below zero—on the afternoon of January 30. It took two hours for the last of the pigs to be unloaded. Two were found dead, seven were unable to walk, and eight more died overnight. A similar incident occurred in March 2022, when a driver admitted to depriving pigs of water for four hours while on a trailer at a slaughterhouse—in addition to their deprivation while in transport.

    “More than 200 pigs were crammed together on a freezing truck and deprived of food and water for a multiday journey that left 10 animals dead and ended with the survivors’ throats slit in Independent Meat Company’s slaughterhouse,” says PETA Vice President of Evidence Analysis Daniel Paden. “This report paints a horrifying picture, and PETA is calling for an investigation in these pigs’ behalf—and urges everyone to help prevent animals from suffering on trucks and in slaughterhouses by going vegan.”

    PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat” and which opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview—points out that pigs, cows, sheep, chickens, and other animals feel pain and fear and value their lives, just as humans do. The group is pursuing charges under state law because federal officials haven’t prosecuted any inspected slaughterhouses for acts of abuse since at least 2007.

    For more information about PETA’s investigative newsgathering and reporting, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.

    PETA’s letter to Loebs follows.

    September 21, 2023

    The Honorable Grant P. Loebs

    Twin Falls County Prosecuting Attorney

    Dear Mr. Loebs:

    I’m writing to request that your office (and a law-enforcement agency, as necessary) investigate and file applicable criminal charges against those responsible for denying 221 pigs food and water for at least 33 hours en route to Independent Meat Company, located at 2072 Orchard Dr. E., near Twin Falls. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) documented the incident in reports that the agency recently made available to the public. (See the attached table.)

    According to the report, on January 30 at approximately 2:50 p.m., a trailer carrying the animals arrived at the slaughterhouse. According to the FSIS agent, “[P]aperwork indicated that this load of hogs was loaded on the truck … at 6am on January 29,” nearly 33 hours earlier. Another two hours later, the last of these pigs—who had been confined for 35 hours—were removed. Two of them died, and another seven were unable to walk. The FSIS agent “asked the Plant Operations Manager if the hogs had been provided food and water. He did not believe they had been.” Another eight of these pigs died overnight into January 31.

    Although beyond the statute of limitations, a similar incident occurred in March 2022, when a driver admittedly deprived pigs on her trailer of water for four hours at the slaughterhouse—in addition to their deprivation while in transport.

    The January incident appears to violate Idaho Code §§ 25-3504 and -3505. Please note that FSIS’ action carries no criminal or civil penalties and does not preempt criminal liability under state law for acts of cruelty to animals. Given that the FSIS hasn’t initiated a criminal prosecution of a licensed slaughterhouse for inhumane handling since at least 2007, charges under state law are these victims’ only chance at a measure of justice.

    Sincerely,

    Daniel Paden

    Vice President of Evidence Analysis

    Cruelty Investigations Department

    PETA

    The post Pigs Found Dead After 33-Hour Trip on Freezing Truck to Local Slaughterhouse; PETA Seeks Criminal Probe appeared first on PETA.

    This post was originally published on Animal Rights and Campaign News | PETA.

  • Plant-Based Seafood: The 7 Best Vegan Shrimp Brands Making Your Po’ Boy Dreams Come True

    vegan shrimp
    6 Mins Read

    From Australia and Thailand to the Netherlands and the US, it’s easier than ever to find plant-based, overfishing-free alternatives to shrimp. You can make your own vegan shrimp cocktail, grits with shrimp or even ceviche – the world’s your, well, crustacean. Here are the best brands selling vegan shrimp.

    I’ve never eaten meat or seafood, but I love a good vegan shrimp. I think it’s the texture that does it for me. The last time I had it, it was at a Thai restaurant in the US that made me an ultra-spicy noodle dish – I didn’t know there’s an unofficial spice scale in many American restaurants, and me being me, I went for level 10. It was the shrimp that saved me.

    Plant-based shrimp is great – the texture is succulent and satisfying, and there’s a hint of the sea in the flavour (thank you, algae). Why stop with over-spicy noodles? Gather some ketchup and mayo, and make your very own vegan shrimp cocktail. While you’re at it, turn up the fryer (or air-fryer, whatever floats your shrimp), get some hot sauce and mustard, and complement your cocktail with some plant-based po’ boys.

    Here are the best vegan shrimp brands you can try:

    Vegan Zeastar

    vegan zeastar
    Courtesy: Vegan Finest Foods

    Vegan Zeastar is one of four brands under the umbrella of Dutch plant-based company Vegan Finest Foods. It has an extensive vegan seafood range, including crab, tuna, salmon, cod, calamari and shrimp.

    The shrimp line itself contains three varieties. There’s the plain version, but then there’s also crispy chilli and lemon flavours, which are coated with a seasoned breadcrumb mixture. The plain uses a combination of potato starch and kelp extract for texture and flavour, alongside sugar, salt, wheat fibre, and gelling agents. The protein comes through non-GMO soy protein powder.

    The crispy shrimps take this base and add a breadcrumb coating that contains coconut oil, soybean powder, yeast extract, and beta-carotene, among other ingredients.

    You can find Vegan Zeastar’s shrimp at online shops and independent stores across Europe.

    Thai Union

    thai union omg
    Courtesy: Thai Union

    Thai seafood giant Thai Union has a host of brands under its wing, and in 2021, it launched OMG Meat, a company specialising in vegan meat alternative SKUs. These include shumai dumplings with crab, crab patties, chicken and fish nuggets, BBQ pork buns, and hoy jor (crab and pork) alternatives.

    It also makes shrimp dumplings, developed at its Global Innovation Centre. “We have had consumers come to us and say: ‘I know you are an expert in seafood and shrimp – I would like to have a shrimp tempura, but not containing shrimp,’” explained Thai Union’s innovation director Tunyawat Kasemsuwan.

    The dumplings are filled with 68% of the plant-based shrimp, which is made from coconut oil, sugar, salt, gelling agents, and stabilisers. It’s combined with wonton wrappers, sesame and canola oil, flavourings, colours, thickeners and an acidity regulator.

    You can find Thai Union’s OMG Meat vegan shrimp dumplings in stores across Thailand.

    Lily’s Vegan Pantry

    lily's vegan pantry
    Lily’s Vegan Pantry

    It began as May Way Vegetarian Kitchen in New York’s famous Chinatown in 1995 – now, it’s called Lily’s Vegan Pantry, in honour of owner Lily Ng. “We are committed to raising awareness about the physical and environmental benefits of consuming a cruelty-free diet,” she told Green Queen last year.

    The Manhattan store has a mind-bending list of alt-meat products – it’s not just seafood, there’s also poultry, pork and lamb, among others. In its seafood range, it has three shrimp offerings. The original is the Vegan Red Spot Shrimp, which contains konjac powder, beta-glucan, potato starch, carrageenan, alginate, calcium hydroxide, and seasonings.

    Then there are the plant-based shrimp rolls, containing a base of konjac powder and potato starch, mixed with vegetables, flavourings, and tofu skin. Lily’s Vegan Pantry also makes shrimp balls, which replace the konjac with yam flour. The other ingredients? Water, salt, calcium hydroxide and seasonings.

    You can find Lily’s Vegan Pantry’s shrimp products online and at its Manhattan site.

    All Vegetarian Inc

    best vegan shrimp
    Courtesy: All Vegetarian Inc

    At the opposite coast is another small business making a plethora of plant-based meat alternatives: vegan bacon, turkey roasts, chicken breasts, drumsticks, tuna, jerky – you name it, and All Vegetarian Inc probably makes it.

    You can purchase its vegan shrimp in wholesale-size packs of six, 12 or 20. Each bag contains about 18 shrimps for you to enjoy, and these are made with unspecified modified starch, sunflower oil, glucomannan, pea extract, sea salt, seaweed extract and brown sugar. It also sells vegan shrimp balls on wholesale orders.

    You can find All Vegetarian Inc’s vegan shrimp online.

    HAPPIEE!

    plant based shrimp
    Courtesy: Growthwell Foods

    Singaporean plant-based meat brand HAPPIEE! – a subsidiary of Growthwell Foods – has been making fish and chicken alternatives for its home market. But last month, it launched into the UK retail market with a range of vegan seafood (both frozen and chilled) and meat alternatives.

    The seafood range includes plant-based versions of squid and calamari, as well as shrimp and breaded shrimp. The base for the vegan shrimp is potato and wheat starch, which is combined with sunflower oil, modified tapioca starch, methylcellulose, konjac flour, hydrolysed wheat protein, anti-caking and raising agents, seasonings, and paprika extract for colour.

    For the breaded shrimp, HAPPIEE! takes this base and coats it in a mixture of wheat, rye and rice flour, water, cornflakes, rapeseed oil and seasonings.

    You can buy HAPPIEE!’s vegan shrimp products at online retailer Ocado, and at Tesco stores across the UK.

    Plant-Based Seafood Co.

    plant based seafood co
    Courtesy: Plant Based Seafood Co.

    US producer Plant-Based Seafood Co.‘s product range is pretty self-explanatory. Its Mind Blown range has dusted scallops, crab cakes and two kinds of shrimp alternatives.

    The dusted shrimp is made from konjac powder, vegetable gum, root starch, and seasonings, with the breading comprising brown rice, whole algae protein, and pea protein. In fact, it is breading itself is gluten-free, a combination of rice flour, potato starch, pea fibre, tapioca starch and xanthan gum – plus additional seasonings.

    The vegan coconut shrimp, meanwhile, combines the base with the gluten-free flour breading, which is complemented with coconut sugar and baking powder.

    You can find Plant-Based Seafood Co.’s Mind Blown vegan shrimp at online retailers and health stores across the US.

    Bonus: Boldly Foods

    plant based shrimp
    Courtesy: Boldly Foods

    Across the Pacific, Australia’s Boldly Foods has caused a stir since it announced its launch in January this year. Its extensive frozen vegan seafood lineup uses a base of konjac root, and includes the usual salmon, tuna and calamari rings, as well as the more uncommon whitefish, crab sticks, jumbo prawns and calamari steaks.

    It also has two plant-based shrimp SKUs: baby shrimp and shrimp balls. Both contain a blend of konjac root, tapioca, wheat and potato starches, sunflower oil, salt and sugar, with 2% or less of malto0dextrin, hydrolysed wheat protein, palm oil, yeast, cabbage and paprika extracts and calcium carbonate. (The baby shrimp also contains extra natural flavourings.)

    You can find Boldly’s vegan shrimp alternatives in US foodservice soon.

    The post Plant-Based Seafood: The 7 Best Vegan Shrimp Brands Making Your Po’ Boy Dreams Come True appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Feds Find Over 1,000 Turkeys Dead on Trucks; PETA Calls For Criminal Probe

    Newly released U.S. Department of Agriculture reports reveal that over the course of just three days in January, at least 1,181 turkeys died while being hauled up to 600 miles in temperatures as low as minus 6 degrees to the Turkey Valley Farms slaughterhouse in Marshall—part of a years-long string of horrors documented at the operation. In response, PETA fired off a letter to Marshall City Attorney Matthew B. Gross calling on him to investigate and file applicable criminal charges against the individuals responsible. The group also rushed a letter to General Manager Les Goff urging him to livestream video footage publicly from the Marshall slaughterhouse and from all the company’s haulers and factory farms and to report the responsible parties to local police and Gross for investigation.

    Many of the birds who died had “little to no feathers,” according to the reports, and survivors were wounded, bleeding, and shivering. Nearly 200 more turkeys apparently suffered from hypothermia before being slaughtered. PETA notes a pattern of egregious pain and cruel deaths en route to and at Turkey Valley Farms, including a worker who “slammed” a hen against shackles multiple times; live, conscious turkeys plunged into scalding-hot water on at least six occasions; and seven trailers with cages so severely crowded that the turkeys inside them were forced to stand on top of each other, apparently causing some to suffocate.

    Turkeys in transport truck cages. Credit: PETA

    “These sensitive turkeys were subjected to agonizing pain and terrifying deaths at the hands of Turkey Valley Farms, which treats them as nothing but commodities,” says PETA Vice President of Evidence Analysis Daniel Paden. “PETA is calling for an investigation on these animals’ behalf and for Goff to livestream his company’s operations publicly, and we remind everyone that the only humane meal is a vegan one.”

    PETA is pursuing charges under state law because federal officials haven’t prosecuted any inspected slaughterhouses for acts of abuse since at least 2007.

    PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview, and offers a free vegan starter kit on its website. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.

    The post Feds Find Over 1,000 Turkeys Dead on Trucks; PETA Calls For Criminal Probe appeared first on PETA.

    This post was originally published on Animal Rights and Campaign News | PETA.

  • Pile of ‘Bloodied Fish’ From PETA Aims to Reel In Some New Vegans

    Ahead of Fish Amnesty Day (Saturday), PETA supporters dressed as bloody fish will trap themselves in a net and lead an aquatic “die-in” on Thursday at Clematis Splash Park in the hope that everyone will recognize fish as sentient beings, not fillets, and go vegan.

    fish protest close up

    When:    Thursday, September 21, 12 noon

    Where:    Clematis Splash Park, 100 Clematis St. (at the intersection with Narcissus Avenue), West Palm Beach

    “Fish suffer when they’re impaled, crushed, suffocated, or cut open and gutted on the decks of boats,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA encourages everyone to enjoy delicious fish-free fare and to let aquatic animals swim free.”

    PETA introduced Fish Amnesty Day in 1997 to encourage kindness to fish, who scientists have confirmed feel pain as acutely as mammals do, have long-term memories, are able to recognize themselves in a mirror, and communicate with each other using squeaks, squeals, and other low-frequency sounds that humans can hear only with special instruments. Despite their unique abilities, more fish are killed for food each year than all other animals combined.

    PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat” and which opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview—offers a list of delicious vegan fish options, such as Gardein’s f’sh filets, Sophie’s Kitchen’s Fish Fillets, and Good Catch Plant-Based Crab Cakes, as well as a free vegan starter kit.

    For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.

    The post Pile of ‘Bloodied Fish’ From PETA Aims to Reel In Some New Vegans appeared first on PETA.

    This post was originally published on Animal Rights and Campaign News | PETA.

  • Is Your Fave Latin-Owned Restaurant on This List? See What PETA Latino Chose

    This National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 through October 15), PETA Latino is recognizing the Top Vegan Bocaditos (appetizers) served by Latin-owned restaurants in the U.S. The 10 winning eateries offer everything from flautas in the Alamo City to croquetas in The Big Peach. They’re showing how easy it is to merge Latin American flavors with compassionate eating, and they’re sparing the lives of countless animals along the way.

    Here are PETA Latino’s top picks for the best vegan bocaditos.

    Bar Bombón (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

    Bar Bombón is a tapas and tequila bar serving vegan Puerto Rican fare. Its herbed Spanish Meatballs come in a bowl of tomato and mojo verde sauce, with grilled bread for dipping.

    The Cocinita (Miami, Florida)

    The Cho•Cado Bites are organic corn chips individually loaded with guacamole, meat-free sausage, alfalfa sprouts, and mustard touché.

    Don Bucio’s Taqueria (Chicago, Illinois)

    Don Bucio’s Taqueria serves up Sweet Plantains, which come dusted with dairy-free cotija cheese, mojo verde, and cilantro.

    The Earthy Kitchen (Orlando, Florida)

    Head to The Earthy Kitchen for its Sorullitos—crunchy fried corn fritters served with signature egg-free mayo-ketchup sauce. Birds suffer in the egg industry, but these vegan fritters don’t contribute to their suffering.

    Healthy as a Motha Vegan Kitchen (New York, New York)

    We love the Empanadas—authentic Dominican treats that come in a variety of flavors, such as Curry Chik’n and Vegan Bacon, Egg, & Cheese. These tasty bites are better for you, too, since eating animal flesh is linked to health issues such as heart disease and strokes.

    Peña Pachamama (San Francisco, California)

    Try the Organic Sampler at this vegan Bolivian restaurant. It’s a decadent spread of vegan albondigas, plantains, yuca, roasted potatoes, and creamy lentil dip—plus a fresh salad and house-made plantain chips.

    La Semilla (Atlanta, Georgia)

    La Semilla’s Croquetas de Jamón come fried to perfection on the outside and stuffed with savory meat-free ham—because pigs are smart, playful individuals who don’t belong on your plate.

    Succulent Vegan (Nashville, Tennessee)

    You won’t want to miss Succulent Vegan’s Esquites—an authentic Mexican street corn dish served in a cup and drizzled with egg-free vegan mayo, lime, and tajin seasoning. It’s the perfect way to start your animal-friendly meal.

    Veegos (Houston, Texas)

    We’re awarding Veegos for its cow-friendly Nachos—tortilla chips smothered in beans, vegan pastor, or jackfruit, plus a generous heap of heart-healthy veggies, cashew cheese, and dairy-free sour cream.

    Viva Vegeria (San Antonio, Texas)

    Order the “Chicken” Flautas if you want a bocadito that’s filling enough to be a meal. They’re fried tortillas stuffed with tangy vegan chicken and served with a side of rice and charro beans. Chickens are inquisitive individuals who love sunbathing and socializing, so choosing these vegan flautas helps spare their lives.

    These are just a few examples of Latin-owned establishments making a splash on the vegan scene. More Latines are going vegan to help spare animals, save the planet, and improve their own health. Learn more about how you can make the change while celebrating your culture and traditions at PETA Latino.

    The post Is Your Fave Latin-Owned Restaurant on This List? See What PETA Latino Chose appeared first on PETA.

    This post was originally published on Animal Rights and Campaign News | PETA.

  • Can the Green Tuesday Cafeteria Campaign Help Vietnam Lower Its Meat Emissions?

    green tuesday

    4 Mins Read

    Non-profit organisation Vegan Outreach has expanded its Green Tuesday Initiative to Vietnam after five years in India. The programme hopes to reduce the impact of the country’s diet on the environment and is in talks with over 100 institutions about eating greener every Tuesday.

    The Green Tuesday Initiative helps corporations and educational institutions tackle climate change by offering more plant-based food at their dining premises. Over the last five years, the campaign has helped prevent over 3.3 million lbs of animal products from being served at more than 40 institutions in India. Now, it hopes to extend this impact to Vietnam, one of the world’s top five most vulnerable countries to climate change.

    The Southeast Asian country’s two biggest cities, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, are among the 15 most polluted cities in the region. And its dependence on fossil fuels for energy use – which are already responsible for 60% of its total greenhouse gas emissions – is set to triple by 2030. Meanwhile, higher temperatures, rising sea levels and more extreme weather events can cut the nation’s economic growth by 10%, and adversely affect 12% of its population.

    On top of that, Vietnamese people are eating too much meat – twice as much as the recommended amount. In fact, a report published in July found that the country will need to switch to 40% of alternative proteins in its diet by 2060 if it is to decarbonise.

    And with meat consumption intrinsically linked to climate change – a landmark study earlier this year found that vegan diets can cut emissions, land use and water pollution by 75% compared to a meat-rich one – the Green Tuesday Initiative is aiming to reduce the presence on animal products in the country’s eating habits, and add more plant-based options to institution menus.

    Battling Vietnam’s climate vulnerability and activist clampdown

    vegan outreach
    Courtesy: Green Tuesday

    “Vietnam and many other Asian countries are becoming increasingly vulnerable to climate change. Choosing to serve more climate-friendly food would be the first step in understanding and reducing the impact of food on the planet and people’s health,” says Bhavya Vatrapu, senior campaigns manager for Green Tuesday Initiative.

    “The Initiative delivers on seven UN Sustainable Development Goals, and aligns with Vietnam’s methane reduction goals and Climate and Clean Air Coalition commitments. We look forward to working with corporate organisations and educational institutions in Vietnam towards building a green and abundant future for all.

    “Vietnam, like India, is extremely vulnerable to the threats of climate change, and has committed to reducing its methane emissions on priority,” says Samarth Amarnani, communications coordinator at Vegan Outreach. “Also, we’ve witnessed great excitement for our flagship 10 Weeks to Vegan programme amongst youth in Vietnam. This means that there is a passionate and growing community of people inclined to shift towards a plant-based diet.”

    Amarnani says the initiative has reached out to 100 institutions, and confirms that many have expressed interest in the campaign. “While we do have some potential institutions in the pipeline, we do not have any official partners there currently,” he adds.

    Climate activism has been a major point of contention in Vietnam. The country has a history of arresting environmental campaigns on what many have described as bogus claims. The June arrest of Hoang Thi Minh Honh, former CEO of the non-profit Change, prompted a further outcry. Two others, Mai Phan Loi and Bach Hung Duong, have also been imprisoned, while another activist, Hoang Thi Minh Hong, is awaiting sentencing.

    So while the country has committed to reducing its methane emissions and net-zero by 2050, there are questions over the government’s motivations, given the growing list of political prisoners. Asked if Green Tuesday had been in touch with officials, Amarnani says: “We have just started our campaign in Vietnam. So far, we have not yet had any interaction with the Vietnamese government.” (He also confirms that the campaign in India hasn’t “faced any resistance or restriction from the government”.)

    Less meat, more plants every Tuesday

    green tuesday initiative
    Courtesy: Green Tuesday

    The campaign aims to replace about 44,000 lbs of animal products with plant-based food by the end of 2023, and it will do so via a combination of participating institutions going completely vegan, or reducing their meat options every Tuesday. “Our partnership with institutions is based on a long-term vision of progressive diet change,” notes Amarnani. “We have had great success in India with institutions renewing and deepening their commitment by serving more healthy plant-based meals each year. The institutions define their own food sustainability goals, and we help them achieve those.”

    While Vietnam’s poverty rate was at 4.2% last year, without mitigation measures, up to one million of its population could be in extreme poverty by 2030. Are there any concerns about the price of vegan food for this initiative to work? “We have observed that in many major Asian countries, several traditional dishes happen to be plant-based, which makes implementing our campaign cost-effective,” explains Amarnani. “We have helped our partners in India achieve their food sustainability objectives without any additional costs to the institution. Our approach for Vietnam is the same.”

    Vegan Outreach hopes to expand to even more countries in the future. “We have long-term expansion goals for Green Tuesday Initiative,” says Amarnani, adding: “For now, however, we are focusing our energy and resources on establishing ourselves as a successful food sustainability campaign in Vietnam.”

    The post Can the Green Tuesday Cafeteria Campaign Help Vietnam Lower Its Meat Emissions? appeared first on Green Queen.

  • Starbucks’ Move Away From Disposable Cups Is ‘Lip Service,’ Says PETA

    Below, please find a statement from PETA President Ingrid Newkirk in response to news that Starbucks intends to eliminate disposable cups by 2030:

    Starbucks admits that the dairy in its drinks has a carbon footprint nearly four times bigger than its packaging, so if it wants to do more than pay lip service to sustainability, it’ll heed PETA’s calls to stop charging extra for eco-friendly vegan milks. After all, paper cups may be disposable, but the lives of cows and their calves should not be.

    PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.

    The post Starbucks’ Move Away From Disposable Cups Is ‘Lip Service,’ Says PETA appeared first on PETA.

  • Replace Fisherman Statue With ‘Fintastic’ Fish Sculpture, PETA Urges Mayor

    Thinking it’s high time Eureka celebrated Fish Amnesty Day, this Saturday, PETA sent a letter this morning to Eureka Mayor Kim Bergel urging her to take down the old-style statue “The Fisherman” at Woodley Island Marina and replace it with a fish-shaped sculpture made of discarded fishing gear. The group hopes the new, upcycled fish statue it would donate to the city would spark a “Eureka!” moment among locals and visitors to the area and help people recognize that the fishing industry inflicts pain on billions of aquatic animals every year, including all the unintended victims, like turtles, rays, and dolphins, euphemistically known as “bycatch.”

    sculpture made of fishing gear collected by humans going 'trash fishing'

    “Fish don’t deserve agonizing deaths any more than the millions of sharks, dolphins, turtles, porpoises, and even whales who get caught in abandoned fishing gear each year,” says PETA President and reformed angler Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA is urging Mayor Bergel to upgrade Woodley Island’s statue to show fish as the remarkable individuals they are and inspire people to enjoy the outdoors in ways that don’t hurt animals—like keeping the water clean by ‘trash fishing.’”

    Fish Amnesty Day was launched in 1997 to encourage kindness to fish, who are now known to feel pain as acutely as mammals do, have long-term memories and the ability to recognize themselves in a mirror, and communicate with each other using squeaks, squeals, and other low-frequency sounds that humans can hear only with special instruments. Despite their unique abilities, more fish are killed for food each year than all other animals combined. They’re impaled, crushed, suffocated, or cut open and gutted, all while conscious.

    PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat” and which opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview—offers a list of delicious vegan fish options, such as Gardein’s f’sh filets, Sophie’s Kitchen’s Fish Fillets, and Good Catch Plant-Based Crab Cakes, as well as a free vegan starter kit. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.

    PETA’s letter to Bergel follows.

    September 18, 2023

    The Honorable Kim Bergel

    Mayor of Eureka

    Dear Mayor Bergel:

    I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals—PETA entities have more than 9 million members and supporters globally, including many who are lucky enough to live in California—with a fintastic suggestion.

    Times are changing, and just as whaling towns have reinvented what used to be an acceptable practice, fishing towns will soon follow their lead. As millions of Americans now refuse to support industries that slaughter billions of animals every year, devastate the environment—since fishing gear is a top polluter of the ocean and the leading cause of “accidental” deaths of whales, dolphins, porpoises, and turtles—and wreak havoc on our health, we hope you’ll take this opportunaty to get ahead of history by removing the “Fisherman” statue, which glorifies the cruel and environmentally deadly fishing industry, from the Woodley Island Marina. We’d be happy to donate a new sculpture to replace it—perhaps a fish made from discarded fishing gear, as shown here.

    Studies show that fish are smart, sensitive beings who have distinct personalities, learn from one another, can recognize themselves in mirrors—the “gold standard” of animal intelligence—and have better memories than most humans for their age. They have individual personalities, talk to one another, and experience pleasure and pain, yet more of them are killed for food each year than all other animals combined. Commercial fishing also leaves behind a trail of additional victims—including turtles, birds, and other animals who sustain debilitating injuries after swallowing fishhooks or becoming entangled in fishing lines—and it threatens the delicate balance of the ocean’s ecosystems. A 2022 study determined that each year, enough fishing line is lost in the ocean to circle the Earth 18 times and that fishers lose over 25 million pots and traps and nearly 14 billion longline hooks, posing a huge threat to marine animals.

    Eating fish and other animals is also harmful to human health. We can get everything we need from a healthy vegan diet—including omega-3 fatty acids and protein—without any of the mercury, PCBs, or other toxins found in fish flesh. With delicious vegan varieties of every type of “seafood,” people can enjoy all the familiar dishes they love without the cruelty, toxins, or cholesterol.

    Your new statue could inspire people to shellabrate and protect marine life by going “trash fishing,” rather than promoting an industry that suffocates and slaughters animals. Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to hearing from you.

    Very truly yours,

    Ingrid Newkirk

    President

    The post Replace Fisherman Statue With ‘Fintastic’ Fish Sculpture, PETA Urges Mayor appeared first on PETA.

  • Pigs Beaten at Local Slaughterhouse; PETA Seeks Criminal Probe

    On Monday, PETA sent a letter to Branch County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Stempien asking him to investigate and file appropriate criminal charges against the Clemens Food Group worker responsible for beating multiple pigs with a paddle at the company’s slaughterhouse near Coldwater. As revealed in a recently released U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report, on January 20 an inspector witnessed a worker “hitting hogs excessively … rais[ing] his arm with the paddle at shoulder height, with his elbow bent and hit[ting] the pigs with force.” The inspector also documented that multiple other pigs had “marks … that resembled a rattle paddle mark,” suggesting that the suspect had struck other animals before the official witnessed his behavior.

    “These pigs were beaten by a worker who made the last moments of their lives even more agonizing and terrifying,” says PETA Vice President of Evidence Analysis Daniel Paden. “PETA is calling for a criminal investigation on these animals’ behalf and urges everyone to help prevent such violence by going vegan.”

    PETA notes that this slaughterhouse has a history of inflicting illegal suffering: In 2018, the USDA cited the facility twice for “egregious” violations of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act after two instances in which workers took multiple shots with captive bolt guns in order to stun pigs. In one case, the animal was left crying out and bleeding from his nose as he was shot in the head three times, leading to a temporary suspension of operations at the slaughterhouse.

    The group is pursuing charges under state law because federal officials haven’t prosecuted any inspected slaughterhouses for acts of abuse since at least 2007.

    PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview, and offers a free vegan starter kit on its website. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.

    PETA’s letter to Stempien follows.

    September 18, 2023

    The Honorable Zachary Stempien

    Branch County Prosecuting Attorney

    Dear Mr. Stempien:

    I’m writing to request that your office (and a law-enforcement agency, as necessary) investigate and file applicable criminal charges against the individual responsible for beating pigs at Clemens Food Group LLC, located at 572 Newtown Rd., near Coldwater. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) documented the incident in reports that the agency recently made available to the public. (See the attached table.)

    According to the report, on January 20 an FSIS agent witnessed the worker “hitting hogs excessively” with a paddle. The agent “observed the [suspect] raise his arm with the paddle at shoulder height, with his elbow bent and hit the pigs with force.” The agent also “observed multiple pigs within this group … with marks approximately 6 inch[es] x 8 inch[es] in size that resembled a rattle paddle mark,” suggesting that the suspect had struck other animals before the FSIS official witnessed his behavior.

    This conduct may violate MCL § 750.50, as the documented acts aren’t generally accepted animal husbandry practices involving livestock otherwise exempt from prosecution. Please note that FSIS’ action carries no criminal or civil penalties and does not preempt criminal liability under state law for acts of cruelty to animals. Given that the FSIS hasn’t initiated a criminal prosecution of a licensed slaughterhouse for inhumane handling since at least 2007, charges under state law are these victims’ only chance at a measure of justice.

    Sincerely,

    Daniel Paden

    Vice President of Evidence Analysis

    Cruelty Investigations Department

    PETA

    The post Pigs Beaten at Local Slaughterhouse; PETA Seeks Criminal Probe appeared first on PETA.

  • ‘No Longer An Alternative’: Why Plant-Based Dairy Leader Alpro Redesigned Its Packaging

    alpro packaging

    6 Mins Read

    Alpro’s brand refresh features new packaging putting the ingredients front and centre, along with taste descriptors and a bespoke font. Danone’s global plant-based marketing director speaks to Green Queen about emphasising sustainability over wacky marketing, why plant-based is no longer an alternative, and upgrading existing recipes.

    Four years after refreshing its packaging to focus on health – with front-of-pack nutritional info and health descriptors – Alpro now wants to spotlight its ingredients. The alt-dairy giant has enlisted global design agency Elmwood – which also led its 2019 rebrand – to reinforce the power of plant-based food.

    The vegan dairy category is very populated and highly competitive. Alt-milk in Europe saw a 19% rise in sales of plant-based milk between 2019-22 in Europe – double that of conventional dairy – while plant-based yoghurt saw a 16% growth. According to industry think tank the Good Food Institute Europe, plant-based milk and yoghurt – which make up the bulk of Alpro’s portfolio – are responsible for 47% of all vegan product sales in Europe, the brand’s home market.

    With its new look, the Danone-owned brand hopes to consolidate its position as one of the leaders in this sector by focusing on flavour and quality. “For people who want to try plant-based a first time, the shelf today is simply intimidating,” Hedwig Borgers, Danone’s global plant-based marketing director, told Green Queen. “It is easy to get lost in the many brands shouting to be as loud and funny as possible.”

    She added: “We felt the love for the natural ingredients – and the clear benefits plants offer – got a little lost. At Alpro, we believe plant-based is for everyone and want to lower the threshold by putting the power of plants at the heart of our pack, with clear reasons to believe through plants’ benefits in taste, healthy nutrition and sustainability.”

    A youthful skew: the Gen Z vote

    alpro redesign
    Courtesy: Elmwood

    Alpro’s new packaging labels now feature a “tailored hand-cut font” developed by lettering artist Rachel Joy and typography specialists Monotype. The new design combines a lighter-hearted, informal tone of voice that feels like it’s meant to appeal to a younger demographic.

    It’s a smart tactic, given that one report suggests Gen Z and millennial consumers would be almost entirely responsible for the growth of dairy and meat alternatives in 2024. But it’s not a demographic shift, stresses Borgers: “We haven’t necessarily changed our tonality as a brand; we just put it more forward on our pack as well.”

    She adds “The main aim we have is to make plant-based very clear and understandable for everyone, hence we chose to clarify the benefits of our ingredients in simple words and hero them at the front. This is what we are about: superior products and what they offer to shoppers.”

    Kyle Whybrow, executive creative director at Elmwood London, said the huge awareness boom gave the agency space to “move the needle” and consider “where Alpro goes next”. “The result is an evolved design that focuses on the incredible taste and smooth, moreish texture of Alpro products – from drinks to yoghurts, mousses and more,” he said.

    Whybrow explained that the idea of the rebrand is to take Alpro as a recognisable and iconic brand, and “stretch the parameters of its brand story to be more bold and celebratory, ensuring it is relatable to the widest possible demographic”.

    Plant-based is no longer an alternative

    alpro brand refresh
    Courtesy: Elmwood

    The new packs have taste descriptors like ‘smooth’, ‘subtle’ and ‘creamy’ for oat milk, and ‘tempting’ and ‘tropical’ for coconut milk. The background colour remains a bright white, but the colours shine through even more. Meanwhile, its vegan yoghurts are more minimalist, with the main ingredient flavour taking up the entire bottom half of the packs, complemented by the new fonts and health descriptors atop.

    “By highlighting the ingredients, we bring plant-based back to its core and what it is about: the absolute beauty of plants and what they offer,” said Borgers. “For too long, plant-based has and still is being considered as an alternative to dairy, while we want to showcase how it is a unique category on its own and offers superior first-choice products.”

    This is echoed by Whybrow, who said: “Along with their positive impact on health and the planet, these changes show clearly that plant-based [products] are no longer ‘just’ alternatives or supplements. They’re aspirational purchases in their own right.”

    Despite the heavy feature on ingredients, health is still a big focus, with descriptors like “Rich in fibre” and “Nutritious and low in saturated fat” moved to the top of the packaging. This is a shrewd move considering 70% of Gen Zers are interested in veganism for its health benefits, instead of environmental credentials.

    However, the latter is still prominent on the packaging, with the Alpro almond milk’s front-of-pack reading “Mostly rain-fed almonds”. And this is equally important for many consumers – especially in Asia-Pacific, where environmental consciousness among Gen Z and millennials is among the top sales drivers for vegan milk alternatives.

    Borges outlined that sustainability is at the foundation of what Alpro does: “You will find very clear commitments of our sourcing, water use, CO2 reduction, deforestation and pack materials with the explanations and proof-points this topic deserves on the side of the pack.”

    She added: “Sustainability is an ongoing commitment, and we are continuing to find even better solutions for packaging, transport and sourcing every day.”

    Sustainability messaging more crucial than wacky branding

    plant based milk gen z
    Courtesy: Elmwood

    Danone’s head of plant-based design, Dominique Geeraert, said the redesign brings a “wittier, more confidence edge” to the brand’s market presence. But Borges added that in a space where every brand says it loves the planet, it’s important to outline facts rather than “just stick to punny marketing”.

    For Borgers, the way to do that is to spotlight product superiority and sustainability. “We strongly believe that in the end, it’s about the product,” she explained. “We don’t want to convince people on funny or loud ads – we convince them on the product they opened their wallets for.

    “Even in a time of uncertainty, people will buy the brand that commits to superior taste and nutritional and sustainability benefits. That’s where our focus has been for four decades, and we keep on being insistent on remaining the pioneers of plant-based in every product we create.”

    She stressed that this is what will bring people to Alpro, and keep them. “This is also why we have put those tastes, flavours, natural ingredients and benefits so much forward on our brand restage, and why we] hero them [in] our current marketing campaigns,” she added.

    Borges confirmed that Alpro plans to “double down” on its innovation pipeline, part of which means recipe developments for its core products. “We are currently renovating our key recipes to make them even better,” she revealed. “Specifically, our almond and oat products are getting a serious upgrade in 2024.”

    Explaining this increased focus on product quality, she said: “This is – but you already guessed it – because we really believe bringing the best tasting plant-based is what will convince people. So most of our energy, marketing budget and innovation is devoted to making even more superior products.”

    The post ‘No Longer An Alternative’: Why Plant-Based Dairy Leader Alpro Redesigned Its Packaging appeared first on Green Queen.

  • Update: PETA to Hand Out Free Jerky?! It’s Vegan, of Course!

    To celebrate the launch of our new “Eat Consciously” campaign and the raising of our sky-high appeal in the Hoosier capital urging everyone to view cows as individuals and go vegan, PETA members will gather under the billboard on Monday to give away free protein-packed Primal Strips vegan jerky to passersby.

    When:    Monday, September 18, 2 p.m.

    Where:    3314 S. East St., Indianapolis

    see me not meat, eat consciously ad

    “From salty meat-free jerky to juicy plant-based patties, there’s a vegan option for everything nowadays, and PETA is eager to share the joys of animal-free eating with kind-hearted Hoosiers,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman.

    PETA’s original news release appears below.

    ‘See Me, Not Meat!’ Cow’s Midwest Media Blitz Lands Locally, Courtesy of PETA

    Indianapolis — As part of its new “Eat Consciously” campaign, PETA is erecting sky-high appeals in the Hoosier capital and other traditionally meaty Midwestern cities where vegan eating is growing in popularity—and vegan options are becoming more abundant—urging viewers to consider the cow who suffered and died for a fleeting burger craving and go vegan.

    “Cows feel pain and fear, value their lives, and don’t deserve to have their bodies carved up for food any more than we do,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA urges everyone to see animals as the sensitive individuals they are and go vegan.”

    At slaughterhouses, workers shoot cows in the head with a captive-bolt gun, hang them up by one leg, and cut their throat—often while they’re still conscious. Each person who goes vegan spares nearly 200 animals every year; reduces their own risk of suffering from cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and obesity; and dramatically shrinks their carbon footprint. PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help those looking to make the switch.

    The billboards in Indianapolis are located at 3314 S. East St., near Arby’s and Domino’s, and 5206 W. 38th St., just a stone’s throw from Sunshine Breakfast House & Grill and Famous Steak & Lemonade. The other campaign locations are Canton and Akron, Ohio; Kansas City, Kansas; and Omaha, Nebraska.

    PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information on PETA’s investigative newsgathering and reporting, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.

    The post Update: PETA to Hand Out Free Jerky?! It’s Vegan, of Course! appeared first on PETA.

  • US Mycelium Meat Maker Meati Lays Off 10% of Its Workforce, Shuts Down Pilot Plant

    meati layoffs
    4 Mins Read

    In what is a significant restructuring move, Colorado-based mycelium meat startup Meati has cut its workforce by 10% and shuttered its pilot plant as it looks to become profitable. Meati, which had let go of 17 employees (about 5%) in June, says the layoffs affect all parts of the business and plans to add 100 additional positions to boost production.

    Meati confirmed to Green Queen that the company has laid off 30 employees from its 300-strong workforce, including a few executive-level employees, while the actual number of positions eliminated is 60. The mycelium meat maker says some people in these roles will be deployed to new positions within the company, and those who have been let go will be offered a “comprehensive support package”. This includes severance pay, health insurance plans, career outplacement services, and employee assistance programs.

    In January, the company opened a ‘mega ranch’ in Thornton, Colorado capable of producing tens of millions of pounds of its mycelium-based steaks and chicken breasts to rival the output of animal farms. It followed a $150M Series C raise last year, with an extension round last week bringing its total financing to over $325M. In May, it debuted its products at 380 Sprouts Farmers Market stores across the US, and Meati says these are now available at 1,500 stores nationwide.

    Restructuring towards profitability

    meati mega ranch
    In January, Meati opened a ‘mega ranch’ in Thornton, Colorado | Courtesy: Meati

    But despite this recent success, the business has been forced to restructure. “Meati is a young, disruptive company navigating uncharted territory – bringing a novel food to the forefront of a highly competitive industry in a challenging economic climate,” a Meati spokesperson told Green Queen in a statement. “Each of these factors requires us to regularly evaluate every aspect of our operations.”

    They added: “These job cuts, while incredibly difficult, are a necessary part of ensuring we achieve a sustainable business model. Despite creating incredible products and an excellent commercial start in the market, we must be nimble and focus on near-term profitability.”

    Speaking to the Denver Post, Meati COO Scott Tassani said: “With the cost of capital being higher, there’s a direct challenge for an accelerated pace of profitability. One of the things we have decided is that we have to get to a more sustainable business model that’s not just all about growth and speed.”

    Despite the layoffs and closing of its pilot plant in Boulder, Colorado, Meati remains confident about its growth trajectory. “Very few brands have ever entered the market in this way, with immediate category leadership and extreme consumer resonance,” the company’s spokesperson told Green Queen.

    “While our path forward has changed shape, we’re confident that the changes we’re making are the right course of action to support Meati’s continued growth and leadership. Meati’s team will continue to grow as nearly 100 additional positions are added in the near term to expand production capacity.”

    Tough going for plant-based businesses

    meati mycelium
    Courtesy: Meati

    The layoffs at Meati follow similar developments at other plant-based food companies in the last year, with the alt-meat industry experiencing a decline in sales and consumer interest. Alt-meat giant Impossible Foods cut 20% of its workforce (132 employees) in February, after laying off 6% a few months before, while competitor Beyond Meat similarly let 19% of its staff go last October, affecting 200 employees and Eat Just, Inc made 18% of its workers redundant earlier this year.

    According to insights firm Circana, retail sales of vegan meat alternatives fell by 12.6% to $106.8M in the five weeks to July 2, 2023, with units down by 19.8% year-on-year. And for the year to July 2, 2023, sales declined by 7.3% year-on-year, while units saw a 15.6% drop. These figures coincide with a Gallup poll that found that the number of vegans has hit a 10-year low this year.

    A recent Mintel survey of 1,400 US consumers suggests that only 20% followed a meat-reduced diet this year, with inflation causing 53% of consumers to try fewer new foods like plant-based substitutes. Participants cited taste (48%), nutrition (35%), cost (34%), texture (24%) and processing (21%) as their primary concerns against alt-meat, with 30% of flexitarians avoiding plant-based meat alternatives because they are overproduced.

    Meanwhile, companies have ceased operations, filed for bankruptcy, fallen into administration, gone into receivership – or even come close to the brink. But a 2023 Kantar report suggests that while plant-based food brands have seen a 10% drop in sales, private-label supermarket offerings have grown by 14% in the last year. Along these lines, Tassani told the Denver Post: “We are very confident that we will exit the year with thousands of stores carrying our product and we’ll be on the path to profitability in 2024.”

    The post US Mycelium Meat Maker Meati Lays Off 10% of Its Workforce, Shuts Down Pilot Plant appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • ‘See Me, Not Meat!’ Animals’ Midwest Media Blitz Lands in Omaha With Free Vegan Jerky Giveaway

    On Sunday, PETA supporters will hand out free protein-packed Primal Strips vegan jerky beneath a new sky-high appeal that urges viewers to consider the cow who suffered and died for a fleeting burger craving and go vegan. The action—along with a second unmissable local plea just erected by the group that features a chicken—is part of PETA’s new “Eat Consciously” campaign in the Gateway to the West and other traditionally meaty Midwestern cities where vegan eating is growing in popularity—and vegan options are becoming more abundant.see me not meat, eat consciously adad with chicken that says "see me, not meat"

    When:    Sunday, September 17, 1 p.m.

    Where:    Near the billboard at 2727 Oak View Dr., Omaha. (Please see the Google maps link here.)

    “Cows, chickens, pigs, and other animals feel pain and fear, value their lives, and don’t deserve to have their bodies carved up for food any more than we do,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA urges everyone to see animals as the sensitive individuals they are and go vegan.”

    Chickens killed for their flesh are crowded by the tens of thousands into filthy sheds and bred to grow such unnaturally large upper bodies that their legs often become crippled under the weight. Their throats are cut, often while they’re still conscious, and many are scalded to death in defeathering tanks. Most cows in the meat industry end up confined to cramped, filthy feedlots, living mired in their own waste, often lame, and are commonly dosed with antibiotics to make them grow faster. At slaughterhouses, workers shoot cows in the head with a captive-bolt gun, hang them up by one leg, and cut their throats—often while they’re still conscious.

    Each person who goes vegan spares nearly 200 animals every year; reduces their own risk of suffering from cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and obesity; and dramatically shrinks their carbon footprint. PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help those looking to make the switch.

    The billboard on Oak View Drive is just a stone’s throw from Red Lobster and Dairy Queen. The second billboard is located at 4416 Dodge St., across from Abelardo’s Mexican Fresh and near Popeyes, Burger King, and Wendy’s. The other campaign locations are Akron and Canton, Ohio; Kansas City, Kansas; and Indianapolis.

    PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information on PETA’s investigative newsgathering and reporting, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.

    The post ‘See Me, Not Meat!’ Animals’ Midwest Media Blitz Lands in Omaha With Free Vegan Jerky Giveaway appeared first on PETA.

  • Ed Sheeran Moonlights at Restaurants on Mathematics Tour; PETA Says Do a Vegan Number Next

    As Ed Sheeran crosses the U.S. on his Mathematics Tour, he’s been popping in at local restaurants to surprise customers and serve up grub alongside the staff—and PETA says it’s a perfect opportunity to promote kinder eating. In a letter sent today to the singer, the group asks Sheeran to put one of Los Angeles’ many popular vegan spots at center stage—perhaps Hart House, Donut Friend, or Mr. Charlie’s—when he visits the city later this month.

    Sheeran making pizza in Pittsburgh

    “We’re just thinking out loud, but why not ‘work’ at a vegan restaurant when you come to Los Angeles this month?” writes PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange. “Many of L.A.’s beautiful people are vegan, and the City of Angels is the site of many historic advances for animal rights. By sharing your spotlight with these compassionate eateries, you could encourage your fans to dive into kinder, more sustainable eating.”

    PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview and offers a free vegan starter kit on its website. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.

    PETA’s letter to Sheeran follows.

    September 14, 2023

    Hi Ed,

    Greetings from PETA! We enjoyed watching you wear various aprons while promoting your new album. We’re just thinking out loud, but why not “work” at a vegan restaurant when you come to Los Angeles this September?

    Many of L.A.’s beautiful people are vegan, and the City of Angels is the site of many historic advances for animal rights. We’ve heard you’re a friend to cats, Ed, so this idea purrfectly aligns with your compassionate heart.

    Every single meal makes a difference. By sharing your spotlight on these compassionate eateries, you could encourage your fans to dive into kinder, more sustainable eating!

    You could work at vegan restaurants like Hart House. Or perhaps you’d like to visit Donut Friend and indulge in some photogenic treats. And many vegans love the cuisine at Mr. Charlie’s, making it a perfect place to visit.

    So what do you think? Please feel free to contact us. We’d be delighted to help make this possibility a harmonious reality.

    Cheers,

    Lisa Lange

    Senior Vice President of Communications

    PETA

    The post Ed Sheeran Moonlights at Restaurants on Mathematics Tour; PETA Says Do a Vegan Number Next appeared first on PETA.

  • Opinion: Plant-Based is Dead, Long Live Plant-Based!

    5 Mins Read

    In recent years, the plant-based industry has witnessed hyper-growth and a lot of hype, fueled by venture capital and a promise of sustainable alternatives to traditional animal-based products. However, as the dust settles on initial market enthusiasm, the narrative surrounding this industry is changing.

    The initial exclamation that “plant-based is dead” might be a startling realization for some, but it’s merely a natural progression. Like the phoenix, the industry is poised for a rebirth – a more mature, grounded, and realistic phase.

    There are two areas where we need to anchor our focus in the short term as an industry, which will enable us to map a new course forward. 

    1) Understand the fickle consumer mindset 

    Fueled by a torrent of venture funding, companies leaned heavily into technological innovations, prioritizing the replication of meat, dairy, and eggs. The target was clear: produce products that looked, cooked, and tasted identical to their animal-based counterparts. Yet, in this rush, many overlooked a key component: consumer motivations and purchasing behaviors. Consider this: while 70% of the US population consumes plant-based foods, a recent Gallup poll found that only 4% identify as vegetarian and a mere 1% as vegan. This raises an intriguing question: what drives the majority? Most consumers aren’t driven by a strict dietary lifestyle but instead by flavor, health, or novelty. There’s definitely a significant group enticed by products mimicking their animal-based counterparts in taste and texture, making their dietary transition smoother. However, many of these consumers are now questioning the integrity of ingredients in these “alternative” products. So what are they looking for? Recognizable ingredients, placing taste and health benefits above perfect mimicry perhaps?

    Here’s the truth: we don’t really know, but the intersection of behavioral psychology with market data suggests that companies may have placed the cart before the horse. Prioritizing tech-driven mimicry (and valuing it like tech) possibly missed the broader picture: understanding the diverse and multi-layered motivations behind consumer choices. Food is not tech and comparisons to electric vehicles or renewable energy may work in the context of shaping markets, but don’t account for the complex psychology involved in food choices. Let’s focus on understanding consumer intentions, and most importantly consumer purchase behavior (because they don’t always align). There is an undeniable “say-do” gap between what consumers say they want and what they are actually buying, and this gap may be even harder to bridge when it comes to food because of the emotional and cultural influences on food choices.  Perhaps once we decode this behavior, we can invest more wisely in the right kind of product innovation. 

    2) Shift from growth to profitability 

    As the initial hype subsided, many startups faced a new reality. The mantra of “growth at all costs,” bolstered by hefty valuations and a cascade of venture capital, began to wane. Facing a weaker economic outlook, rising inflation, and higher interest rates, businesses must reevaluate strategies. Especially as investor interest becomes more discerning, aligning with a profitability-focused model. These macroeconomic shifts add to existing challenges: production costs, public funding disparities, and robust competition. The industry is now witnessing a palpable shift towards pragmatic business strategies and clear paths to profitability. To achieve this, companies are being forced with the necessity to “right-size” their operations or face the consequences of running out of capital. This involves not just streamlining processes but actively seeking avenues for collaboration to tackle the unique challenges of retail and foodservice. 

    And what are these challenges? In retail, securing shelf space is a daunting task, especially with established food giants in the mix. The rise in demand for plant-based products has certainly increased their visibility in stores, but it’s accompanied by increased competition, particularly from private label products that promise similar quality at lower price points. Foodservice, on the other hand, offers a different beast. Here, consistency, scalability, and price points become paramount. Given that most foodservice operators work on razor-thin margins, plant-based options need to be competitively priced, consistent in taste and quality, and scalable to varying demands.

    The path forward: we need industry collaboration

    With the surge in plant-based companies, the landscape has become a bustling hub of innovation. Yet, the challenges of distribution, intense competition, high production costs, and fluctuating consumer preferences demand a more unified approach. Given these multifaceted challenges, the industry’s survival and growth will depend heavily on collaboration. By pooling resources and expertise, plant-based companies can leverage economies of scale, reducing production and distribution costs,  and ultimately improving their margins.

    The harsh reality is some brands won’t make it past 2023 and many that do won’t stay independent for long and may need to be consolidated under new management. In this new incarnation of the plant-based space, shared ingredient sourcing, for instance, can offer volume discounts and more bargaining power. Shared marketing, leveraging collective reach, can bring down advertising expenditures. Collaborative research and development can speed up innovation cycles, sharing the financial burden and risk. 

    In the realms of food service and retail, the nuances run deeper. 

    In retail, securing shelf space is the biggest hurdle. Traditional meat and dairy industries have entrenched relationships. The hefty cost of slotting fees, promotions, and the battle for endcap displays often stretches the budgets of nascent plant-based companies. While there’s no simple solution to this dilemma, launching co-branded SKUs in high-growth categories may prove strategically advantageous, and achieving cost savings elsewhere may make these expenses more palatable. 

    For foodservice, while there are a lot more immediate opportunities, the challenges include training staff about new products, ensuring consistency in delivery, and managing varying consumer expectations with creative menus. Here, shared services and turnkey/collaborative concepts that involve multiple brands, collaborative distribution logistics and unified training models can bridge knowledge gaps, streamline operations, and make a significant difference in margins.

    Final Thoughts

    It’s not the end of the road for plant-based. It’s a bend, a crucial inflection point. As the initial hype subsides, what remains is an industry that’s learning, recalibrating, and reinventing. With a deeper understanding of consumer behavior, a more realistic approach to business growth, and an industry-wide spirit of collaboration, plant-based is poised not just to live but to thrive. In essence, reports of its death have been greatly exaggerated. Instead, plant-based is on the cusp of a new dawn, a phase where it will not just be an alternative but an integral part of our food landscape. 

    Long live plant-based!

    The post Opinion: Plant-Based is Dead, Long Live Plant-Based! appeared first on Green Queen.

  • McDonald’s Netherlands Lists Its New Meatless Burgers, Nuggets & Salad Before Beef on the Menu

    mcdonald's netherlands

    4 Mins Read

    Earlier this month, McDonald’s added four new meatless products to its Netherlands range and, in a move to promote plant-forward food, listed them before beef on the menu. The new burgers, nuggets and salad join the Beyond Meat-based McPlant, which has been a permanent fixture on the fast-food chain’s Dutch menu since last year, after a successful trial the year before.

    Two of the new products are limited-edition, while the other two are permanent. The former category contains the McPlant Steakhouse (a variation of the original McPlant with a “juice steakhouse taste”) and the Meatless McKroket, which is temporarily replacing the original McKroket and has seen its croquet recipe updated to feature jackfruit.

    The new Veggie Nuggets and Veggie Chicken Honey Mustard Salad make up the permanent additions. None of these, however, are plant-based by default. The nuggets and salad both contain dairy and eggs, with the latter also having honey as an ingredient. The Meatless McKroket can be made vegan if ordered without the sauce, while the McPlant Steakhouse will be plant-based if you remove the cheese. (While the McPlant uses Beyond Meat, the new products’ supplier hasn’t been disclosed.)

    McDonald’s promotes meatless

    mcdonald's mcplant
    Courtesy: McDonald’s

    The new products coincide with a new campaign by McDonald’s, through which it aims to promote meatless and plant-based eating among its customers. It has reallocated its campaign budgets to support meat-free products more, and positioned these new products alongside chicken options first on the menu, followed by the conventional beef options. (Beef is the highest-emitting food on the planet.)

    “At McDonald’s, we are constantly developing the menu,” Dolly van den Akker, impact director at McDonald’s Netherlands, told Duurzaam Ondernemen. “We listen to the wishes of our guests and are happy to take the lead in our sector. We do this by offering responsible choices, such as fruit and vegetables in the Happy Meal, but also by adding more variety to the menu offering.

    “However, we know that our guests often have fixed preferences. With this campaign and new introductions, we want to challenge them to go for that unknown, meatless option. Which is really just as tasty.”

    The move signposts McDonald’s strong plant-based performance in the EU. It test-launched the McPlant in Sweden and Denmark in 2021, before rolling out the vegan burger in the UK months later. It has taken this trial approach in most countries, including the US, where it initially gained popularity before sales stagnated. The test run in its home market ended in August 2022.

    Across the Atlantic, however, the results are more positive. Its permanent UK launch was so successful that McDonald’s launched a Double McPlant this January, and in Germany, all stores now have the McPlant as well as vegan nuggets (also made using Beyond Meat). The Netherlands trial in 2021 saw the McPlant become a permanent menu item last October.

    Plant-based fast food goes mainstream

    beyond mcdonalds
    Courtesy: McDonald’s

    The new product range is an important step for McDonald’s, the world’s largest food chain, as the fast-food sector aims to meet consumers’ plant-based demands. Burger King has been a leader in this space for some time now – it was recently revealed that one in five of its burgers sold in Germany is plant-based. And a nine-country report by ProVeg International found that Burger King tops the list of fast-food chains with the most plant-based options.

    McDonald’s and Burger King – two giant rivals – also use different alt-meat competitors in their products. While Burger King uses Impossible Foods‘ plant-based meat in its meatless offerings in North America, it employs Unilever-owned The Vegetarian Butcher’s alt-meat elsewhere – and in the EU, its vegan bacon is provided by Parisian startup La Vie. Burger King’s meatless options are present in multiple countries internationally, including the UK, Austria, Spain, France, Japan, Singapore and Indonesia, among others.

    McDonald’s was third on the list, following Subway. Only 9% of the restaurant’s menu was found to be vegan, with plant-based mains comprising only 3% of the total options and available only in the UK, Germany and South Africa (at the time). The report noted that McDonald’s has an opportunity to make its nearly plant-based options – some have dairy cheese and a ‘plant-based’ patty has animal products – vegan by default.

    This extends to the new range in the Netherlands. McDonald’s already makes vegan nuggets in other countries, so could theoretically also introduce the same product in the Netherlands as well, helping it encourage Dutch consumers to change their dietary habits for the planet.

    The Netherlands has the highest sales of alt-meat per capita of any European country, with more than 70% of its consumers supporting a shift towards a more plant-based diet. This could explain why the market share of vegan products increased from 1.4% in 2016 to 5.4% in 2021. Here, Subway leads the way in terms of the number of plant-based dishes, followed by Burger King. McDonald’s comes last – after Domino’s and KFC – given that most of its products aren’t vegan by default.

    However, there are encouraging signs. McDonald’s new menu positioning follows one of the ProVeg report’s recommendations, which reads: “Integrate plant-based options with similar items and list them first, while repeating them in a separately labelled plant-based section. This will nudge consumers to choose more plant-based options while making it easier to navigate the menu.”

    Whether it follows up with more default plant-based options remains to be seen.

    The post McDonald’s Netherlands Lists Its New Meatless Burgers, Nuggets & Salad Before Beef on the Menu appeared first on Green Queen.

  • Miyoko’s Creamery Launches First Product Range Since Namesake Founder’s Exit and Lawsuit

    miyoko's plant milk cheese spreads
    4 Mins Read

    Months after resolving all legal disputes with its namesake founder Miyoko Schinner, alt-dairy pioneer Miyoko’s Creamery has launched its first new product range. The cashew-based Plant Milk Cheese Spreads herald a new era for the company and its CEO Stuart Kronauge.

    Miyoko’s new cheese spreads, which are inspired by its artisanal cheese wheels and Roadhouse Cheddar offering, employ traditional cheesemaking techniques using a base of organic cashew milk. The new range has four flavours: classic chive, garlic and herb, sundried tomato and Roadhouse Cheddar.

    The latter is the star of the lineup and packs a bold, sharp Cheddary flavour. Its ingredient list comprises cashew milk, coconut oil, rice miso, and natural flavourings, colour and cultures. The move comes a year and a half after the company unprecedentedly withdrew its vegan shreds and slices from the market to return to its traditional roots.

    “I promise that we will honour the art and craft of cheesemaking, discovering the most nutrient-dense plant milks and transforming them into cheese through natural fermentation, coagulation and ageing to express their unique identity and flavour,” then-CEO Miyoko Schinner had said at the time.

    A lot has happened since then. Schinner is no longer at the company she founded in 2014, having been ousted last June and sued by the business’s board earlier this year for an alleged breach of contract, a violation of trade secrets, and stealing company IP.

    Miyoko’s vs Miyoko

    miyoko schinner
    Courtesy: Miyoko Schinner

    This included Schinner’s alleged failure to return confidential items that included R&D materials like “proprietary recipes and plant-based culture configurations”, which is why Miyoko’s Creamery said it “was forced to bring this action to protect its trade secrets and confidential information”.

    Schinner said she was “blindsided” by the lawsuit, and confirmed that “we did not arrive at this point by my choosing”. “As we worked to grow the business, conflict grew around the best path forward for future growth while continuing to live our values, founded on the principles of veganism and animal rights, as well as our B Corp status,” she wrote in a LinkedIn post. “That we find ourselves here is representative of the extent to which my views and approach have not always prevailed (especially in the past two years).”

    A month later, Schinner countersued the company she founded, alleging that sexism led to her dismissal. She claimed she was forced out after filing multiple HR complaints about recently hired male executives who discriminated against women. She accused COO René Weber (who joined the company in 2021) of mistreating women, excluding them from meetings and withholding critical information. This made it “impossible for her to continue to effectively do her job”, the lawsuit stated.

    It added that Weber “openly denigrated women, their expertise and their contributions at Miyoko’s, calling some ‘stupid’ and ‘terrible’” – terms Schinner said Weber never used about men. She added that Weber “mansplained” to her that she didn’t understand the products or company she had founded: “In a markedly gendered tone, he described her ideas and ambition as unrealistic, driven by emotion and whim.” (Weber is still at the company in the same role.)

    And after Schinner allegedly raised an HR complaint against operations consultant John Zabrodsky, hired at the request of one of the company’s investors, she said the vegan cheese producer “swiftly retaliated against [Schinner] by demoting her and then terminating her”.

    The Miyoko’s Creamery board of directors says Schinner’s exit from the company came as she lacked the necessary skills to take the company to the next level as its CEO.

    Turning a new corner

    miyoko's lawsuit
    In August, Miyoko’s Creamery appointed former Beyond Meat CMO Stuart Kronauger as its new CEO | Courtesy: Miyoko’s Creamery

    In May, however, there appeared to be a resolution between the two parties, both having withdrawn legal claims and settled their disputes. “Miyoko’s Creamery and Miyoko Schinner are pleased that they have resolved all legal disputes between them and that they have withdrawn all legal claims made against each other,” a joint statement read.

    “Miyoko’s Creamery acknowledges the tremendous creativity, hard work, and integrity of its founder, Miyoko Schinner, a true pioneer in vegan creamery products, and appreciates her many contributions to the company over the years.”

    The company, which has products in over 20,000 retailers worldwide (and 25,000 stores across the US), also unveiled fresh branding with a new-look website and packaging, and in August, appointed former Beyond Meat CMO Stuart Kronauger as CEO. The new Plant Milk Cheese Spreads, which are priced at $6.49 per 8oz container, are the first under her reign.

    The company received B Corp status in 2019, and two years later, it won a legal battle against the State of California that granted the company permission to use the term “butter” on its product labels. In 2022, Miyoko’s Creamery raised nearly $7M in equity from undisclosed investors, with one estimate revealing the company has received over $78.6M in funding since its founding. According to Dealroom, the company was worth $260M in June 2022.

    The post Miyoko’s Creamery Launches First Product Range Since Namesake Founder’s Exit and Lawsuit appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Cows, Chickens, and Pigs on Billboards in the Midwest Say, ‘See Me, Not Meat’

    With every meal we eat, we’re making a choice to either help or hurt our fellow animals. When you eat meat, eggs, or cheese, do you stop to think about who suffers the consequences? To urge everyone to really see the individuals who suffer for meat, eggs, dairy, and other cruelly obtained foods, PETA’s taking over the Midwest with our thought-provoking “Eat Consciously” campaign.

    In five Midwestern cities, we’ve strategically placed “See Me, Not Meat” ads on billboards where they’ll most effectively encourage diners to choose compassion.

    To encourage Canton, Ohio, residents to show empathy to cows, we placed a billboard of a cow near Kraus’ Pizza—one of Ohio’s staple pizza chains—as well as Wendy’s and Jersey Mike’s Subs locations. Cows are gentle giants who develop friendships and mourn the deaths of loved ones.

    sad looking cow on a billboard that says "see me not meat"

    We also placed a billboard of a chicken in Akron, Ohio, near the city’s DeVitis Fine Italian Foods. Chickens are among the most abused animals on the planet, and our billboard reminds passersby that they, like all our fellow animals, are sentient beings who suffer when humans kill them for their flesh.

    ad with chicken that says "see me, not meat"

    In Indianapolis, we placed two billboards featuring a cow—one near Arby’s and Domino’s locations and another near Sunshine Breakfast House & Grill and Famous Steak & Lemonade.

    billboard on the side of a road featuring a cow that says "see me not meat"

    Every year in the U.S., more than 29 million cows suffer and die in the meat and dairy industries, in which animals are branded and castrated and cows’ horns are burned out of their skulls—often without any pain relief. At slaughterhouses, workers shoot them in the head with captive-bolt guns, hang them up by one leg, and cut their throats—often while they’re still conscious.

    Our billboards in Kansas City, Kansas—the “barbecue capital of the world”—challenged diners to recognize that pigs are intelligent and emotional beings, not entrées. We placed one billboard near the city’s American Royal World Series of Barbecue.

    billboard appearing over a grassy hill featuring a pig that says "see me not meat"

    And we placed another on the highway near two of Kansas City’s major food manufacturing plants, Conagra Foods and Tyson’s Hillshire Brands.

    In Omaha, Nebraska, we placed a billboard of a cow near Red Lobster and Dairy Queen locations. We also put up a billboard near Abelardo’s Mexican Fresh and a Popeyes location.

    What You Can Do

    Eat consciously! Always leave animals off your plate and your shopping list, and go vegan:

    The post Cows, Chickens, and Pigs on Billboards in the Midwest Say, ‘See Me, Not Meat’ appeared first on PETA.

  • What Prepackaged Vegan Snacks Are Family-Friendly? Here Are Our Picks

    Save Animals and Time With Prepackaged Vegan Snacks for Your Family

    Make Snack Time Quick and Delicious With Vegan Prepackaged Options

    What Vegan Snacks Do Parents Feed Their Kids? Here Are Our Picks

    What Prepackaged Vegan Snacks Are Family-Friendly? Here Are Our Picks

    Parent-Approved Vegan Snacks to Make a Bite on the Go Easy and Kind

     

    We turned to parents who work at PETA, and these are the snacks they mentioned over and over as the ones they feed their kids the most.

     

    The next time you’re grocery shopping for your kids’ lunches, take a page from PETA parents’ books. These vegan snacks are some of their favorites.

    The post What Prepackaged Vegan Snacks Are Family-Friendly? Here Are Our Picks appeared first on PETA.

    This post was originally published on Animal Rights and Campaign News | PETA.

  • Six Small Businesses Your Whole Family Will Love

    Six Small Businesses Leading With Compassion

    Six Small Businesses Your Family Will Feel Good About Supporting

    Looking to Support a Small Vegan Business? Check Out Our Faves

    Parents: Looking for Businesses That Match Your Ethics?

    Six Small Businesses Your Whole Family Will Love

    Shopping small brands is a great way to support everyday people. Check out some of our faves, which make products that are kind to animals and awesome for kids.

    Prepping the family for sweater weather? Deux par Deux is for you! And check out five other small businesses whose products align with your passion for helping animals and your budget.

    The post Six Small Businesses Your Whole Family Will Love appeared first on PETA.

  • COP28 Will Be First Food-Centric UN Climate Summit with Alt-Protein, Sustainable Diets on the Agenda

    cop28 food

    5 Mins Read

    COP28 made headlines last month when it announced it will serve mostly plant-based food – it signposts the increased focus on food systems at this year’s UN climate summit (November 30 to December 12), in contrast to years past. In addition to mostly vegan catering, the conference will see food policy announcements and a Food4Climate Pavilion.

    The link between climate change and agriculture is clear – food systems are responsible for a third of all human-caused global greenhouse gas emissions. The link between climate change and meat should also be fairly obvious – animal agriculture has been found to produce between 11-19.5% of the planet’s emissions, and one study has revealed that animal-derived foods cause twice as many emissions as plant-based foods.

    Despite all the evidence, food has been a touchy topic at the world’s top climate summit for years. At COP26 in Glasgow, the UN introduced climate labels to its meat-heavy food menu, with some animal-based dishes having a carbon footprint 30 times higher than plant-based options. But it failed to add food and livestock farming to the agenda. And last year’s summit in Egypt hosted its first-ever pavilions dedicated to food system changes, and yet cutting meat and dairy wasn’t on the agenda.

    It hasn’t been helped by the severe underreporting about the impact of livestock farming on the climate crisis (only 7% of climate stories in the media mention animal agriculture), nor the lack of global climate funding dedicated to food and agriculture. Intensive lobbying by the meat and dairy industries – who receive billions in subsidies from many of the governments attending COP conferences – against the plant-based sector exacerbates this issue and leads to misconceptions among consumers – signalled by the 74% of Americans who don’t believe eating meat has an impact on climate change.

    COP28 shines a light on food, finally

    This year, however, the tide seems to be turning. Last month, the UN confirmed it would be featuring predominantly plant-based food on its catering menu at the conference in Dubai (which saw the opening of the UAE‘s first plant-based meat factory earlier this year). And this was a precursor of what’s to come – COP28 will finally have a heavy focus on food, with policy announcements and another food pavilion rounded off by a dedicated Food, Agriculture and Water Day on December 10.

    This day will spotlight investment in innovation, procurement around regenerative agriculture, national transformation pathways underpinned by financing mechanisms, and project preparation, according to Raphaël Podselver, director of UN Affairs at food advocacy non-profit ProVeg International.

    He says it’s the “first time we are having real discussions on food and agriculture at a COP summit”, and expects policy shifts aimed at advancing plant-rich diets and protein diversification, improving food security and reducing agrifood emissions.

    cop28 vegan
    Courtesy: Food4Climate Pavilion

    Podselver calls COP28’s commitment to serve mostly vegan food “excellent progress”, but adds that there’s still work to do to raise awareness among UN nations about food’s impact on the climate, and solutions to cut emissions. “We believe the climate data is helping to push things forward, in particular, the latest report from the IPCC about the need to embrace plant-based diets to tackle climate change,” he says.

    The IPCC report suggests that transitioning to plant-rich diets (alongside other alt-proteins) could result in a “substantial reduction in direct greenhouse gas emissions from food production”. But a leaked draft of the original report showed that the authors initially recommended a shift towards plant-based diets – before the wording was softened in the final version.

    In any case, Podselver says COP28’s decision is precedent-setting: “We expect to see plant-based catering as well as emissions labelling on food embraced by other summits going forward. We certainly do not see this as a one-off, but rather another stage in a journey towards raising awareness of how to make our diets more climate-friendly.”

    Food4Climate Pavilion and the North-South divide

    This year’s summit will see a coalition of NGOs set up the Food4Climate Pavilion, the second time a COP conference will host it. This includes groups like ProVeg, World Animal Protection, Compassion in World Farming, Plant Based Foods Institute, Humane Society International, Mercy for Animals, and Four Paws, among others.

    The Food4Climate Pavilion will highlight the importance of prioritising the production of alternative protein over animal protein, as well as tackle the overconsumption of meat in the Global North. A region seen as wealthier, and as a group, the world’s richest are responsible for 50% of total emissions, versus 7% for the poorest.

    The wealth gap extends to climate consequences, too. A study has found that the richest humans would be primarily responsible for the climate-related deaths of poorer people if global temperatures reach 2°C above pre-industrial levels by 2100. The North-South divide was a point of contention at COP26, when thousands of people from the Global South couldn’t attend the conference due to visa and accreditation issues, lack of access to Covid-19 vaccines, and changing travel rules.

    food4climate pavilion
    Courtesy: Food4Climate Pavilion

    Policy shifts and a 1.5°C roadmap

    COP28 will witness a host of food policy announcements to help mitigate its impact on climate change. It includes the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s roadmap to limit global temperature rises to the 1.5°C limit outlined in the Paris Agreement. “To make a serious attempt at keeping within internationally agreed temperature targets under the Paris Agreement, we need to enable a shift to alternative protein production as quickly as possible,” explains Podselver.

    But this target is under serious threat. Multiple assessments have found that limiting this temperature rise might not be possible, with many directly attributing this to the impact of food and agriculture systems. One study concluded that high-methane food consumption must drop to attempt to meet the target, as current levels of food emissions would cause at least 0.7°C of global heating by 2100.

    In fact, research has shown that in a business-as-usual scenario, the world will emit around 1,356 billion tonnes of CO2e by 2100, which would take us well beyond the 1.5°C limit. Even if we stop all emissions from non-food sectors (energy and industry), food emissions alone will surpass the 1.5°C carbon budget.

    Can we realistically keep to this target? Podselver points to a World Meteorological Organization report that shows there’s a 66% chance that annual global surface temperatures will temporarily exceed 1.5°C for at least one of the next five years. “The COP summits offer the world a chance of keeping to the 1.5°C target and we hope that by raising awareness of the impact of agriculture on climate change through our Food4Climate Pavilion, we will contribute to meeting that goal successfully,” he says.

    He adds that there will be concrete discussions around the deforestation and methane commitments made at COP26. Additionally, the COP28 presidency “wants to get a Leaders Declaration on Food Systems, with concrete commitments to transform our broken food systems and mitigate emissions while ensuring food security for all”.

    The post COP28 Will Be First Food-Centric UN Climate Summit with Alt-Protein, Sustainable Diets on the Agenda appeared first on Green Queen.

  • ‘See Me, Not Meat!’ Pig’s Midwest Media Blitz Lands in Kansas City, Courtesy of PETA

    As part of its new “Eat Consciously” campaign, PETA is erecting sky-high appeals in the Heart of America and other traditionally meaty Midwestern cities where vegan eating is growing in popularity—and vegan options are becoming more abundant—urging viewers to consider a pig who suffered and died for a fleeting barbecue craving and go vegan.

    Photo credit: Nick Gordon

    “Pigs feel pain and fear, value their lives, and don’t deserve to have their bodies carved up for food any more than we do,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA urges everyone to see animals as the sensitive individuals they are and go vegan.”

    At slaughterhouses, workers shoot pigs in the head with a captive-bolt gun, hang them up by one leg, and cut their throat—often while they’re still conscious. Each person who goes vegan spares nearly 200 animals every year; reduces their own risk of suffering from cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and obesity; and dramatically shrinks their carbon footprint. PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help those looking to make the switch.

    The billboards in Kansas City are located alongside Harry Darby Memorial Highway just north of Speaker Road, near Conagra Brands and Hillshire Brands (a subsidiary of Tyson), and I-70 just west of N. 110th Street, a stone’s throw from the American Royal World Series of Barbecue. The other campaign locations are Akron and Canton, Ohio; Indianapolis; and Omaha, Nebraska.

    PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information on PETA’s investigative newsgathering and reporting, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.

    The post ‘See Me, Not Meat!’ Pig’s Midwest Media Blitz Lands in Kansas City, Courtesy of PETA appeared first on PETA.

    This post was originally published on Animal Rights and Campaign News | PETA.

  • Revo Foods Launches 3D-Printed Whole-Cut Vegan Salmon Filet in Vienna Supermarket

    revo foods salmon

    4 Mins Read

    Revo Foods will launch its whole-cut salmon filet in Rewe Group’s vegan flagship store, Billa Pflanzilla, in Vienna this week, marking the first time a 3D-printed meat alternative will be on supermarket shelves, according to the company. Born out of its collaboration with Sweden’s Mycorena, the mycoprotein-based salmon employs new extrusion tech to achieve the flakiness and juice fibres associated with conventional fish.

    The collaboration between the two startups was announced this January, as part of a €1.5M grant from Swedish innovation agency Vinnova, the Austrian Research Promotion Agency, and EU funding programme Eurostars. Titled ‘The Filet – Inspired by Salmon’, the mycoprotein base is a result of this partnership, using Mycorena’s Promyc protein base and engineering it specifically for 3D printing purposes.

    Mycoprotein, which is essentially mycelium created from filamentous fungi, first came into the plant-based zeitgeist with Quorn’s meat-free range. The global mycoprotein segment is set to reach $976M in 2032, according to Future Market Insights, so the demand for such foods is clear.

    New extrusion tech enables mass production

    The “ultra-realistic” salmon filet is the first food produced by Revo Foods’ patented 3D-MassFormer technology. The extrusion tech allows the “seamless integration of fats into a fibrous protein matrix”, which can recreate the flakiness and juice fibres found in conventional fish filets. Using this tech, the startup claims it has developed the first-ever continuous manufacturing process capable of mass-producing 3D-printed food. It can create what Revo Foods calls a “new generation of authentic seafood alternatives”.

    “With the milestone of industrial-scale 3D food printing, we are entering a creative food revolution, an era where food is being crafted exactly according to the customer needs,” says Revo Foods CEO Robin Simsa. The brand calls this new process a “gamechanger” for plant-based meat, enabling the creation of a new category of “authentic products” like vegan steaks and filets.

    3d printed salmon
    Courtesy: Revo Foods

    Its deal with Rewe sees the plant-based whole cut – often described as the “holy grail” of alt-meat – launch into Rewe Group’s Billa Pflanzilla vegan store in Vienna, while European consumers can purchase the new salmon filet from Revo Foods’ website from October. It’s also available in foodservice, starting from Restaurant Adlerhorf in Vienna and Bistro Verde in Copenhagen. The company says it will move the salmon into over 1,500 stores across Europe next year.

    The startup received €2.2M grant from the Austrian Research Promotion Agency last June, and closed a €1.5M in its first investment round in 2021. With a host of products already on the market, including smoked salmon, gravlax, salmon spread and tuna spread, it also launched in the UK last year. Its new salmon, which is priced between €6-7 for a 130g filet, was prepared for a panel of 10 tasters by a Michelin-starred chef in 2022 too, with overwhelmingly positive feedback – some questioned whether the dish was actually vegan.

    The rise of alt-seafood

    Revo Foods joins a growing alt-seafood sector with its 3D-printed whole-cut salmon filet. Industry think tank the Good Food Institute reported a 40% year-on-year increase in pound sales for vegan seafood last year. As of 2021, there were over 120 companies in the overall alt-seafood space, which includes vegan, fermentation-based and cultivated categories.

    The seafood sector is inundated with climate and human rights blemishes. Overfishing operations receive $22B in capacity-enhancing subsidies annually – a figure UN special envoy Peter Thomson has called “madness”. Meanwhile, rising demand for seafood has led to higher greenhouse gas emissions, and the heavy fuel use by ocean fishery vessels also contributes to climate change. The use of plastic packaging and the presence of microplastics in the ocean exacerbate the industry’s problems – both of which are highlighted in the 2021 documentary Seaspiracy.

    vegan salmon
    Courtesy: Revo Foods

    Speaking to Green Queen last year, Lily Ng, owner of Manhattan-based vegan seafood company Lily’s Vegan Pantry, said: “Overfishing disrupts the food chain. And when populations are diminished, other species will overpopulate, destroying biodiversity and making changes to the entire ecosystem. In the end, our consumption of fish still destroys our planet.”

    It has led to increased investment and new product development in the alternative seafood category. Startups like Konscious Foods, Bluu Seafood and Hooked Foods have all received funding this year itself – in addition to the grant received by Revo Foods and Mycorena.

    “Alternative seafood is a new category, with limited awareness, whereas meat is more established,” Maarten Garaets, outgoing alt-protein managing director of seafood giant Thai Union, told Green Queen in May. “However, seafood is bound to catch up soon. Health is less of a concern for seafood, whereas sustainability will be more of a lever.”

    The post Revo Foods Launches 3D-Printed Whole-Cut Vegan Salmon Filet in Vienna Supermarket appeared first on Green Queen.

  • Pumpkin Spice Latte Season Is Hiding Something Rotten

    It’s finally pumpkin spice latte season again. We’ve waited all year for crunchy leaves, comfy cardigans, and, of course, pumpkin spice lattes! There’s nothing quite like that iconic blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to cover up the taste of pus that’s commonly found in cow’s milk.

    Watch this cheeky new video from PETA to discover how to make the most of pumpkin spice latte season:

    Pull on a pair of UGGs and stroll down your favorite forest path. Enjoy the crisp air and the crunch of leaves beneath boots made from skin ripped off a sheep. They’ll keep your toes warm in fleshy cocoons.

    Oh, and don’t forget your alpaca wool scarf in case it gets chilly. You may have heard that alpacas frequently vomit in fear while being beaten and mangled for their wool. But the shearers do such a fabulous job washing away the barf that you’d never even guess anything happened. All that’s left is a pile of wool and coziness, for you anyway.

    Celebrate the season responsibly.

    Enough joking around: Helping animals exploited by humans is serious business. Thankfully, PETA makes it easy to find delicious vegan products packed with pumpkin spice flavor and stylish vegan clothes to help keep you warm. We also have the power to influence companies to make changes that are better for customers and for animals.

    woman spins through fall scene to celebrate 'pumpkin spice latte season' in PETA video

    In 2021, UGG announced the launch of an entirely vegan line, which PETA and thousands of conscientious people campaigned hard for. The next year, Deckers Brands—which owns UGG—made the compassionate decision to stop using alpaca wool by fall 2023.

    More people than ever before are ditching dairy and going vegan to help animals, save the environment, and improve their own health. It’s time that Starbucks stopped charging customers extra for choosing dairy-free milks.

    If you want to help animals, join the more than 150,000 people who’ve taken action by urging Starbucks to drop its vegan milk upcharge:

    The post Pumpkin Spice Latte Season Is Hiding Something Rotten appeared first on PETA.

  • Meat Dishes Dominate Recipe Sections of Mainstream Media, from NYT to BBC The Guardian – New Report

    food media vegan

    7 Mins Read

    A new report by the Better Food Foundation and Sentient Media analyzed eight news outlets – four each in the UK and the US – and found that five have recipe sections dominated by meat-based dishes. In an effort to find the link between climate media and animal agriculture, the researchers suggested five actions to help new outlets nudge readers toward more climate-friendly eating habits.

    The research, titled ‘Recipe for Succes’, analysed the recipe sections of the AP, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Yahoo News in the US, and the Guardian, the BBC, the Independent and ITV in the UK. The authors deemed all 8 outlets as having “responsible climate reporting (i.e., in keeping with scientific consensus)”. The data included an analysis of at least 100 recipes from each outlet, calculating the share of plant-based recipes to ‘omnivorous’ and vegetarian ones.

    US vs UK food media

    us food media vegan
    Analysis of recipe split across 4 US news outlets; courtesy: The Better Food Foundation

    The report found that among the US outlets, 53.6% of recipes were meat-based, with only 20.2% being vegan. The New York Times had the highest percentage of omnivorous recipes at 63.9%, but vegan recipes (19.7%) outnumbered vegetarian ones (16.4%). This is despite the publication scoring highly in an assessment of its climate coverage, with 90% of articles crediting anthropogenic activity as a significant driver of climate change.

    It’s followed closely by the AP, which had 63.6% meat-based recipes, and only 13.6% plant-based ones. Meanwhile, Yahoo News (44.4%) and the Washington Post (42.5%) were two of the only three outlets in the study where meat-based dishes accounted for less than 50% of their recipe share. Both also had a quarter of vegan recipes, at 25.4%.

    uk food media vegan
    Analysis of recipe split across 4 UK news outlets; courtesy: The Better Food Foundation

    The third such outlet was the Guardian in the UK, which had 49.1% of meat-based recipes. Its share of fully plant-based dishes came to 18.4%. But like the US, British mainstream media too skewed toward meat-heavy, with an average of 60.6% of recipes being omnivorous, and only 11.6% being vegan.

    ITV had the most meat-based recipes in the study at 78.2%, and the fewest plant-based dishes at 3%. Meat-centric dishes accounted for 63.9% of the BBC’s recipes, and 51% at the Independent, but plant-based recipes amounted to just 12.3% and 12.6%, respectively.

    The results show that US media features fewer meat-based recipes (despite them still commanding the majority) than the UK, while vegetarianism still trumps veganism in both countries. “The failure of most news outlets to reconcile their climate reporting with their recipe sections is symptomatic of a larger failure,” the study reads.

    It refers to research by Sentient Media and Faunalytics showed that 93% of climate reporting doesn’t mention animal agriculture at all. This is despite evidence revealing that vegan diets can cut emissions, water pollution and land use by 75% compared to a meat-rich diet. It’s also perhaps why the US’s higher share of plant-based recipes is surprising, given that 74% of Americans don’t think eating meat can reduce their climate emissions.

    The role of food media in climate-friendly eating

    Alicia Kennedy; photo credit: Israel Meléndez Ayala

    Asked if food and recipe media have a role to play in encouraging climate-friendly diets, the Washington Post’s food and dining editor Joe Yonan said: “Absolutely, but food is very personal, so I think it’s a matter of balancing the desire to meet people where they are with the commitment to present them with information that explains the implications of diet on climate, helps them understand the implications of their choices, and also provides some delicious options.”

    He added: “People eat for so many reasons, and we want to find ways to support all of them: they eat to remember, they eat to celebrate, they eat to connect, they eat to learn, they eat to nourish themselves, they eat to make a difference, and more.”

    In an interview with Green Queen last month, San Juan-based food writer Alicia Kennedy, who just published her first book about the history of plant-based eating in the United States, spoke about lifestyle media’s role in changing culture: “I think the role of lifestyle media right now at this very big crisis point is to get people ready for big shifts, and you don’t have to do that in a way that’s scary. You don’t have to be like: ‘Hey, if you don’t stop eating all this meat, the world’s gonna end.’ But how do you get people ready by just making it look delicious? And look good?”

    She added: “There needs to be more diversity in how bigger media is addressing plant-based foods.” In a statement to Green Queen about Better Food Foundation’s report, she writes: “It’s long been past time for food media to catch up to the reality that making plant-based meals the default and norm for readers would have a massive impact on making it desirable to cut out most animal products from a diet. Without making a huge announcement, like Epicurious did with its cutting out of beef, audiences might not even notice.”

    Epicurious’s no-beef policy

    In 2021, food website Epicurious (which was namechecked in the study as well) famously announced that it was cutting out beef from all its recipes, promising to stop publishing beef dishes from its website, newsletters and social media. The move was widely hailed at the time, marking the first time a major US publication was making such a bold climate statement – beef has the highest climate footprint of any food, according to one study.

    However, an investigation earlier this year by climate newsletter Heated found that while Epicurious hasn’t written any new beef recipes since the 2021 announcement, it has published 61 beef recipes from its sister publication, Bon Appétit (both are owned by Condé Nast).

    “We feel like that’s sending mixed messages to eco-conscious consumers,” Better Food Foundation’s campaigns director Laura Lee Cascada told Heated’s Arielle Samuelson and Emily Atkin. “They’re leading them to believe that they can count on Epicurious to guide them towards sustainable recipe choices, when that may not always be the case.”

    Reflecting on their research, the writers said: “People believe companies are solving climate change voluntarily, so they don’t push for transformational policy change. This is the kind of stuff that results in climate delay.”

    The Better Food Foundation’s food media report shares this worry: “One concern we have is that a move like that of Epicurious (to eliminate a single problematic ingredient, like beef) could result in beef simply being swapped out for chicken, which is often promoted as a climate-friendly alternative.”

    It also noted the Guardian’s initiative to evolve its reporting alongside the climate crisis. “There are about 23,000 on The Guardian website, including plenty of ideas for meat eaters, so we rarely add new beef ones,” the publication has said. “Our cooks flag when you could use meat with a lower environmental impact or how you might veganise it.”

    The report’s climate-centric recommendations

    Courtesy Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary blog ‘ Carbon Footprint Labels for Recipes’.

    The report’s authors write that mainstream media sites can help nudge their readers toward more climate-friendly cooking, and moreover, audiences are looking for such direction.

    “A common misconception that influential institutions, like media companies, have about diet change is that they need to introduce plant-based recipes gradually,” says Jennifer Channin, executive director of the Better Food Foundation. “Outlets may believe they’re already being progressive by featuring a vegan recipe here and there, but what multiple studies have shown is that the public is ready for plant-based meals to be featured as the norm in food culture, rather than the exception.”

    The report recommends a five-point plan to help media outlets be more climate-friendly in their recipe sections:

    1. Maintain a 2:1 ratio for vegan to animal-based recipes.
    2. List plant-based options first, by default, within search results and each collection of recipes.
    3. Make editors’ picks or seasonal recommendations plant-based by default.
    4. Swap out animal-based ingredients for plant-based ones in popular recipes to make them vegan by default.
    5. Add a climate score to each recipe based on the emissions intensity of the ingredients, and present the highest-scoring options first.

    “It is important to note that these recommendations are designed to shift recipe sites away from all animal products, and not just the most climate-intensive ones,” the study states.

    The post Meat Dishes Dominate Recipe Sections of Mainstream Media, from NYT to BBC The Guardian – New Report appeared first on Green Queen.

  • ‘Save the Land Whales—Go Vegan!’ Is PETA’s Appeal Near Aquarium

    Whale aficionados and everyone passing by the Georgia Aquarium this weekend and next week will likely catch sight of PETA’s new sky-high appeal in the heart of downtown asking why anyone would accept the separation of cows from their calves on dairy factory farms but be rightly outraged when the same thing is done to whales and their calves. The two mammals are the same in all the ways that matter: Both nurse their young, bond tightly with their calves, interact in socially complex ways, and mourn when they’re separated from those they love.

    if we were whales would you still tear us apart? billboard in atlanta

    “Land whales” need saving because instead of being allowed to explore, play, and be with their families, calves in the dairy industry are torn away from their mothers within a day of birth, leaving the mothers to grieve piteously, so that the milk meant to nourish them can be stolen and sold in supermarkets. It’s also standard industry practice to forcibly inseminate cows—workers insert an arm into the animals’ rectum and a metal rod to deliver semen into their vagina—and although people rarely think about it, there’s no retirement home for cows: After only a few years, their bodies wear out and they’re sent to slaughter.

    “A cow produces milk for her calf, just as a whale does for her calf and a human does for her baby—and that’s who’s supposed to drink it,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA reminds everyone how devastated cows are when their calves are forcibly taken from them and how easy it is to choose plant milks.”

    Not only is the dairy industry cruel, it’s also a major contributor to the climate catastrophe. In the U.S., emissions from cows are the primary source of the greenhouse gas methane, which is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in warming the atmosphere.

    The billboard is located at the intersection of Luckie Street and Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard, across from the aquarium’s parking garage and near a number of eateries. It is also running in Atlantic City, New Jersey; Baltimore; Boston; New Bedford, Massachusetts; and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

    PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat or abuse in any way”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview, and offers a free vegan starter kit on its website. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.

    The post ‘Save the Land Whales—Go Vegan!’ Is PETA’s Appeal Near Aquarium appeared first on PETA.

    This post was originally published on Animal Rights and Campaign News | PETA.

  • Sodexo to Launch SavorEat’s 3D-Printed Plant-Based Burger Robot Chef at University of Denver

    sodexo savoreat
    4 Mins Read

    Two years after announcing their US higher education partnership, Israeli food tech startup SavorEat and French catering giant Sodexo are finally launching the first 3D-printing robot for plant-based burgers at the University of Denver.

    In 2021, Sodexo North America announced it would be piloting SavorEat’s robot chef system across canteens in higher education institutions in the US. Now, the collaboration will enable students at the University of Denver to try SavorEat’s 3D-printed vegan burgers.

    During the announcement of the Sodexo-SavorEat deal in 2021, the caterer said that it was in talks to reach an agreement to distribute the Israeli startup’s products within the North American market. In addition, it revealed that there are plans to launch “additional pilots” in the future, with the view to expand Sodexo’s plant-based offerings in the long term.

    Sodexo, a major provider of plant-based meals in the US’s education system, has pledged to cut its carbon footprint by 34% by 2025. In line with that, it announced last year that it plans to turn 42% of its college and university menus plant-based by that year, meaning hundreds of educational institutes in the US are set to feature new plant-forward menus. Its partnership with SavorEat is an extension of this commitment.

    SavorEat’s 3D-printing plant-based meat robot

    3d printed burger
    Courtesy: SavorEat

    Founded in 2018, SavorEat’s robot chef system prints plant-based meats based on consumers’ preferences. It went public on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in 2021, and already tested this system with local hamburger chain BBB last year. SavorEat, which has raised close to $18M in total funding, added to its collaborations last year by teaming up with Israeli catering giant Yazrin-Sella.

    “It’s a mix of innovation of meat alternative and digital manufacturing where we can also cook the product,” SavorEat CEO Racheli Vizman told Reuters when announcing the BBB deal. “From the beginning, we believed that the food industry is in need of significant changes in order to remain relevant.

    “We choose to boldly look at the changes of our future and to challenge the status quo in the food industry. Through the technology we have developed, we will be able to get to know our customers better, respect them and give expression to their changing needs.”

    Speaking about SavorEat’s link-up with Sodexo last year, she said: “I am convinced that Sodexo’s expertise in the international catering market and particularly North America will significantly contribute to the development and acceleration of the penetration rate of our products in the international market, with an emphasis on the US market.”

    Husein Kitabwalla, operations and food transformation CEO at Sodexo North America, had added: “Sodexo’s partnership with SavorEat will further extend our ability to deliver the plant-based foods our clients’ customers are demanding in increasingly growing numbers.”

    It’s not just the US where plant-based food is making a dent in university menus. This week, more than 650 academics and campaigners in the UK wrote an open letter to British universities calling for a switch to a 100% vegan catering menu to fight the climate crisis, coordinated by the Plant-Based Universities campaign. The Universities of Stirling, Birmingham, Queen Mary, London Metropolitan, Kent, University College London and Cambridge have all previously voted to introduce a fully plant-based menu at their eateries.

    Artificial intelligence in the plant-based industry

    veganism ai
    Courtesy: SavorEat

    This is just the latest of a host of developments in the vegan sector leveraging future-facing tech and artificial intelligence (AI). Earlier this month, US food experts launched GreenProtein AI, a project tapping AI and machine learning to optimise the extrusion and texture of plant-based meat.

    Latin American food tech brand NotCo has been using AI and machine learning since 2015 to find the best plant-based alternatives for animal products. The patented AI tech, called Giuseppe, is the brains behind the company’s alt-milks, mayo and burgers. Similarly, Singapore’s Howw Foods uses AI to make Hegg, its vegan powdered egg product.

    Moreover, a bevy of companies and brands have collaborated with AI companies to develop plant-based products. Bel Foods – the French cheese giant behind Babybel – has partnered with California’s Climax Foods to make vegan products, while industry giant Danone is working with Californian AI firm Brightseed to discover hidden nutrients and compounds in plant crops.

    Similarly, mycelium meat producer Meati teamed up with AI company PIPA to accelerate and expand its understanding of the health and nutrition benefits of its nutrient-rich products.

    AI is also being used as a marketing tool. US vegan cheese startup Pleese Foods unveiled a campaign last month, where it employed AI to generate whimsical imagery of cheese as a flourishing crop and being grown on trees.

    The post Sodexo to Launch SavorEat’s 3D-Printed Plant-Based Burger Robot Chef at University of Denver appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.