PETA scoured the country for the Top 10 Vegan Dogs that kick meaty dogs’ buns—and the Windy City’s own Kale My Name has won a top spot for its fan-favorite Big Daddy Special, which offers double the dog.
Kale My Name—owned by Montenegro native Nemanja Golubovic, who hopes to open additional locations nationwide in his mission to make diverse selections of vegan cuisine more accessible—features an array of all-vegan dishes, from tacos and tequeños to burgers and wraps. The award-winning Big Daddy Special features two deliciously craveable Beyond Sausages topped with all the fixin’s and served with a side of crispy fries.
“Kale My Name’s delectable double dog is a tasty twist on a summertime classic and the perfect animal-friendly answer to any comfort food craving,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “All the award wieners on PETA’s national Top 10 list prove that compassion is a delicious business.”
Kale My Name will receive a framed certificate from PETA in honor of its culinary achievement. The other top dogs receiving the group’s recognition are the Rad Dawg at Totally Awesome Vegan Food Truck (Portland, Maine), the Scarecrow at The Frankenstand (Los Angeles), the Bahn Me Dawg at Pingala Cafe (Burlington, Vermont), the Vegan Buffalo Blu at Sporty Dog Creations (Baltimore), the Vegan Italian Warsaw at The Wienery (Minneapolis), the Coney Dog at VEG-N (Lansing, Michigan), the Chicago Hot at Doggystyle (Sarasota, Florida), the Vegan at Wiener Kitchen (Overland Park, Kansas), and the Vegan Chilly Cheez Dawg at Chilly Dawgz (Thomasville, Pennsylvania).
In addition to saving nearly 200 animals every year, each person who goes vegan reduces their own risk of suffering from heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer and shrinks their carbon footprint.
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 Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
After a four-day search, police have found PETA’s “Hell on Wheels” chicken transport truck—heavily vandalized and abandoned—near the Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood, where it was stolen last week. The thieves are still being sought, but the group, which offered a reward of up to $5,000 and a year’s supply of vegan chicken to tipsters whose information led to the truck’s recovery, will be delivering delicious vegan chicken sandwiches to the Portland Police Bureau in thanks for finding the stolen vehicle. Photos are available here.
On Friday, a police officer found the truck stripped of its exterior wrap, which had shown real chickens crammed into crates on their way to a slaughterhouse and a logo of a chef holding a dead bird. All of its sound equipment and electronic components were missing. The criminals—who left behind a homemade set of “jiggler” keys used to steal the truck—also damaged the back door, cracked the windshield, and punched out the ignition, which PETA will now have to replace, and the national chicken truck tour has been disrupted. Police have video footage of the suspects, who even drove the truck to a local Taco Bell restaurant for lunch, and are pursuing them.
“The ‘Hell on Wheels’ truck was stolen and gutted, but PETA is unruffled and racing to continue driving home its message of compassion for millions of these gentle birds,” says PETA Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA appreciates the public outpouring of support and looks forward to getting the truck back on the road, turning omnivores into vegans.”
The group had been on tour, driving the truck to cities around the U.S., where it has circled eateries and meaty food fairs, blasting actual recorded sounds of the birds’ cries and a subliminal message every 10 seconds urging people to go vegan. “Hell on Wheels” was in the Portland area to honor the hundreds of birds who died after a transporter carrying them overturned on I-5.
Anyone who would like to donate to the truck’s repair can do so at PETA.org/Donate.
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 Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
A “talking fish” stars in a new PETA appeal near multiple “fishy” restaurants and a grocery store, urging residents to treat aquatic animals with kindness by opting for crispy vegan fish fillets and other tasty fish-free fare.
“Fish aren’t swimming potatoes. They really do talk, using squeaks, squeals, and other low-frequency sounds to communicate with their friends and family members,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “From stripers to ‘Strong Islanders,’ we’re all feeling individuals who value our lives, and PETA encourages everyone to exercise their empathy by choosing delicious vegan food.”
Fish feel pain, share knowledge, have long memories, and have cultural traditions. Some woo potential partners by creating intricate works of art in the sand on the ocean floor, yet more fish are killed for food each year than all other animals combined. They’re impaled, crushed, suffocated, or cut open and gutted—often while they’re completely conscious. In addition, 38 million tons of other aquatic animals are unintentionally caught each year as the fishing industry seeks to satisfy consumers’ demand for “seafood.” Every person who goes vegan saves the lives of nearly 200 animals (including aquatic ones) each year.
PETA’s billboard is located on Peninsula Boulevard, next to Foodtown of Hewlett and close to Burger King, MoCA Asian Bistro, and other restaurants.
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 Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
We’re kicking off summer by showcasing 10 delicious vegan hot dogs and sausages from restaurants and food trucks across the U.S. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council estimates that a whopping 150 million hot dogs are consumed on the Fourth of July alone. This summer, make the compassionate choice to try one of these vegan dogs instead. Pigs and cows are gentle, playful individuals who don’t want to die for your meal. These vegan dogs are tastier, better for your health, and, best of all, better for animals.
Here are this year’s winners, in no particular order:
There’s nothing scary about the food at this haunted hot dog stand—because it’s all vegan. We love its horror-themed creations, including the Scarecrow, a classic frank dressed with esquites, vegan Cotija cheese, green onions, egg-free Sriracha mayo, and a lime wedge. You can keep up with The Frankenstand’s whereabouts and changing menu items by following it on Instagram.
This hot dog restaurant is not fully vegan, but it has some stellar animal-friendly options. Our pick is the Vegan Buffalo Blu, topped with Buffalo jackfruit, caramelized onions, and vegan blue cheese drizzle. If you want to try more selections, these are vegan if you order the vegan dog specifically: the Baltimore Black Sox Dog, the Pineapple Express Dog, the Jerk Mac and Cheese Dog (ask for the vegan mac and cheese), and the Voyager.
Pingala Cafe is a fully vegan restaurant that’s serving up food truck–inspired cuisine, and many of its menu items were inspired by dishes from various cultures. One example is the Bahn Me Dawg. It’s a hickory-smoked carrot that’s marinated and oven-roasted, then served in a locally baked hoagie roll with crispy skin tofu, ginger pickled veggies, cilantro, smoked chili aioli, Korean BBQ sauce, and toasted coconut crunch.
Kale My Name is an outstanding vegan restaurant with an eclectic menu full of delicious dishes. One of our faves is the Big Daddy Special, which features not one but two Beyond sausages in a bun topped with grilled onions, relish, and mustard with side of fries. It’s a dish for those with big appetites, and it won’t disappoint.
For a German-style dog, head to Totally Awesome Vegan Food Truck and try the Rad Dawg. It’s a charbroiled, pig-friendly frank topped with tangy sauerkraut and a house Bavarian mustard on a grilled sub roll. Check the truck’s Instagram page for its schedule and location.
This Minneapolis diner isn’t fully vegan, but it’s prepping some authentic Chicago-style vegan dogs. Pick a style and choose from three kinds of animal-friendly dogs: the brat, Italian, or classic tofu dog. We recommend the Vegan Italian Warsaw, which is topped with Düsseldorf mustard and sauerkraut.
VEG-N is a vegan restaurant, so you can’t go wrong ordering anything on the menu, but we suggest trying the Coney Dog. This chili cheese dog features house-made Detroit-style chili and is topped with onions, cheddar, and mustard. For the dog itself, you can choose from a LightLife hot dog or a house-made carrot dog.
At Doggystyle, you can try several vegan options, including the Chicago Hot, which features a Field Roast dog topped with hot pepper relish, yellow mustard, red onion, diced pickle, diced tomato, a sport pepper, and celery salt.
Head to Chilly Dawgz to try the Vegan Chilly Cheez Dawg. It’s an animal-free frank on a vegan soft roll topped with house-made vegan chili and dairy-free cheese shreds. Other menu options include the Vegan Dawggie and the Vegan Chicago Dawggie.
For a dog like no other, try Wiener Kitchen’s Vegan dog. It features a walnut and wild rice link topped with roasted cauliflower, green tomato relish, pickled Brussels kraut, and whole-grain Dijon mustard. You won’t want to miss this unique creation.
Not near any of these establishments? Don’t worry—there are so many delicious vegan hot dog and sausage brands on grocery store shelves that you’ll be sure to find ones you love. Grill them up with friends this summer, and keep the compassion going year-round by going vegan:
A new study from Asia Research and Engagement (ARE) highlights the impact of animal protein production on greenhouse gas emissions across Asia’s ten largest markets.
The new ARE study, entitled “Charting Asia’s Protein Transition”, looks at animal protein production in markets including China, India, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Indonesia and the environmental impacts. The research also looks at ways to achieve climate safety and resiliency by reducing dependence on animal agriculture.
The findings
The study looked at several key factors impacting protein consumption from animal sources, including emission intensities, production methodologies, and consumption-related elements. It identified changes in GDP per capita, age demographics, and population as primary determinants influencing the volume of meat, dairy, seafood, and egg consumption.
In its analysis, the study considered three key scenarios in each of the markets: Business-as-Usual, Best Case Mitigation, and Protein Transition. Across all markets, the measures with the highest mitigation potential were identified as eliminating deforestation, peaking industrial production, and scaling alternative proteins.
Meatable’s cultivated pork is coming to Asia soon | Courtesy
According to the research, in order to attain climate safety by 2060, adopting mitigation measures is essential. This includes attaining a market share for alternative proteins between 40 to 90 percent, depending on the specific market, and the elimination of deforestation among other industrial animal production practices.
“We are faced with a stark reality whereby this study demonstrates that the business-as-usual approach, even with generous mitigation measures modeled, will not lead to a sustainable future,” Kate Blaszak, ARE’s Director of Protein Transition, said in a statement. “The transformation of the protein system is not just a choice, but one that we need to embrace if we are to achieve the targets outlined in the Paris Agreement, along with many other sustainability targets,” she said.
“For example, we are witnessing environmental risks, animal exploitation, antimicrobial resistance, and disease outbreaks in these countries, driven by the rapid intensification of animal production.” According to Blaszak, this proves that the transition to “responsible but limited” animal production, along with scaling alternative proteins is crucial for achieving climate safety.
Recommendations
The report says these key markets need to achieve peak industrial animal protein production by 2030 at the latest. The report also highlights excessive per capita meat and seafood consumption in many markets, often exceeding double the recommendations by thLancet Commission.
OmniPork in McDonald’s Hong Kong | Courtesy
The study also emphasized the necessity of protein diversification and limiting industrial animal production as pivotal steps toward achieving protein security and climate safety. It urges food companies, investors, and governments to work towards a goal of Protein Transition, which necessitates responsible animal production and the scaling up of alternative proteins.
This research bolsters the Asia Protein Transition Platform, a partnership between ARE and institutional investors representing around $3 trillion, providing tools to assist companies in their protein transition.
Data released earlier this year showed year-on-year funding for alternative protein across the APAC region in 2022 had increased by 43 percent.
WNWN Food Labs, the food tech startup focused on cocoa-free chocolate, has won ‘Best Demo’ in the Häagen-Dazs Start-Up Innovation Challenge.
The contest, organized by food innovation network EIT Food, focuses on finding solutions to crucial issues in health and environmental sustainability.
Häagen-Dazs innovation challenge
last month, the London-based WNWN showcased its innovative product at the Arras Technical Center in France — the innovation nucleus for the Häagen-Dazs brand. WNWN brought forward nine different culinary applications using its unique cocoa-free chocolate, with a spotlight on three iterations of a chocolate hazelnut ice cream.
WNWN Founders | Courtesy
“The numbers don’t lie: chocolate itself generates more emissions per kilogram than dairy, so switching just that one ingredient dramatically reduces ice cream’s overall carbon footprint without requiring any other production changes,” WNWN CEO Ahrum Pak, said in a statement. “Our cocoa-free chocolate is a simple one-to-one replacement for the chocolate formats General Mills currently uses.”
The unique cocoa-free chocolate produced by WNWN originates from plant-based ingredients, such as legumes and cereals, thanks to its proprietary fermentation process. This allows the company to craft a product that mirrors the qualities of conventional chocolate, while being vegan, caffeine-free, gluten-free, palm oil-free, and lower in sugar.
Chocolate-free chocolate
According to an internal lifecycle analysis, WNWN says its dark chocolate generates 80-90 percent fewer greenhouse gases than traditional chocolate, mitigating deforestation, habitat destruction, and unfair labor practices. In light of climate change threatening cocoa crops, WNWN’s innovative solution addresses concerns over potential chocolate shortages and increasing prices.
WNWN chocolate | Courtesy
In May, the company debuted its first vegan version of milk chocolate. It tapped tiger nuts to recreate the creamy dairy-like texture.
WNWN raised more than $5 million in a Series A funding round in March after debuting its chocolate-free dark chocolate last year.
As the dairy industry tries to promote July as National Ice Cream Month, a new message from PETA raised across from a Baskin-Robbins store and just a stone’s throw from Dairy Queen and Kroger stores may have consumers steering clear of dairy ice cream in favor of vegan options. Featuring a cow mired in manure with a swollen udder, the new sky-high appeal urges everyone to help spare cows suffering by ditching dairy—something that’s easy to do since Kroger stocks oat, soy, and almond ice creams; Baskin-Robbins offers Non-Dairy Mint Chocochunk; and Dairy Queen added a Non-Dairy Dilly Bar to its menu following a push from PETA.
“If consumers saw cows confined in filth and crying desperately for their stolen babies, they’d lose their taste for dairy ice cream,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA urges everyone to ditch dairy and leave cows in peace by opting for readily available and delicious vegan milks and ice creams.”
A recent study from the University of Copenhagen revealed that cows used for dairy suffer even more throughout their lives than those used for meat. In the dairy industry, calves are torn away from their mothers within a day of birth so the milk meant to nourish them can be stolen and sold to humans. It’s standard industry practice to forcibly and artificially inseminate cows—workers insert an arm into the animals’ rectum and a metal rod to deliver semen into their vagina—and to send them to slaughter once their bodies wear out. PETA’s investigations into dairy facilities have found workers electroshocking cows in the face, hitting them with poles and a cane, and abusing them in other ways.
PETA’s appeal is located at 3774 W. Broad St. (near the intersection with Viotis Drive).
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 PETAPodcast, or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
PETA is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the recovery of the group’s “Hell on Wheels” life-size chicken transport truck, which appears to have been stolen from the Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood on the night of Monday, July 3, or the morning of Tuesday, July 4. A police report has been filed. PETA will also provide a year’s supply of an array of delicious vegan chicken to tipsters whose information leads to the truck’s location.
The 2016 Ford E-350 Super Duty Box Truck—with Virginia license plate number VHA5528—is hard to miss: It’s white and covered with images of real chickens crammed into crates on their way to a slaughterhouse. The group is on a tour, driving the truck to cities around the U.S., where it has circled eateries blasting actual recorded sounds of the birds’ cries and a subliminal message every 10 seconds suggesting that people go vegan. The cab has large decals that read, “Hell on Wheels,” with a logo of a chef holding a dead chicken.
“The ‘Hell on Wheels’ truck encourages people to go vegan by showing them the horrific suffering endured by birds destined for slaughter, and for it to have vanished is extremely upsetting,” says PETA Vice President Tracy Reiman. “If you know who took the truck or where it may be, PETA wants to hear from you so we can get our lifesaving message back on the road.”
“Hell on Wheels” was in the Portland area to honor the hundreds of birds who died after a transporter carrying them overturned on I-5—prompting PETA and Direct Action Everywhere to report to the scene and rescue one lucky bird survivor.
Tips can be submitted to Info@peta.org or by calling the Portland Police Bureau at 503-823-0000 using case number 23-175631.
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 Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
To memorialize the cows who were killed Thursday morning when a truck carrying them collided with a semitruck hauling burritos on Interstate 80, PETA plans to place a sky-high message near the site, reminding everyone that the crash victims were individuals. Already this year, there have been more than 20 animal-transport truck crashes.
“Cows died in terror and agony because of this crash, and the traumatized survivors deserve better than to be killed for snacks like the burritos strewn across I-80,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA urges everyone to see cows as the sensitive beings 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 saves 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 and guide to vegan burritos can help those looking to make the switch.
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 Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
Swedish vegan seafood startup Hooked Foods, has raised more than one million Swedish Kroner (€644,000) via a crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube.
Hooked Foods says that it reached its financial goal, entering the overfunding phase after its first day on Crowdcube. The brand raised €5m ($5.5m) in venture financing last year from firms including Oysterbay, Big Idea Ventures, and Brightly.
The new funding will be used to develop a new range of products and expand across the entire Nordic region. It is also expanding its presence into Germany.
‘Continue to drive innovation’
‘We are overwhelmed by the support we have received from our investors and the community, which clearly indicates the strong demand for our plant-based fish substitutes,” Tom Johansson, CEO of Hooked Foods, said in a statement. “With the funding we have secured, we will continue to drive innovation and provide sustainable and delicious alternatives for fish lovers worldwide.”
Courtesy Hooked
Hooked Foods has intensified its efforts to establish partnerships with leading food distributors. Its recent collaboration with Ooha, a prominent sales agency with expertise in the German market, showcases its commitment.
A spokesperson for Ooha highlighted the exceptional potential of Hooked Foods, “After carefully evaluating the vegan seafood market in Germany, it was evident to us at Ooha that we should seek a brand with tremendous potential,” the agency said. “After extensive exploration and discussions with several vegan seafood companies, it became clear that Hooked possesses all the key ingredients for success. With their talented team, strong brand, and top-notch products at competitive prices, Hooked stands out as the ultimate challenger ready to conquer Germany.”
Global vegan seafood market
The global plant-based seafood market is exploding’ it’s expected to see a CAGR of 30.4 percent through 2027 — with a global market valuation of $1.3 billion expected by 2031.
Courtesy
“To lead and build a new category requires a lot and we have been able to achieve this performance by a combination of innovative products and an attractive brand,” Johansson said last year.
“We have always been radically focusing on working with scalable recipes and technology, so now when we have nailed the proof of concept in Sweden, we are more than ready to enter new markets and scale our impact for a healthier ocean.”
Just in time for Fourth of July festivities and the National Cherry Festival, tomorrow PETA will point to animal agriculture as a leading cause of the climate catastrophe with a flying banner that reads, “Getting Hot? So Is the Planet. Go Vegan.” According to the United Nations, about a third of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are linked to food production, and the largest percentage of those emissions come from the meat and dairy industries.
“Raising and killing animals for food drives the climate catastrophe in ways that growing cherries never will,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “This Independence Day, PETA is asking everyone to remedy the planetary crisis with eco-friendly vegan eating.”
PETA notes that growing water-intensive crops just to feed animals raised for food consumes more than half the water used in the U.S. and that up to 80% of deforestation in the Amazon is linked to meat production, either for grazing or for growing food for cattle. Vegan foods—such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, peas, nuts, and lentils—require less energy, land, and water to produce, and going vegan would help drastically reduce humans’ negative impact on the environment.
Every person who goes vegan spares nearly 200 animals each year daily suffering and terrifying deaths and reduces their risk of developing heart disease and cancer. PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help those looking to make the switch.
PETA’s banner will take off from Cherry Capital Airport around 12 noon and circle local beaches for four hours.
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 Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
As the U.S. celebrates its freedom, the citizens of Ukraine are fighting for theirs, and amidst the bloodshed, Olexander (last name withheld for his protection), a young man serving as a medical inductee in the Ukrainian army, has issued a powerful plea, showing that even in times of war, when human lives are in danger and death is all around, there is something simple everyone can do at home to reduce needless violence in the world. The video is available here.
“If you’re horrified by atrocities committed against others, there may be nothing you can do to help us here, but there is something you can do in your own life to reduce violence,” he says in the heartfelt appeal. “Please stop supporting slaughterhouses. Decide not to contribute to its horrors. Go vegan. If I can do that here, I know you can do that at home. Please.”
PETA notes that every person who goes vegan saves the lives of nearly 200 animals a year.
PETA Germany’s rescue team—supported by PETA’s Global Compassion Fund—has been working on the front lines throughout the conflict in Ukraine, providing veterinary care; distributing hundreds of tons of food for stranded horses, dogs, and cats; and helping to transport over 1,200 animals out of the war zone and from the recent dam disaster.
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 Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
Stockeld Dreamery, the Swedish alternative dairy startup, is expanding its presence in the United States with a new partnership in New York City.
Stockeld has teamed up with New York City’s iconic Ess-a-Bagel to offer customers a plant-based sandwich featuring Stockeld Dreamery’s non-dairy cream cheese. This collaboration marks Ess-a-Bagel’s first-ever foray into plant-based sandwiches in its 47-year history.
‘Healthier and more sustainable foods’
“I am personally responsible for this [Ess-a-Bagel] partnership, having cornered, stalked, and politely pushed this New York institution to partner with us,” Sorosh Tavakoli, CEO and co-founder of Stockeld Dreamery, said in a statement.
“When I finally got to meet Melanie, whose aunt initially started the company, we hit it off immediately! We could instantly appreciate the contrasts between the new meeting tradition and the newcomer meeting the established. We could also instantly find alignment and energy in the desire to push boundaries to deliver healthier and more sustainable foods to the masses,” Tavakoli said.
Stockeld launched a vegan feta cheese in 2021 | Courtesy
Visitors to Ess-a-Bagel’s 3rd Avenue store can now indulge in the “Fire in the Hole” sandwich, featuring Stockeld Dreamery’s cream cheese. Additionally, customers can opt to add this cheese alternative to any bagel, with two flavor options available: Smoked Paprika & Chili and Garlic & Herbs.
Stockeld Dreamery’sStockeld Dreamery Makes Good On Ambition To Launch Plant-Based Cream Cheese non-dairy cream cheese has already gained popularity at three other esteemed New York City establishments: Ground Support Cafe, Kossar’s Bagels & Bialys, and Zucker’s Bagels & Smoked Fish. Soon, it will also be launching at Zaro’s Family Bakery, further expanding its reach across the city.
Novel vegan cheese
Stockeld Dreamery’s ambitious cheese project was made possible by a successful €16.5 million Series A funding round in 2021. This financial support has allowed the company to accelerate the expansion of its team and product portfolio, fueling its mission to revolutionize the cheese industry.
Oatly’s new cream cheese is available across the U.S. | Courtesy
The cream cheese from Stockeld Dreamery is crafted using a unique blend of fermented chickpeas and lentils, complemented by ingredients like coconut oil and spices. Launched last year after more than two years of product development, the company aims to provide a plant-based alternative that rivals traditional dairy cream cheese.
It joins a growing vegan dairy cream cheese category that’s expanding beyond nuts and soy as the base. In March, Israel-based food tech start-up, ChickP Protein, Ltd., announced it had also developed a chickpea isolate that can be used in making plant-based cream cheese.
Last month, Swedish oat milk brand Oatly announced that its oat-based cream cheese was available nationally across the U.S. for the first time.
PETA supporters will be serving up some food for thought at this year’s Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest by displaying a “grilled” human on a hot dog bun. The spicy spectacle will serve as a reminder that cows feel pain and terror just as humans do—and that Nathan’s needs to ketchup with the times and make its gluttonous game vegan.
When: Tuesday, July 4, 12 noon
Where: Outside Nathan’s Famous, 1310 Surf Ave. (at the southwest corner of Surf and Stillwell avenues), Brooklyn
“Let’s be frank: Nathan’s hot dogs are bad for humans and even worse for cows, who are branded, castrated, and confined to filthy feedlots before they’re killed,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA invites everyone to support liberty and justice for all this Fourth of July by tossing a delicious vegan dog on the grill instead.”
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 for anyone looking to make the switch.
On Saturday, PETA will unveil a mobile display outside the entrance of the SPAM Museum, urging everyone to leave SPAM in their junk mail and off their plates. To drive home the message, PETA supporters will also be on the scene at 12 noon to hand out free cans of unMEAT’s vegan version of SPAM to passersby. The appeal will remind people that pigs are friends, not food, and that the only compassionate meal is a vegan one—which PETA will help everyone sink their teeth into with a free downloadable vegan starter kit. Photos of the happening will be available upon request.
When: Saturday, July 1, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Where: Outside the SPAM Museum, 101 Third Ave. N.E. (between Ninth and 10th streets N.E.), Austin
“Pigs are highly intelligent beings who love their families; experience pain, joy, and fear; and value their lives, just as humans do,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA is urging everyone to leave pigs in peace and opt for delicious and widely available vegan vittles, including of the luncheon meat variety.”
So far this year, the U.S. meat industry has already killed millions of pigs for food. Raised on severely crowded, filthy feedlots in stalls with barely enough room to turn around, they endure painful mutilations within weeks after birth. Workers chop off piglets’ tails, cut their teeth with pliers, and castrate the males—all without pain relief. Slaughterhouse employees hang pigs upside down, sometimes while they’re still conscious, and bleed them to death. Each person who goes vegan spares nearly 200 animals (including pigs) every year.
In addition to being terrible for pigs, SPAM is horrible for human health. The World Cancer Research Fund International advises eating “little, if any, processed meat,” as it’s associated with not just a higher risk of certain types of cancer but also numerous other ailments, including diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
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 Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
To memorialize the chickens who were killed Saturday morning when a truck carrying them overturned on U.S. 64 in the Big Cut area, PETA plans to place a sky-high message near the site, reminding everyone that the crash victims were individuals. Already this year, there have been at least 20 animal-transport truck crashes.
“Each of the chickens on this truck experienced terror and agony as she was crushed to death or suffocated,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA urges everyone to see chickens as the sensitive beings 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. Those used for egg production are confined to cramped barns, where each bird has no more than a square foot of space. At the slaughterhouse, their throats are cut, often while they’re still conscious, and many are scalded to death in defeathering tanks.
Each person who goes vegan saves 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—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 Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
A “cow” mascot brandishing a sign proclaiming, “Friend, Not Food!” will lead a herd of PETA supporters as they try to moove local families to stay away from the Oscar Mayer Frankmobile during its appearance at the Dunwoody Homeowners Association’s 4th of July Parade on Tuesday. Unlike tubes of ground-up animal flesh and other processed meats, which are linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in children, veggie dogs and other vegan foods leave animals in peace and contain no saturated fat or cholesterol.
When: Tuesday, July 4, 9 a.m.
Where: 2433 Mt. Vernon Rd. (just south of the intersection with Jett Ferry Road), Dunwoody
“Oscar Mayer franks are bad for kids and even worse for cows, who are branded, castrated, confined to filthy feedlots, and killed,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is encouraging everyone to steer clear of the Frankmobile and choose veggie dogs and other vegan meals.”
Earlier this year, PETA offered to maintain the Oscar Mayer vehicle for one year and replace its stolen catalytic converter if the company converted it to a vegan hot dog mobile, noting that the global market for vegan hot dogs grew by a whopping 20% last year and is projected to reach a market value of $1.99 billion by 2032.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview, and offers free vegan starter kits for anyone looking to make the switch.
A scoop ahead of National Ice Cream Month in July, PETA’s “Nice Cream Trail” dipped into top Maryland shops to encourage residents and tourists to sprinkle kindness by buying vegan ice cream. It’s never been easier to spare cows suffering in the dairy industry, especially with Maryland’s many options. Choosing a compassionate cone of chilled delights made from plants—rather than a bowl of frozen bovine mammary secretions—helps stop perpetual abuse to mother cows and their stolen babies, combat the climate catastrophe, and improve human health.
Top Maryland Shops With Vegan Options for Ice Cream Month—and Beyond
PETA has compiled a helpful two-page pamphlet that shares why going vegan is good for people and where to find Maryland’s top ice cream shops with compassionate scoops. It includes all the addresses, phone numbers, and websites of the ice cream shops, with a map featuring little cones marking each location. Every spot also displays window signs (as pictured above) to show it’s part of PETA’s Nice Cream Trail. Hop on the path with us, and pop into each shop if you can:
The vegan flavors at this shop’s three locations change daily, but they include Vanilla, Chocolate, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Coconut Chocolate Chip, Matcha, Chocolate Chip, Strawberry, Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Coconut, and Chocolate Peanut Butter.
1033 Virginia Ave.
Hagerstown, MD 21740
301-797-5422
The Big Dipper frequently offers one Hershey’s hand-dipped vegan flavor at a time. It is usually Classic Cookie but may occasionally be Vanilla or Chocolate. The shop also offers one soft-serve vegan flavor at a time, changing the offering every few weeks. Vegan soft-serve flavors featured in the past include Banana, Black Cherry, Cotton Candy, Pistachio, Pumpkin, and Strawberry.
411 N. Howard St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
410-929-2644
This creamery rotates its available flavors in summer, but classics include Horchata, Baklava, Kulfi, Cortadito, Sweet Potato Pie, and Blueberry Cheesecake. Seasonal flavors typically include Pastelito (Guava and Cheese), Mango Lassi, Raspberry Cheesecake, and a collection of flavors called Childhood in the Caribbean, which includes Rum Raisin. Cajou Creamery uses plant-based, handcrafted cashew milk made from scratch.
Two vegan flavors are usually available in every shop (and often more in the summer months as sorbet production ramps up). Some examples are Cookies & Coconut Cream, Vegan Coconut Sando, Fruit Cup Sorbet, Pineapple Orange Sorbet, and Toasted Coconut.
22 W. Pennsylvania Ave., #101
Towson, MD 21204
410-296-1937
The café’s vegan offerings have included Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, and Mango Sorbet, and it often has seasonal flavors. All the ice cream sold is Taharka Brothers brand.
The Crazy Mason’s vegan flavors have included Hershey’s Oatmazing ice cream in Simply Vanilla, Chocolate Chunk, and Classic Cookie. As long as it’s ordered without whipped cream, one recent plant-based milkshake is the Holy Cow-Free (vegan cookie ice cream, vegan vanilla frosting, vegan edible cookie dough scoop, and chocolate sauce).
The vegan flavors have included Mocha, Chocolate, Coconut, and various sorbets. Vegan toppings are cake and sugar cones; peanuts, walnuts, almonds, and pecans; cherries; peanut butter topping; pineapple topping; strawberry topping; and chocolate and rainbow sprinkles.
5957 Exchange Dr., Ste. F
Eldersburg, MD 21784
410-875-7238
Recent dairy-free options at this location include Non-Dairy Chocolate (classic), Sweet and Sour Cherry Sorbet (summer seasonal), Tart Cherry and Lavender Sorbet (summer seasonal), Blackberry and Lime Sorbet (summer seasonal), Mixed Berry Sorbet (summer seasonal), Lime/Spearmint Sorbet (rotating flavor), and Roasted Apple and Riesling Sorbet (fall seasonal).
This shop’s recent vegan offerings, which will likely be available at both locations, are Vidama (Chocolate Sorbet), Lemon Sorbet, Mojito Sorbet, Strawberry Sorbet, and Raspberry Sorbet.
10219 Old Georgetown Rd.
Bethesda, MD 20814
240-800-3977
5241 River Rd.
Bethesda, MD 20816
301-652-6823
Vegan offerings at these two locations can change but have included Vegan Double Chocolate, Pink Grapefruit Champagne Sorbet, Strawberry Lemonade Sorbet, Rainbow Sorbet, and Honeydew Sorbet. The sugar and cake cones are also vegan.
Why Scope Out Vegan Scoops for National Ice Cream Month?
The demand for vegan food keeps increasing, and one projection for the global vegan ice cream market’s growth between 2022 and 2026 is $1.55 billion. Nondairy ice cream has bloomed into a big industry, offering wide varieties of intriguing flavors and textures to entice multiple palates and dietary needs. Reportedly, a 300% increase in sales of plant-based ice cream occurred just since 2018, with an accompanying explosion in product availability and quality.
People are more curious than ever to try vegan scoops, whether it be for ethical or environmental reasons—soy or oat milk requires roughly 90% less water than cow’s milk—for their health, or simply because it tastes good. Recent vegan ice cream innovations have far outdone previous options so that even the average customer feels the products are familiar now.
The global vegan food industry will likely hit $91.9 billion by 2027, and forecasts predict the plant-based food market will blossom at a compounded annual growth rate of 18.1% by then. Going vegan spares nearly 200 animals each year incessant suffering and terrifying deaths while benefiting human well-being by reducing the risk of developing various types of cancer, heart disease, strokes, and diabetes.
Cows are intelligent, gentle animals who mourn the deaths of those they love and sometimes shed tears over their loss. The mother-calf bond is particularly strong. There are countless reports of mother cows who, once separated from their calves, continue to call and search frantically for them.
PETA encourages everyone to reject cruel animal abuse and protect both the planet and their health by ditching dairy and choosing vegan ice creams. Every compassionate person who embarks on the Nice Cream Trail and decides to go vegan will help end speciesism and prevent a lifetime of suffering for all animals needlessly raised and slaughtered by humans.
How to Be Kind to Cows From Now On
You guessed it—go vegan! It’s simpler than ever before, with ample options of delectable vegan ice creams, cheeses, yogurts, milks, and much more in many stores and shops. Whether you’re rooted in Maryland, en route through the state temporarily, or nowhere nearby, consider the cows, the planet, and your own health when reaching for your next ice cream carton. Make the kind choice, and melt into your compassionate journey with our free vegan starter kit (VSK):
Chardonnay drinkers may find it hard to swallow the cheeses on their charcuterie boards after a crying calf crashes their weekly date with MasterChef to drive home the true cost of dairy.
In the 15-second spot, which will hit local airwaves during the reality cooking show this week, a customer wants to know how much a wedge of cheese will cost—and the calf, chained up behind the shop’s register and swarming with flies, has the answer: “Too much.” The computer-generated calf is ear-tagged with the name and number of an actual calf in a photograph sent to PETA by a whistleblower at Daisy Farms. The group’s subsequent undercover investigation revealed that, despite the dairy company’s claims to the contrary, cows crammed inside massive, filthy sheds were kicked, whipped, or jabbed, and calves were separated from their mothers just after birth and force-fed, one fatally.
Such cruelty is typical of the dairy industry, which collects the milk that mother cows produce to sustain their calves and funnels it to grocery store shelves for human consumption. Meanwhile, traumatized male calves are slaughtered for veal and female calves eventually take their mothers’ place: They’re restrained, forcibly impregnated again and again, and used as milk machines until their bodies break down and they’re sent to slaughter.
“We can all live without dairy cheese, but calves need the milk that’s meant to nourish them, not us,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA reminds everyone that there’s a delicious vegan cheese to pair with any wine, including California’s beloved chardonnay.”
Every person who goes vegan spares nearly 200 animals each year daily suffering and terrifying deaths and avoids all the artery-clogging cholesterol and saturated fat found in dairy cheese. PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help those looking to make the switch.
PETA’s spot will air during MasterChef on Wednesday, June 28.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat or 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 Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
Ahead of Independence Day, model and media personality Courtney Stodden—decked out in a curve-hugging crop top and a star-spangled top hat—appears in a PETA messaging blitz on local buses and bus shelters in and around the state’s capital, urging everyone to go vegan and celebrate with delicious veggie dogs.
Stodden is a longtime PETA supporter who previously hosted the group’s Congressional Veggie Dog Lunch. “I’ve grown so much as a person, but one thing I know will never change is my love for animals,” Stodden says. “I’m so excited to be back helping PETA encourage everyone to choose kindness with every meal. With all the great vegan options we have today, it’s never been easier!”
“Instead of carcinogenic tubes of ground-up animal flesh, the Fourth of July should be celebrated with delicious veggie dogs, because we are all feeling individuals who value our lives,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA urges everyone to go vegan by declaring independence from the cruel meat, egg, and dairy industries.”
In the meat industry, workers chop off pigs’ tails, clip their teeth with pliers, and castrate the males—often without painkillers—and cows are branded, castrated, and confined to filthy feedlots. At slaughterhouses, animals are hung upside down and their throats are slit. In addition to saving nearly 200 animals every year, each person who goes vegan reduces their own risk of suffering from heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer and shrinks their carbon footprint.
Stodden is part of a long list of celebrities—including Pamela Anderson, Natalie Portman, Joaquin Phoenix, Bellamy Young, and Joan Jett—who have teamed up with PETA to promote kindness to animals.
PETA’s ad will appear on buses in Albany and at bus shelters in Colonie, near the intersections of Wolf and Sand Creek roads and Central Avenue and New Karner Road, until July 9.
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 Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
Ahead of the KeyBank Independence Eve Celebration, model and media personality Courtney Stodden—decked out in a curve-hugging crop top and a star-spangled top hat—appears in a towering new digital message from PETA across from Southern Tier Brewery and near KeyBank Center urging everyone to go vegan and celebrate Independence Day with delicious veggie dogs.
Stodden is a longtime PETA supporter who previously hosted the group’s Congressional Veggie Dog Lunch. “I’ve grown so much as a person, but one thing I know will never change is my love for animals,” Stodden says. “I’m so excited to be back helping PETA encourage everyone to choose kindness with every meal. With all the great vegan options we have today, it’s never been easier!”
“Instead of ingesting carcinogenic tubes of ground-up animal flesh, people celebrating the Fourth of July should eat delicious veggie dogs, because we are all feeling individuals who value our lives,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA urges everyone to go vegan by declaring independence from the cruel meat, egg, and dairy industries.”
In the meat industry, workers chop off pigs’ tails, clip their teeth with pliers, and castrate the males—often without painkillers—and cows are branded, castrated, and confined to filthy feedlots. At slaughterhouses, animals are hung upside down and their throats are slit. In addition to saving nearly 200 animals every year, each person who goes vegan reduces their own risk of suffering from heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer and shrinks their carbon footprint.
Stodden is part of a long list of celebrities—including Pamela Anderson, Natalie Portman, Joaquin Phoenix, Bellamy Young, and Joan Jett—who have teamed up with PETA to promote kindness to animals.
PETA’s digital billboard is located at 30-22 Scott St. (near the intersection with Washington Street) in Buffalo.
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 Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
On Tuesday, in memory of the hundreds of birds who died in agony after a truck carrying them overturned on I-5—prompting PETA and Direct Action Everywhere to report to the scene and rescue one of the surviving birds—PETA will bring “Hell on Wheels,” its life-size chicken transport truck, to Pioneer Courthouse Square near Buffalo Wild Wings and Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers. The truck—which is covered with images of real chickens crammed into crates on their way to a slaughterhouse—will blast actual recorded sounds of the birds’ cries and a subliminal message every 10 seconds suggesting that people go vegan. Photos of the truck and the rescued chicken are available here.
“Each of these chickens was an individual who died in terror when this truck turned over, crushing them to death and scattering their bodies on the roadside,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA’s ‘Hell on Wheels’ truck is an appeal to anyone who eats chicken to remember these birds’ horrific deaths and opt for a kind vegan meal instead.”
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview, and offers free vegan starter kits to help anyone make the switch.
BetterBrand, the food tech industry startup tackling refined carbs, has set a record for the highest Series A valuation posted by a female founder in venture history.
Using groundbreaking technology to disrupt the $12 trillion refined carb market, BetterBrand is now valued at $170 million pre-money following its $6 million Series A funding round. Since its inception in 2021, BetterBrand has successfully raised nearly $10 million in funding, firmly cementing its position as a force to be reckoned with in the food tech industry.
The Series A valuation is more than double that of leading tech giants Facebook, Stripe, and Tesla. BetterBrand’s founder Aimee Yang is one of only 150 solo female founders to raise a Series A higher than $5 million.
‘Proving that the impossible is possible’
The recent funding round was led by VERSO Capital and saw participation from a host of notable investors including the Gaingels Fund, Seven Seven Six by Alexis Ohanian, and Craft Lane. Other individual contributors included venture capitalist Chris Hollod, Cruise Founder, and CEO Kyle Vogt, and investors Jeff and Glenne Azoff.
Aimee Yang, CEO and co-founder BetterBrand has made fundraising history. | Courtesy
The company’s growth potential, innovative technology, and appeal to the investor community have also attracted attention from Sean Thomas of the Wendy’s family, and actors Patrick Schwarzenegger and Emmy Rossum.
“We are absolutely thrilled about this next chapter for BetterBrand to support our rapid global expansion and continued innovation,” Yang said in a statement. “This is yet another example of how our mission — proving that the impossible is possible — is demonstrated through practice, and touches not only our product innovation but the massive potential of Better’s power and scale.”
The Series A funding comes as the company is experiencing significant growth. It reported an 800 percent year-on-year growth rate between 2021 and 2022 and is set to see similar growth in the coming year.
BetterBrand’s signature product, The Better Bagel, outperformed all other new products in the Natural retail channel in 2022 and made a successful debut in the retail sector with a global launch at Whole Foods Market in Q3 2022, racking up sales exceeding $1 million in the first five months.
Better carbs
Yang is aiming to do for the refined carb market what Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods have done for the protein market. BetterBrand relies on wheat protein and agave fiber to deliver a bagel with the protein equivalent of four eggs while containing only one gram of sugar and five grams of net carbs.
Having introduced The Better Bagel in 2021, BetterBrand quickly caught the attention of customers, tastemakers, and retailers. The high-protein, low-carb bagels can be found both online and in more than 1,000 stores across the U.S., including renowned supermarkets such as Whole Foods, Sprouts, Fresh Market, Gelson’s, Bristol Farms, Giant, Harmon’s, Lassen’s, Plum Market, Wild by Nature, and FoxTrot.
The Better Bagel packs as much protein as 4 eggs | Courtesy
“Aimee Yang is an incredible entrepreneur and a solid operator,” said Cruise Founder & CEO Kyle Vogt. “Her company offers life-changing, clean, functional products for those who previously felt they had to give up some of their favorite foods to fit their nutritional needs. It’s an exciting journey to be a part of.”
Gaingels Managing Director Lorenzo Thione says Gaingels is “thoroughly convinced” that under Yang’s leadership, BetterBrand is poised to redefine “our very relationship with carbohydrates,” by combining health and taste in one innovative package.
“BetterBrand’s vision is not just about a product; it’s about a revolution in how we perceive and consume starches, worldwide,” Thione said. “We’re excited to support Aimee’s journey in transforming this giant market and look forward to the indelible impact BetterBrand will make.”
The company, experiencing rapid growth, has announced the upcoming release of 16 new products, all headed by Michelin-starred baker Matthew McDonald. The new products are slated to hit the market by the end of 2023.
Motif FoodWorks’ patent challenge to Impossible Foods over the heme protein used in both of their vegan meat products will get a patent review, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office announced earlier this month.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has dealt what could be a significant blow to Bay Area vegan meat producer Impossible Foods, as its Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) announced the initiation of inter partes review (IPR) of Patent 9,943,096 B2. Impossible Foods faces a potential disruption in its claim to one of its pivotal patents in a process that could take about a year.
Boston-based Motif FoodWorks raised the appeal after Impossible filed a federal lawsuit. The plant-based food giant claimed that Motif infringed on its patent when using heme to create its vegan meat substitute using a similar technology.
Heme challenge
Administrative Patent Judge Donna M. Praiss stated in the PTAB’s ruling that Motif “has demonstrated a reasonable likelihood of prevailing with respect to at least one claim of the ’096 patent, and we institute inter partes review of all claims and all grounds asserted in the petition.”
The patent under examination is titled “Methods and Compositions for Affecting the Flavor and Aroma Profile of Consumables.” It targets an improved imitation of meat’s flavors and aromas, particularly those perceived during or after cooking.
Courtesy Motif FoodWorks
“We are pleased with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s decision to institute inter partes review (IPR) for Patent 9,943,096 B2, finding that Motif has shown a reasonable likelihood we will prevail,” Michael Leonard, CEO of Motif FoodWorks, said in a statement. “Statistics show the PTAB invalidates one or more claims in 80 percent of the patents that reach a final decision in IPR, so we look forward to seeing this process play out.”
According to Leonard, this is more than just a corporate win for Motif. “This is not just a victory for Motif – it’s a victory for consumers,” Leonard said. “For us, this whole process is about protecting innovation and consumer choice in plant-based foods.”
Impossible’s patent challenges
The news is the second significant blow to Impossible Foods’ quest to monopolize the use of heme, a protein found in the soy plant root. Impossible uses it to impart meaty texture and flavor to its plant-based meat. The European Patent Office recently rescinded an E.U. patent held by Impossible Foods. Concurrently, the lawsuit against Motif remains ongoing in the federal district court in Delaware.
Impossible’s heme protein is analogous to soy leghemoglobin found in nitrogen-fixing plants like soy. Motif’s heme protein, Hemami, is identical to bovine myoglobin, found in cow muscle tissue.
Impossible Foods heme-based burgers | Courtesy
Motif counters Impossible’s claims, arguing these ingredients, which have been used for decades to create the flavor and aroma of meat and its substitutes, cannot be patented by Impossible Foods.
“Impossible is wasting resources, creativity, and opportunities through a failing litigation strategy,” Leonard noted. “The company seems more concerned with securing monopoly power over a protein than with growing this sector.”
“Since our founding in 2018, Motif has reinvented plant-based meat, making it better tasting, more nutritious and sustainable,” Leonard added. “Impossible is determined to stop that innovation – hurting consumers, our industry and, ultimately, our planet. We will continue to fight Impossible’s aggressive actions to limit competition and are gratified that the PTAB found merit in our position.”
Muscadine drinkers may find it hard to swallow the cheeses on their charcuterie boards after a crying calf crashes their weekly date with MasterChef to drive home the true cost of dairy.
In the 15-second spot, which will hit local airwaves during the reality cooking show this week, a customer wants to know how much a wedge of cheese will cost—and the calf, chained up behind the shop’s register and swarming with flies, has the answer: “Too much.” The computer-generated calf is ear-tagged with the name and number of an actual calf in a photograph sent to PETA by a whistleblower at Daisy Farms. The group’s subsequent undercover investigation revealed that, despite the dairy company’s claims to the contrary, cows crammed inside massive, filthy sheds were kicked, whipped, or jabbed and calves were separated from their mothers just after birth and force-fed, one fatally.
Such cruelty is typical of the dairy industry, which collects the milk that mother cows produce to sustain their calves and funnels it to grocery store shelves for human consumption. Meanwhile, traumatized male calves are slaughtered for veal and female calves eventually take their mothers’ place: They’re restrained, forcibly impregnated again and again, and used as milk machines until their bodies break down and they’re sent to slaughter.
“We can all live without dairy cheese, but calves literally can’t live without the milk that’s meant to nourish them, not us,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA reminds everyone that there’s a delicious vegan cheese to pair with any wine, including North Carolina’s beloved scuppernong.”
Every person who goes vegan spares nearly 200 animals each year daily suffering and terrifying deaths and avoids all the artery-clogging cholesterol and saturated fat found in dairy cheese. PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help those looking to make the easy switch.
PETA’s spot will air during Stars on Mars on Monday, June 26, and MasterChef on Wednesday, June 28. It will also air in San Francisco and in the U.S. wine capitals of Napa and Santa Barbara, California.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat or 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 Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
Why isn’t PETA shut down? We wish we were—as it would mean that we had met our goal and that animals are no longer being exploited for human desires. However, a world free from speciesism hasn’t come to fruition yet. While PETA can’t shut down until animals are free from exploitation, we have shut down a number of places and programs that were cruel to animals. Check out some of PETA’s top “shutdowns”:
1. Ringling Ends Animal Acts
PETA targeted Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for over three decades, holding protests outside every performance; publicizing photos and videos showing trainers beating, striking, using bullhooks on, whipping, and roughly handling animals; and lobbying for bans on bullhooks and animal performances. We filed more than 130 formal complaints against the circus with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, met with the agency numerous times, and documented gross neglect, prolonged chaining, and deaths of animals—including a baby elephant who died after breaking his legs during training, one who was forced to perform while fatally ill, and a lion who died of heatstroke in a Ringling boxcar.
Citing a “dramatic drop” in ticket sales, Ringling announced that it was shutting down after 146 years. Nearly five years after PETA’s triumph over Ringling, the circus announced that it’s planning its return to the big top—without elephants, tigers, or any other nonconsenting animals!
At Envigo, a massive beagle-breeding facility and laboratory in Cumberland, Virginia, workers deprived nursing mother dogs of food for days, puppies died of exposure to cold or after falling into a drain, and many beagles suffered from painful and untreated conditions. After PETA’s groundbreaking exposé, Envigo’s hellhole, where dogs were bred for experimentation, was shut down and the surviving beagles were liberated from its cages.
After decades of campaigning against fur, we’ve reached a tipping point: Hundreds of major companies have banned it—including high-end designers Giorgio Armani, Gucci, John Galliano, Donna Karan, Donatella Versace, Michael Kors, and Jimmy Choo—and InStyle became the first major fashion magazine to ban it. Meghan Markle, the duchess of Sussex, won’t wear it. California and Israel banned its sale, and more than a dozen countries have banned fur farming.
PETA has made great strides, but until fur is no longer used at all, animals on fur farms will spend their entire lives confined to cramped, filthy wire cages. Fur farmers use the cheapest and cruelest killing methods available, including suffocation, electrocution, gas, and poison.
After years of intense campaigns led by PETA, along with sinking attendance following the release of the documentary Blackfish and pending legislation to ban captive-orca breeding in California, SeaWorld ended its sordid orca-breeding program in 2016. This means that the current generation of orcas imprisoned in SeaWorld’s tanks will be the last.
Because of PETA’s campaigns, including demonstrations, celebrity involvement, shareholder activism, and mounting criticism of SeaWorld, the company also agreed to stop allowing trainers to stand on dolphins’ faces and backs in cruel circus-style shows. But 18 orcas are still suffering at these abusement parks, and other dolphins and whales are still being used as breeding machines to create generations of suffering animals.
In nature, beluga whales and bottlenose dolphins maintain dynamic relationships with large social networks, choose their own mates, and swim free in the ocean. SeaWorld and other marine parks teach a wrong, speciesist lesson: that it’s acceptable to imprison animals, breed them and group them as we please, and deny them nearly everything that’s natural and important to them.
Following more than a decade of intense campaigning by PETA entities and grassroots activists around the world, Air France announced that it would end its transport of monkeys to laboratories as soon as its current contracts end in June 2023. The company’s announcement means that more primates will remain in nature with their families instead of being abducted from their homes and imprisoned on decrepit breeding farms and inside terrifying labs. This decision brings us one step closer to shutting down the trafficking of monkeys for useless, archaic experiments in this age of state-of-the-art, modern research tools such as “organs-on-chips.”
Why Isn’t PETA Shut Down? Ask the Animal-Abusing Industries
Until animal experiments end and laboratory doors are opened; animals are no longer imprisoned on farms to be used for their flesh, eggs, or milk; no one is forced to lose their life and skin for human clothing; and all animals confined to cramped tanks and cages so humans can watch them do tricks are free, PETA will continue working to liberate them.
If you want to help shut down PETA, there’s one easy way to do it: Go vegan and stop supporting animal-abusing industries.
Ahead of Harborfest, model and media personality Courtney Stodden—decked out in a curve-hugging crop top and a star-spangled top hat—appears in a new sky-high digital message from PETA above Parkway Pub and close to Love Dog Hot Dog Buffet urging everyone to go vegan and celebrate Independence Day with delicious veggie dogs.
Stodden is a longtime PETA supporter who previously hosted the group’s Congressional Veggie Dog Lunch. “I’ve grown so much as a person, but one thing I know will never change is my love for animals,” Stodden says. “I’m so excited to be back helping PETA encourage everyone to choose kindness with every meal. With all the great vegan options we have today, it’s never been easier!”
“Instead of ingesting carcinogenic tubes of ground-up animal flesh, people celebrating the Fourth of July should eat delicious veggie dogs, because we are all feeling individuals who value our lives,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA urges everyone to go vegan by declaring independence from the cruel meat, egg, and dairy industries.”
In the meat industry, workers chop off pigs’ tails, clip their teeth with pliers, and castrate the males—often without painkillers—and cows are branded, castrated, and confined to filthy feedlots. At slaughterhouses, animals are hung upside down and their throats are slit. In addition to saving nearly 200 animals every year, each person who goes vegan reduces their own risk of suffering from heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer and shrinks their carbon footprint.
Stodden is part of a long list of celebrities—including Pamela Anderson, Natalie Portman, Joaquin Phoenix, Bellamy Young, and Joan Jett—who have teamed up with PETA to promote kindness to animals.
PETA’s digital billboard is located at 1812 Revere Beach Pkwy. in Everett.
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 Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
If you’re looking for a gift for the coffee lover in your life, you’ve come to the right place. From mugs to vegan milk machines, this list has you covered from the grounds up.
This is the coffee gift guide you’ve bean searching for!
Get a Bag of PETA’s Rescue Roast
Support PETA and get a bag of beans or grounds from the PETA Shop. This rich and smooth medium roast coffee is the perfect way to caffeinate before a protest.
Send them a case of cold brews from RISE Brewing Co., a PETA Business Friend. Get the variety pack so they can try multiple flavors. If they prefer hot coffee, you can get them some of the Barista Blend Oat Milk instead.
Get a Kalita Wave or a Hario V60 for the person who prefers pour-over. If you do get a pour-over set, make sure it’s one without a leather cord made from someone’s skin.
Give the Gift of Homemade Milk With a Nutr Machine
This machine makes an excellent gift for coffee drinkers who want homemade milk in their morning coffee. It can make a multitude of milks, including oat, soy, and almond!
Impress Them With the Barista Touch Impress From Breville
Bring the coffee shop to them. This espresso machine features different settings for almond, oat, and soy milks so you can steam and froth to perfection.
If the coffee lover in your life prefers to get java from a shop, give them a gift card to their favorite local spot. Blue Bottle Coffee and Stumptown Coffee Roasters are two chains that don’t charge extra for vegan milks, so we suggest you start there. Skip Starbucks until it stops charging extra for vegan milks.
*****
Thankfully, most coffee-related gift ideas are vegan-friendly by default, but there are a few items to avoid. Kopi luwak, also known as “civet coffee,” is cruelly cultivated by exploiting civet cats. Dairy creamers are made of milk stolen from sensitive mother cows and their babies. Be sure to give the gift of cruelty-free caffeine to all your coffee-loving cohorts.
