December is here already, and Christmas is just a few weeks away. We’ve been busy doing our Christmas shopping this week and putting up decorations to get into the festive spirit. If you’re still looking for the perfect vegan Christmas gifts, check out our vegan gift guide. Here we have gathered all the must-read vegan news stories from around the web this week to help you catch up with what’s been happening in the world of veganism…
Previously vegan flavours of Pringles will be no more
Popular potato-based snack producer, Pringles, has upset many in the vegan community by adding milk to some of its previously vegan-friendly products. The Texas BBQ Sauce flavour had long been vegan-friendly but is no more since milk has been added to its ingredients.
Dairy products will also be added to Pringles’ previously vegan-friendly flavours, including Paprika, Original, Sweet Chilli and Smokey Bacon. In a statement from Pringles, shared by Vegan Food UK, the company has stated its reasons for the change, which include cost savings and increasing capacity. The brand also suggests the move will help it reduce food waste in line with its sustainability commitments, but there has not yet been a public explanation of how the addition of milk will help to achieve this.
Study finds meat substitutes to be high in salt yet healthier on many other grounds
Scientists at Queen Mary University have found that plant-based meat substitutes have significantly higher salt content than their animal product alternatives. Over 75% of the products analysed failed to meet the government’s salt reduction targets of 1.19g per 100g. High salt diets have been linked to increased blood pressure, strokes and heart disease.
However, despite this, the plant-based meat substitutes were found to have fewer calories and less saturated fat than their meat equivalents. They also had more fibre.
Over the past two years, sales of plant-based meat substitutes have increased by a massive 90%, with supermarkets continuing to dedicate more shelf space to these products. The responsibility is on manufacturers of these products to bring down the salt content. The study’s lead author, Roberta Alessandrini, stated that: “our data shows that salt levels in these products are unnecessarily high. Manufacturers have a vital role to play in providing consumers with products that are not only better for the planet and the animals, but that are 100 per cent healthy and low in salt”.
Vegan egg replacement brand Crackd is hailed by Sky for ‘best ever’ results
Sky’s ad targeting service. Sky AdSmart, has revealed a recent TV ad campaign by vegan egg replacement brand Crackd has achieved the greatest increase in brand awareness ever seen by the broadcaster’s platform.
In its most extensive multimedia campaign yet, Crackd leveraged mobile data to outperform its competitors and target vegan audiences to drive sales of its no-egg egg. According to Sky AdSmart, the vegan egg replacement brand, which recently launched just last year, has experienced a 17.4% increase in prompted brand awareness uplift. This is the highest on record with the platform.
Vegan charity Viva! Is launching its first-ever TV advert to encourage people to rethink eating meat
Vegan charity Viva! Is launching its first-ever TV advert to encourage people to rethink eating meat. The charity plans to screen the ad – which emphasises the lost connection between animals and our plate – to over 16 million people.
The advert, which features a live piglet delivered to a couple ordering a takeaway, is designed to get people to think more deeply about where their food comes from. The meat-eating couple in the ad order pulled pork from a fictional takeaway service called ‘Just Meat’. When the delivery arrives, to the couple’s shock, they receive a live piglet and a butcher knife.
We think the ad makes the point really well. Check it out for yourself below.
Vegan man who refused vaccine because it’s tested on animals sadly dies of Covid-19
A vegan man who declined the Covid-19 vaccine due to concerns about animal cruelty has sadly passed away from the virus. Glynn Steel was 54 when he passed away from Covid-19 this month. He was reluctant to get the Covid-19 vaccine because it is tested on animals as per legal requirements.
He reportedly regretted his decision, asking for the vaccine when he became very ill from the virus. However, at this point it was too late, and he was shifted to life support before passing away from the illness.
His last words to his wife Emma were: “I have never felt so ill, I wish I’d had the vaccine”.
The question of whether to get the Covid-19 vaccine is a difficult one for vegans since it cannot strictly be considered vegan or cruelty-free due to animal testing requirements. However, there are also strong arguments in favour of vegans getting vaccinated. Ultimately, it is up to each individual vegan to make this choice and determine what is the right choice for them. Of course, getting the vaccine will not necessarily prevent one from getting Covid-19 or dying from the illness, but it is associated with a decreased risk in both regards.
A vegan hospital patient is left with nothing but ginger nut biscuits to eat
Jenny Skelton claims she was left with nothing but ginger nut biscuits to eat during her stay at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, East Sussex. She was taken to the hospital by ambulance after suffering chest pains which turned out to be due to an undiagnosed case of Covid-19.
Despite the hospital claiming to have a 24-hour vegan menu, Jenny has stated that she felt like a ‘second class citizen’ during her stay because she found it nigh on impossible to get vegan food.
When the nurse came to take the patients’ food orders, there was no vegan option, so Jenny had to go hungry while the other patients ate their meals. She only had a cup of tea because she had brought a flask from home with soya milk.
After being told there was no vegan dinner option, the advice she received was to go to the vending machine, where there might be a plant-based snack option. This she did, but sadly the machine was faulty and took her money without giving the snack. She was eventually provided with ginger nut biscuits by the staff on the ward.
Jenny is dismayed that this situation should occur in Brighton, of all places, which is well-known for being a vegan-friendly city with thousands of vegan residents.
Have you had an experience like this in your local hospital? Let us know in the comments below.
That brings us to the end of this week’s vegan news bulletin. We hope you have a fantastic week, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing. If you have any news stories or exciting topics you think we should be covering; we’d love to hear from you – get in touch here.
