Our 6 favorite vegan and cruelty free perfumes. PLUS A complete guide on VCF fragrances and what this means

Im very emotional about this article. Even though I am quite aware of animal cruelty in cosmetics, it was still a real punch in the gut to research, read and write in depth about vegan and cruelty free perfume.

The truth about the perfume industrys use of animals, and how you can smell good without hurting innocent creatures.

In this guide, Ill examine the (unfortunately) dirty truth about the perfume industrys use of animals.

Then, Ill give you some ways you can help, and some lists of vegan and cruelty free perfume so you can smell good without hurting innocent creatures.

Ok? Lets dive in.

Maybe you are wondering which perfumes are vegan. Well, if you enjoy wearing fragrance and want to smell good, yet do so in a way that is ethical and animal-friendly, dont worry. Just ten years ago it would have been hard to find, say, a high-end cruelty-free perfume but with increasing consumer demand, these days there are plenty of options out there, and the list is growing.

PRIM: A complex layering of fruity raspberry and floral rose notes, Prim is a sophisticated and romantic scent.

Perfumer: Splash of Scent | Cost: 50 ML USD 65

GREEN: A juicy herbal potion with rose, ylang ylang and a smooth wood finish, inspired by an unforgettable hike in Silver Falls, Oregon.

Perfumer: Splash of Scent | Cost: 50 ML USD 65

GREY LABDANUM: Bitter orange and violet open this edgy chypre,followed by dark incense, ambergris and patchouli notes.

Perfumer: ABEL | Cost: 50 ML USD 150

GATEAUX: An herbaceous garden floral with a powdery, sweet finish. Verdant and florescent with a minty rose and orange blossomed body.

Perfumer: FLORESCENT | Cost: 15 ML USD 79

CRG V9: This floral fusion brings together mimosa, geranium and geranium bourbon with lavender and carnation. Fresh, with a spicy finish.

Perfumer: LURK | Cost: 6 ML USD 64

MARRAKECH: Bohemian, alluring and hypnotic with wild Moroccan Balsam, organic Moroccan Cedarwood and the oil of North African rose petals.

Perfumer: RICH HIPPIE | Cost: 5 ML USD 75

Heres a list of five indie perfume companies that are not only vegan and cruelty-free, but also sufficiently cool and niche that any fragrance aficionado would be impressed!

BONUS SECTIONS:

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Its a difficult truth to talk about, but an important one: the vast majority of the day-to-day personal care and beauty products that we use contain ingredients that in one way or another have harmed innocent animals.

For a long time it wasnt spoken of, and many consumers werent even aware of it; but products from shampoos to lipsticks to perfumes often contain ingredients that are sourced from animals, or are tested on animals to prove they are safe for use on humans.

Over the past couple of decades awareness has grown, yet to this day these cruel practices continue.

And its not just a few rare bad guys or unethical companies that do it.

On the contrary: PETAs (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)list of companies that do test on animals>confirmed that over 340 cosmetic mega-brands were testing on animals, or using ingredients that had been tested on animals.

Here are some of the brands that DO test on animals. These are NOT vegan and/or cruelty free.

Many of the brands listed were household names like Dove, Estee Lauder, LOreal, Avon, Johnson&Johnson the list goes on.

And the list below, although far from complete, contains regrettably many of the whos who in the perfume industry. I was quite disappointed to find some of the perfumers whose work I really admire on the list.

What is the impact of this? Well, to put it into numbers, Humane Society International (HSI) cosmetic testing alone accounts for the suffering and death of 100,000200,000 innocent animals each year.

Cosmetic testing accounts for the suffering and death of 100,000-200,000 animals each year.

But lets back up a little. When we talk about vegan and cruelty free products, what exactly do these terms actually mean, and why are they so important?

Vegan refers to products that do not contain any ingredients derived from animals. This includes animal parts, of course, but also animal products, such as dairy, honey, even beeswax. It can be tricky to determine sometimes whether a product contains animal products, as many industries are not required to publish their ingredient lists, and even when they do, it isnt always obvious that certain substances come from animals.

Cruelty-free, meanwhile, is a term designed to include any commercial product that is manufactured or developed by methods that do not involve animal cruelty. This may seem straightforward, but it can sometimes get a little complicated. For example, a company may avoid testing on animals itself, but be buying ingredients from a supplier that does.

The fact that animals suffer needlessly is a good enough reason for many people to choose vegan and cruelty-free when they shop. But if thats not enough to tip the scale for you, heres another thing to consider: theres also a huge environmental impact.

These outdated practices require raising hundreds of thousands of animals just so they can be used, and then usually killed and disposed, for our beauty products and perfumes. With animal testing, it also often involves extensive use of toxic chemicals in the tests themselves, to try and get them into the market.

Today, an estimated 83 per cent of women wear scent, and men arent that far behind, at 63 per cent. When you consider this huge number of people buying fragrances, and add the fact that many of the biggest perfume manufacturers are using ingredients that harm animals well, it starts to really add up.

An estimated 83% of women wear scent, and 63% of men. Mostly perfumes that harm animals.

The market share for cruelty free perfume, by comparison, doesnt even show up on the radar. And try searching for, say, vegan cologne in any major department store. Youll struggle to find a single label with that commitment on it.

Unfortunately, most of the price you pay for a typical bottle of scent goes into marketing, profit, overheads, the bottle did we mention marketing? Procuring high-quality, trustworthy, animal-friendly ingredients just isnt the priority for most mainstream fragrance brands. If you want to read more about the cost structure of commercial perfumes, read this article onwhy perfume is so expensive.

By the way, dont be mistaken if the label says pure perfume or non toxic perfume. These terminologies have nothing to do with whether the ingredients have been sourced from, or tested on, animals.

The vast majority of big perfume producers, both high-end and low-end, are using ingredients that are either derived from animals or tested on animals. Lets take a closer look at what that actually entails.

While some animal ingredients have become too rare and endangered for practical use on a large scale, they can still be found in high-end perfumes, and others are still produced in fairly large volume for the global fragrance industry. A few of the most well known ones among perfumers include:

Animal testing in the fragrance world, just like with other cosmetics and household products, often involves truly inhumane procedures using harsh, or even toxic, chemicals.

Some of the most common procedures include:

Acute Toxicity Testing: The animal is given an extremely high dose of the substance, usually by force-feeding, inhalation or skin contact. Its reactions are monitored, and can range from diarrhea to bleeding and death. These tests, which have been around since WW1, have been shown to be appallingly useless in accurately predicting toxicity in humans.

Eye and Skin Irritation Testing: Also known as the Draize test, this is the famous one where a substance is dripped into a rabbits eyes or applied to their shaven skin. Not only is this type of testing intolerably cruel, but its also proven to be flawed due to the physiological differences between rabbits and humans.

Skin Sensitivity Testing: This involves injecting or applying a substance multiple times into the animal, after which it is either monitored for reactions or killed so that its immune response can be measured in a lab. There is no excuse for this outdated practice with modern human skin-cell tests available.

Carcinogenicity Testing: The animal is kept in a cage and forced to take a substance repeatedly over time, while being watched for signs of cancer. As far back as 2002, it was already proven that these tests are not dependable for predicting carcinogenicity in humans.

Reproductive and Developmental Toxicity Testing: The substance is forcibly administered to mating animals, sometimes over two generations, and then the mother is killed and she and her foetus are examined for toxicity. The very different reproductive cycle and lifespan of animals makes it hard to extract results useful to humans from these cruel tests.

Numerous studies have demonstrated the limited usefulness of animal tests like these, yet they continue even though in most countries, including the US, the law doesnt require fragrance and cosmetics companies to do it.

The FDA does not require fragrance or cosmetics companies to perform animal testing.

Perversely, even if a substance is found to be safe on animals, it doesnt mean it will be approved for use in human products, and on the other hand even if it harms animals, it can still be marketed to humans! So, not only is animal testing cruel and inhumane, it doesnt even provide the type of guarantee that might make it justifiable for some people. Its a senseless practice.

So now that you know about the sad things that can lurk behind a designer fragrance label, how can you check whether your own signature scent is an offender?

Unfortunately, many of the biggest offenders are also the biggest brands. Just look at last years top 5 bestselling perfumes Coco Mademoiselle, Marc Jacobs Daisy, Chanel No. 5, Chanel Chance Eau Tendre, and Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue. All of these are made by companies that test on animals.

Last years 5 top selling perfumes all are made by companies who do animal testing.

One easy way to find out if your fragrance is cruelty-free or vegan is to check the label. Some perfume houses these days are choosing to work with third-party certifiers, like PETA or Leaping Bunny. If you see one of those iconic logos both of which feature bunnies on them on your bottle, then breathe easy. Youve already got an animal-friendly fragrance in your hands.

If you dont see a certification label and want to be sure, you can head online for a wealth of resources. Check outLeaping Bunnys listof approved brands or PETAs extensive database of companies that do test on animals, or for a shorter list, their database of cruelty-free fragrances.

Its pretty disheartening once you start looking at the scale upon which animal testing and exploitation is still practised in the cosmetic and fragrance industries. But take heart; there are small signs of progress, and even within the industry there are players who want to see things change.

In terms of regulations, some countries have already banned animal testing for cosmetics. The EU was one of the first regions to do so in 2013, followed by India, Israel, and Norway. Many other countries are starting to introduce laws that will eventually eliminate animal testing. For a compete and up-to-date global overview on the national bans on animal testing, you can check Cruelty Free International!

And if companies still need or want to test their products? They certainly dont need to harm innocent animals to do so! There ARE alternatives. Tests done in vitro have been shown to be very effective, and new high-tech methods are being developed every day, from using MRI-imaging to testing on 3D-printed human skin made from donated cells!

Why is this progress finally happening? Because more consumers are demanding it. Times are changing, and consumer awareness is at an all-time high. A survey by Nielsen in 2015 revealed that not tested on animals was the most important packaging claim for beauty consumers. Meanwhile, a recent study in the UK showed that the number of vegans there has increased by more than 36 per cent in the past decade.

The demand for cruelty-free and vegan products has reached the perfume world, too; according to recent market research, one of the hottest fragrance trends of 2018 is drum roll please: vegan perfumes! So if you are already considering buying a vegan and cruelty free perfume, consider yourself a trendsetter.

Its absolutely true that the market will supply whatever consumers demand. So why not help make a real difference to animals by making your voice heard? There are a number of ways you can help end animal abuse in the fragrance and cosmetic industry:

When in doubt, check the lists ofPETAandLeaping Bunnyfor companies that are cruelty-free. And if you want, Leaping Bunny even has anappfor that!

Have your say: Contact your local US representative and ask them to show support for the Humane Cosmetics Act (HCA), which would make it illegal to conduct or contract for cosmetic animal testingfor the purpose of developing a cosmetic for sale.

By the US definition, fragrances and perfumes are considered cosmetics and the passage of the Humane Cosmetics Act would end the involvement of animals in the testing of perfumes and fragrances in the US. Read more on the site ofThe Humane Society, and/or fill out thisform on the Humane Society siteto send a message to your US Representative.

Everything we make at Splash of Scent is vegan & cruelty-free. We are certified by PETA and Leaping Bunny because they are the gold standards in vegan and cruelty-free product certification, and it is important to us that our customers can trust our products 100 per cent.

These are our commitments:

Splash of Scent Cruelty-Free Policy

We dont think smelling great should come at the expense of other living creatures. Splash of Scent is a cruelty-free brand.

We do not sell our products in other countries that require us to test our products on animals by law, such as China.

We do not test our products on animals, nor do we allow others to test on our behalf. We never have and never will pay outside organizations to test our products on animals.

Additionally, we require our suppliers to certify that the raw materials used in the manufacture of our products are not tested on animals.

We are an independent company, which means we do not have a parent or sister company that tests on animals.

Our products are certified cruelty-free by PETA and Leaping Bunny.

Splash of Scent Vegan Policy

Splash of Scent products do not contain any animal-derived ingredients. From our inception, we have been committed to creating our fragrances using only 100 per cent vegan ingredients.

Please take a stand for animals by choosing cruelty-free and vegan when you shop for fragrances and cosmetics.

I hope you found this overview informative and useful I certainly put a ton of work in researching and writing it! If you think there is something I missed, let me know please.

It would be tremendous if after reading this guide, you feel more compelled to buy cruelty free products. What do you think?

Are you going to buy cruelty free perfumes? Maybe even support the Humane Cosmetics Act?

Let me know by leaving a comment below!

Original post:

Vegan & Cruelty Free Perfume: 6 Top Perfumes + The ...

Standard Mattress:Thickness: 11 | Weight: 59 (Twin) 122 lbs (Cal. King) Mattress with Pillow-Top:Thickness: 13 | Weight: 80(Twin) 166 lbs (Cal. King) For specific dimensions and weights, visit our Help Center. GREENGUARD Gold Certified by UL Environment for low emissions. GOTS Organic Certification from Control Union in our brand name.

Standard Mattress:Gentle Firm Mattress with Pillow-Top: Luxury Plush | Featuring a Euro-Style Button-Tufted Pillow Top

We useDunlop latex in our mattresses because it is more eco-conscious than Talalay latex, which requires more processing.We make our own GOLS organic certified latex from co-owned farmer's societies in India, operating under the USDA's National Organic Program. Dunlop latex is naturally antimicrobial, cooler than memory foam, requires no adhesives to seam it together, and is more durable than Talalay latex. It's made with 95% certified organic latex, the highest possible standard, and processed in a GOLS organic certified facility in India that we also co-own. On our standard Avocado mattress, we use two seamless layers of organic latex 2 inches in the comfort layer (D65 / 14-19 ILD, soft) and a 1-inch layer (D65) in the base. On the Avocado Mattress with the optional, attached Pillow-Top, we use three seamless layers of organic latex 2 inches in the Euro-top layer (D65), 2 more inches in the comfort layer (D65), and another 1-inch layer (D65) in the base. No blended or synthetic latex is used, there are no seams to break down over time, and no chemical adhesives are used to bind the layers, since our mattress is needle-tufted by hand. Plus, our GOTS organic certified latex has received STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX: Class 1 certification (19.HIN.79546, Hohenstein HTTI) which requires annual lab testing to ensure no harmful substances are present as a result of processing, to include banned substances, toxic chemicals, pesticides and dyes. To be extra thorough, our latex is even eco-INSTITUT certified, a certification for products fulfilling the strictest requirements on pollutants and emissions following the latest state of the art of international research and science.

Rather than using wool, our Vegan Mattress uses 400 grams per square foot of 100% GOTS organic certified cotton batting sourced from family farmers in India. This is 100% USDA certified organic cotton fiber, farmed using NOP farming standards.

For a luxurious and premium finish, we use 100% GOTS organic certified cotton in a soft, natural color. No polyester fiber is used. Responsibly and ethically sourced from India, this durable textile isneedle-tufted by handwith organic cotton yarn rosettes, which secure the cotton ticking and internal mattress layers firmly in place without the use of chemical or water-based chemical adhesives. Our organic cotton has received STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX: Class 1 certification (19.HIN.68466, Hohenstein HTTI) in our brand name, to ensure no harmful substances are present as a result of processing, to include banned substances, toxic chemicals, pesticides and dyes. Even the green thread used in the stitching and logo embroidery is STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX certified. Reinforced seams are double stitched and four heavy-duty upholstered handles complete the package.

The Avocado Green Mattress features one of the most advanced, internal, pressure-point support units available made by Leggett & Platt a Quantum Edge Elite Combi-Zone. There are between 756 (Twin) to 1,414 (King) individually wrapped innersprings arranged in five strategic zones, to support hips, back, and shoulders, plus a reinforced steel perimeter giving the bed a consistent level of support all the way to the edge. Encased in a food-grade polypropylene fabric (non-woven and non-toxic), these premium springs float independently to further improve airflow, support and spinal alignment. There are 3 wire gauges used: 16 gauge (narrow diameter) perimeter coils in the reinforced sides and the header/footer zones; 17 gauge (a slightly more narrow diameter) coils through the center one-third section; and 14 gauge (larger diameter) coils on both sides of the center section (the same in the shoulder and hip areas, since our mattress is designed to be rotated regularly). Made from heat-treated and stress-relieved wire, these upcycled steel coils enable our mattress to deliver firm edge support for the life of the mattress and benefit those in critical need of back pain and pressure-point relief.

Hydrated silica has a long history of safe use, even as an ingredient in food products. Its listed by the US Food & Drug Administration to be Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) and has no known toxicity or carcinogenicity. (Toms of Maine even uses it in their toothpaste.) Hydrated Silica acts as an effective and natural fire barrier. View Our Open Flame Test Results

On a scale of 1 - 10 (with 10 being the firmest) our standard Avocado Vegan Mattress ratesas a 7, which is gentle, yet firm. It's ideally suited for back and stomach sleepers, as well as lighter individuals and growing children anyone in need of natural cushioning and medium-firm support.With the pillow-top option, our mattress rates as a 6. (It is not overly soft, "plushy" or "sinkable." A mattress that is too soft can actually cause back pain and restless sleep).Instead, our pillow-top modeloffers just the right amount of added luxury and buoyantcushioning, all of which is buttressed by strategicallyzoned backsupport. Our pillow-top modelmore easilyadapts to your body's natural curves, and as a result, isideally suited for side sleepers, all-around sleepers, heavier individuals, athletes and those in search of pain relief, pressure-point relief andcritical back support. View Leggett Labs Mattress Performance Test Results

Avocado vegan products contain no animal products or animal by-products, such as wool. We do, however, produce products that do contain wool, and shared machinery and facilities are used between our vegan and non-vegan products. However, we have demonstrated verifiable acceptable steps that we take to thoroughly clean and sanitize all surfaces, tools and machinery used between vegan and non-vegan production cycles to minimize cross-contamination. View Our Vegan Certification

We offset our emissions associated with 100% of our product shipping as well as 100% of our factory in Los Angeles by supporting carbon offset reforestation projects globally via Carbonfund.org on an annual basis to help remove an equal amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. Learn More About Carbon Neutral Initiatives

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Your 1-Year risk-free mattress trial begins after you receive your mattress. Our "Success Tips" Help Center article provides valuable insight to help ensure your Avocado experience meets and exceeds expectations. Read 1-Year Sleep Trial Policy Review Sleep Trial Success Tips

A law label is a legally required tag or label on new mattresses that describes the interior filling materials. Few companies will share this information prior to your purchase because it separates fact from marketing hype. We believe differently. Here's what the legal tag on the standard Avocado Vegan Mattress actually says: Made in California with internal materials (based on weight) consisting of Natural Latex (83%) and Certified Organic Cotton (17%), plus a 100% Organic Cotton cover. On our pillow-top mattress, it consists of Natural Latex (83%) and Certified Organic Cotton (17%), plus a 100% Organic Cotton cover. Note: NO wool, NO polyurethane foams, NO memory foams, NO synthetic foams, NO latex blends, NO chemical adhesives between the comfort layers, and NO chemical flame retardants are used! Read Our Mattress Law Labels

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Jessica Chastain

The Help star has been a vegan since 2007 and regularly uses her platform to speak openly about her lifestyle choice.

In an interview with W Magazine in 2017, the actress said she was initially a pescatarian but decided to become a vegan because she was really low on energy.

I found myself going to veganism because a friend of mine had a two-week vegan food delivery program she wasnt going to use so I used it, and immediately I just had more energy than Ive ever had in my life she told the publication. I said okay, Im going to just listen to my body now. Being vegan was not anything I ever wanted to be. I just really was listening to what my body was telling me.

A year later, she told the same publication that she was concerned her veganism would make others annoyed, especially her in-laws.

In the beginning, I would say I'm vegan, she explained. Which is like the worst thing. I don't eat 10 meals and I'm vegan. I would say, 'I'm sorry I can't eat that,' and [my mother-in-law] would say, No problem, we have fish.

Link:

10 Vegan Celebrities On Why They Love The Lifestyle - elle.com

Making the switch to plant-based eating can feel overwhelming. Its intimidating to think about removing entire food groups from your eating plan. But figuring out how to go vegan (while managing to get all the nutrition you need from plants) isnt as difficult as it might sound.

If youre thinking about how to go vegan, you should steal tips from the people who have been there, done that. Vegans learn a lot throughout their journey of plant-based eating, so before you make the change, its helpful to know what they wish they had known before making the switchand how to make the new plan stick.

What I wish I would have known: Something I emphasize with eating plant-based (that many people dont realize!) is it doesnt have to be all-or-nothing. A plant-based diet simply means a diet centered around plants, which can look different for everyone.

How to stick to plant-based eating: I recommend experimenting with new recipes and making plant-based eating fun. While it may seem limiting at first, there are endless possibilities when it comes to making healthy, plant-based recipes. If you arent sold at first, give it a few weeksit takes time for our tastebuds to adjust, especially after eating a lot of processed foods.

What I wish I would have known: I wish I had focused more on all of the good food I could eat on a vegan diet instead of what I couldnt eat. I had always been cautious of certain unhealthy foods, but when I went vegan, a whole new world of wholesome yet delicious and satisfying foods opened up to me. Instead of forcing myself to eat chicken breasts and eggs because I thought they were healthy protein sources, I now happily enjoy eating creamy lentil curries, rich bean stews, and crispy tofu.

How to stick to plant-based eating: Find ways to cook outside the box and maximize the flavor in each dish you make. Im not the kind of vegan who can eat salads and smoothies all day and feel satisfied, so recreating favorite comfort foods and building hearty and flavorful yet wholesome dishes keeps me excited. For instance, risotto is one of my favorite comfort foods, so Ive learned how to make it just as creamy and indulgent without using butter and cheese. Or brownies. Im a fudge brownie gal all the way, so I spend time experimenting with ingredients and quantities to recreate incredible brownies without using eggs.

What I wish I would have known: At the beginning, Id love to have known about all the recipe books out there (there are so many to choose from!) and the amazing vegan communityespecially locally. So many people are vegan, and I didnt even realize it. I also wish someone would have guided me on cooking different meals. It can be tricky at first, but you get used to it.

How to stick to plant-based eating: Start by making your favorite meals vegan. That way its youll instantly have a collection of options you can easily make without overthinking things. Also, work on building a group of vegan friends that support youit makes a massive difference.

What I wish I would have known: I wish I would have known that a vegan diet could look different for everyone. Before going vegan, I believed the stereotype of eating salad all day was the only way to be vegan. Of course, after jumping in myself, I realized there are so many ways to be vegan. It could be vegan pizza and salad one day, and a raw wrap another. Had I known this, I would have probably been interested in making the transition much earlier. People dont realize you can eat just about anythingyou just have to put a vegan twist on it.

How to stick to plant-based eating: The number one reason why I love the way I eatand why Ive stuck with itis because it feels good. Making the switch to a vegan diet was the first time I really felt a noticeable physical difference in the way my body felt and my energy levels. Knowing that Im making ethical choices every time I eat also makes every meal that much better. This compassionate lifestyle has helped me learn to become more compassionate toward myself, and most importantly, its opened my eyes to the way small changes can have an incredible impact on myself, the environment, and the animals.

Heres what a dietitian has to say about some popular alt-meat brands:

This diet lets you go mostly plant-based without *totally* ditching burgers. Then get to know the plant-based nail polish thats coming to a drugstore near you.

More:

What 4 vegans wish they had known before going plant-basedand how they stick with it - Well+Good

Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Plenty of Joaquin Phoenixs Best Actor in a Drama acceptance speech at Sundays Golden Globes was bleeped out due to obscenity, but at least you heard him sing the praises of the evenings all-vegan meal. I would like to thank the Hollywood Foreign Press for recognizing and acknowledging the link between animal agriculture and climate change, he began. Its a very bold move, making tonight plant-based. According to Variety, thats because Joaquin himself made that all-vegan awards show happen. According to them, the actor reportedly prevailed on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to go for a meat- and dairy-less meal, which included chilled golden beet soup, mushroom risotto with faux scallops, a chocolate opera dome and vegan snacks at the bar.

Phoenix continued his praise of the nights nod to veganism in the press room after the function. Ive never been so proud to attend an awards ceremony as I am tonight, he raved to reporters, pointing to staggering statistics indicating our global meat consumption is one of the earths biggest sources of pollution. Its coming to a point now where the evidence is irrefutable and undeniable, the actor explained, Now, consuming animal products is no longer a personal choice. Its having drastic consequences around the world.

And if it seems like Joaquin Phoenix is going on about the Golden Globes cuisine too much, forgive him. Hes been on that Joker press tour for so long, it seems like hes burned out. This is old news, the actor told a reporter who asked him how he approached playing the super villain, a role which, you know, won him a Golden Globe. Ive answered this for six months.

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You Can Go Ahead And Thank Joaquin Phoenix For This Years Vegan Golden Globes - Vulture

With veganism on the rise, there are now more plant-based food options available in supermarkets and restaurants than there ever has been before.

Fast food venues are also catching on to the surge in demand for plant-based offerings. As a result, people following a vegan diet can now choose from a wide array of fast food options.

Read on to discover 33 popular vegan menu items available in fast food outlets around the United States.

The following sections list some plant-based breakfast options available in a range of fast food establishments around the U.S.

For a vegan breakfast on the go, try the Dunkin Donuts' Breakfast Sandwich, featuring the Beyond Sausage on an English muffin.

People interested in the vegan option can ask for the sandwich to come without egg or cheese.

Other vegan items on the breakfast menu include the hash browns and coffee with almond milk.

The Hardee's Beyond Breakfast Sausage biscuit is typically a vegetarian option.

A person can make it vegan, however.

They will need to ask for the patty on toasted sourdough bread or a tortilla.

IHOP have several vegan sides that people can combine to make a meal. For example, they can pair the vegan hash browns with sauted spinach and mushrooms and a salad with avocado (with no dressing or olive oil).

They can follow this up with a serving of fresh fruit.

The sections below list some plant-based burgers available in fast food venues around the U.S.

Burger King use the famous Impossible Foods burger patty to make a plant-based version of their Whopper.

When ordering, ask for the burger without mayo or cheese and specify that the staff should prepare it away from any meat products.

Enjoy the Impossible Whopper with a side of garden salad (with a nondairy dressing), french fries, or hash browns. All of these sides are also vegan.

Carl's Jr. use the Beyond Meat patty in this burger, which also contains lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles.

Ask the staff to prepare the burger without mayo or cheese, and on a separate area of the broiler to the area they use to prepare meat products.

For a less meat-like option, choose any burger and ask the staff to "veg it." This means that they will remove or substitute the meat patty.

Consider adding a side of fried zucchini in place of the patty. Make sure to ask them to cook it on a separate fryer to the one they use to prepare meat products.

Also, don't forget to hold the cheese, mayo, and special sauce. Enjoy the burger with a side salad (without cheese).

The Hardee's meat-free Thickburger contains the Beyond Meat patty with lettuce, tomato, red onion, dill pickles, ketchup, and mustard. To make it a vegan option, order it without the mayo and in a lettuce wrap instead of the bun.

Denny's use Dr. Praeger's veggie burger patty so that people can create a filling, plant-based meal. Build a vegan-friendly burger using the patty, a wheat bun, and a choice of lettuce, tomato, red onion, jalapeos, avocado, and pickles.

Pair it with a side of fries, chips and salsa, hash browns, or seasonal fruit.

Johnny Rockets have recently added the popular Gardein black bean burger to their menu. The patty contains black beans, brown rice, bell peppers, and corn, and Johnny Rockets serve it on a whole-wheat bun with lettuce and tomato.

Add extra flavor with pickles, avocado, jalapeos, or grilled onions.

At TGI Friday's, the Beyond Burger in a challah bun is vegan. Ask the staff to hold the cheese and use a dairy-free sauce instead. The gluten-free bun is not vegan.

Other vegan offerings include the house salad with cilantro-lime dressing and the chips with guacamole and pico de gallo (without cheese and sour cream).

White Castle's Impossible Slider comes with smoked cheddar cheese, but people who follow a vegan diet can order it without the cheese.

Vegan sauces include the smoky BBQ sauce, Nashville-inspired hot sauce, and regular hot sauce.

The following sections list some plant-based Mexican options available in fast food establishments around the U.S.

Chipotle have traditionally been one of the more vegan-friendly fast food eateries, with many menu items being easy to "veganize."

Vegans can use their sofritas, or shredded tofu in a spicy marinade, in place of meat fillings in burritos, tacos, and salads.

Many of the toppings are vegan-friendly, including the:

Del Taco use seasoned Beyond Meat crumbles to create the Beyond Avocado Taco. The other ingredients include avocado, crisp lettuce, and tomatoes in a crunchy taco shell.

It is also possible to customize some of their Beyond vegetarian offerings to make them vegan. Simply ask the staff to make the Beyond 8-Layer Burrito or the Epic Beyond Cali Burrito without the cheese or sour cream.

Del Taco's crinkle-cut fries are also vegan.

People can alter many of Taco Bell's items to be vegan. For example, they can order a bean burrito or other items "Fresco style" to omit the cheese and sour cream.

Use salsa, guacamole, or other salad items to make the burrito more filling.

The sections below list some plant-based pizzas available in fast food venues around the U.S.

The Domino's thin crust and gluten-free bases are both vegan, as is their tomato sauce. Top the base with a variety of veggies, or choose the Pacific Veggie Pizza without cheese for a filling meal.

Little Caesars' regular crust and tomato sauce are both vegan. People can build a plant-based, cheeseless pizza using a variety of their veggie toppings.

At Papa John's, the pizza dough and tomato sauce are both vegan. People can load up the base with veggies and enjoy it with a plant-based dipping sauce such as garlic or BBQ. The plain breadsticks are also free from animal products.

The following sections list some plant-based salad, noodle, and bowl options available in fast food eateries around the U.S.

Containing a blend of broccoli and kale, dried sour cherries, and roasted nuts with a maple vinaigrette dressing, this side salad is small but tasty.

The salad is already vegan, so no alterations are necessary.

Panda Express make these stir-fried wheat noodles using onions, celery, and cabbage.

To add more filling fiber, order a side of "super greens," which is a medley of broccoli, kale, and cabbage.

For a more protein-rich option at Panda Express, choose the eggplant tofu. It contains tofu, eggplant, and red bell peppers in a sweet and spicy sauce.

Both the steamed brown rice and steamed white rice are also vegan-friendly options.

This grain bowl offers a more healthful alternative to traditional fast food options. It contains cilantro-lime brown rice and quinoa, black bean and corn salsa, salsa verde, red grape tomatoes, and avocado.

To make it vegan, order it without the feta crumbles and Greek yogurt.

Similar to their other grain bowl option, Panera's warm Mediterranean bowl features cilantro-lime brown rice and quinoa, arugula, red grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, diced cucumbers, hummus, and a lemon-tahini dressing.

A person can order it without the feta crumbles and Greek yogurt to keep it plant-based.

For a more filling option at Starbucks, try the certified vegan protein bowl. It contains lentils, butternut squash, roasted tomatoes, brown rice, a lemon-tahini dressing, and sunflower seeds.

The sections below list some plant-based sandwiches available in fast food establishments around the U.S.

KFC's Beyond Chicken Sandwich was a sell-out success when the company launched it in 2019. However, it is cooked in the same fryers as the chicken, which some people may not consider vegan.

Other vegan items on the menu include corn on the cob and green beans.

At Quiznos, order a veggie sub on white or wheat bread. Vegan fillings include lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, mushrooms, black olives, and guacamole.

Ask the staff to leave out the cheese and opt for balsamic vinaigrette instead of the red wine vinaigrette.

Starbucks offer a wide range of vegan drinks options containing soy, almond, or coconut milk from their chestnut Praline Latt to their Classic Hot Chocolate.

People who follow a vegan diet can enjoy one of several bagels available here. Choose from the plain, sprouted grain, or cinnamon raisin bagel. Also, opt for a spread of avocado instead of cream cheese.

Subway have recently started serving their Beyond Meatball Marinara Sub. Until now, vegans had relied on Subway for their classic Veggie Delite Sub on Italian bread or wheat bread (without cheese or mayo).

Some locations also stock the veggie patty, which is plant-based. Vegan-friendly sauces available at Subway include mustard, sweet onion sauce, fat-free Italian dressing, and the Subway vinaigrette.

The following sections list some plant-based savory snack options available in fast food venues around the U.S.

Auntie Anne's have several vegan-friendly pretzels on the menu. Try their original pretzel, sweet almond pretzel, or raisin pretzel. For a spicy kick, give the jalapeo pretzel a try.

When ordering, be sure to ask the staff to handle the pretzels with dairy-free tongs to avoid cross-contamination.

For a warm and filling option at Chick-fil-A, consider their Waffle Potato Fries. Cooked in canola oil, they are crispy yet tender.

Alternatively, try the hash browns, which are also vegan.

For a simple snack, the Baked Potato with Chives is one of the only vegan-friendly options at Wendy's. Be sure to hold the butter, cheese, and sour cream.

The garden salad with red Italian dressing and no croutons and apple slices are also vegan.

The following sections list some plant-based sweet bites available in fast food eateries around the U.S.

Baskin Robbins offer a variety of "ice" and sorbet flavors that are suitable for people who follow a vegan diet.

For something a little more indulgent, try their nondairy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough or nondairy Chocolate Extreme.

For a sweet vegan option while at Burger King, consider the French toast sticks. The recipe is free from dairy products and eggs.

However, people who follow very strict vegan diets should note that there may be some cross-contamination in the preparation or cooking of these French toast sticks. Ask staff about minimizing this risk during cooking.

McDonald's is not the most vegan-friendly fast food outlet.

Its fruit and maple oatmeal, however containing diced apples and a cranberry-raisin blend is one of the few options suitable for vegans. To ensure that it is plant-based, ask for it without cream.

People who choose to become vegan do so for a number of reasons, including:

Some research also indicates that those who eat a mostly plant-based diet have a lower body mass index (BMI) than people who mostly eat meat. The study also reports that vegans have lower rates of diabetes and heart disease than people who eat meat and dairy.

A 2019 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association also supports the notion that those who eat predominantly plant-based foods have a lower risk of heart disease.

Reducing meat intake may also lower the risk of stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and some cancers.

That being said, individuals who eat fast food regularly may not experience these health benefits, and this includes vegan fast food.

For optimal health, vegans should focus on eating whole foods and limiting their intake of processed and fast foods.

Vegans should also be careful to ensure that they are getting all the nutrients they need. Common deficiencies among vegans include protein, vitamin D, and vitamin B-12.

Learn more about high protein vegan foods here.

Studies also indicate that veganism could help the planet. A review comparing vegan, vegetarian, and omnivorous diets states that "the vegan diet is the optimal diet for the environment."

Specifically, one 2013 study suggests that adopting a vegan diet could increase the amount of food available for human consumption, which could provide greater global food security and feed people in areas of famine.

The study reports that farmed animals consume 36% of the calories produced by the world's crops. When people slaughter animals for food, only 12% of those calories are available for consumption through the meat and other animal produce.

If people ate more plant-based foods directly, the study suggests that there would be more produce available to feed up to an additional 4 billion people.

People who follow a vegan diet can now enjoy more food choices than ever before. Many restaurants and fast food outlets now offer a range of vegan options or at least menu items that can be made vegan with a few alterations and substitutions.

When ordering food, always confirm with the server that the items are free from meat, fish, dairy, eggs, and honey.

The main advantage of adopting a vegan diet seems to be for environmental and sustainability reasons.

However, there are also several potential health benefits. To enjoy these health benefits, it is important to consume fast food and junk food in moderation.

Read more from the original source:

33 vegan fast food options - Medical News Today

TOKYO -- Vegan cuisine is winning new fans in Japan, and not just the typical tofu burgers. Traditional Japanese dishes are being re-imagined using only plant-based ingredients, and Japanese chefs have won international prizes with visually elaborate vegan dishes. Now the country's major food processors are joining in, developing new vegan products.

In Tokyo's upscale Ginza district, an eatery called nu dish Deli & Cafeserved vegetarian ramen and curry for a limited time in the fall. Ramen flavored with salt and yuzu, a citrus fruit, sold for about 1,000 yen ($9).

"I come here because I've been eating too much meat recently," said a company employee near the restaurant, which was full of people from all walks of life. The management bet that many customers would crave good vegan food at reasonable prices, and the bet paid off.

The recipes were provided by T's Restaurant, a Tokyo-based eatery that opened 10 years ago and serves vegan dishes. "We want to create a restaurant where vegans and nonvegans can enjoy dining together," said Masako Shimokawa, a spokesperson.

T's Restaurant has expanded to four other locations, and sales of a high-end instant ramen it helped develop have risen 50% over the past four years.

There are several reasons why vegan cuisine is catching on in Japan. Restaurants are preparing for an influx of overseas tourists who will come for the Tokyo Olympics next year. About 30% of the population in India and more than 10% each of the population in the U.K. and Taiwan are vegetarian, according to an estimate by Frembassy, a food information website. Of the tourists who came to Japan last year, about 1.5 million, or 4.8%, are believed to be vegetarian.

And the reasons why people are forgoing meat are diverse: Some want to help combat climate change, which livestock contribute to,others do so for health reasons. A multipartygroup of Japanese lawmakers was formed in November to discuss ways to better accommodatevegans ahead of the Olympics.

"Japanese companies don't have the option to do nothing," said Toshiya Takahashi, chairman of the Made in Japan Halal Support Committee, which provides the tourism industry with business advice.

Restaurants of all types are starting to adapt. In Tokyo's Hiroo district, where there are many embassies, the Hawaiian-themed vegan cafe Swell Bowls has put a vegan spin on famous Hawaiian dishes. Its Tofu Benedict features a toasted English muffin served with tofu and vegetables, but no eggs, and the Vegan PokiRice Bowl is prepared without fish.

"Vegan meals are creative and interesting," said Yuko Ino, the cafe's owner.

And it is not only restaurants that are taking advantage of the trend. Oisix ra daichi, a food delivery service, started selling boxes of vegan sushi last summer. Radishes, deep-fried eggplant and mushrooms soaked in seaweed broth replace fish atop vinegared rice.

The company also started delivering vegan meal kits last fall. "We've been receiving more orders than we expected," said a company official. One of the popular recipes is bibimbap -- Korean-style mixedrice, but cooked without meat.

In the international world of high cuisine,Japanese chefs are making their mark. In making new vegetarian dishes, they employ the same techniques that have given traditional Japanese cuisine its reputation for visual aesthetics.

The Vegetarian Chance, an annual vegetarian cooking competition, takes place in Italy. In 2017, Japanese chef Hitoshi Sugiura made the top 8with his dish titled "Bouquet," a dish made of thinly sliced vegetables made to look like colorful petals, served on a plate made to look like a cupped pair of hands.

After working as a chef for parties for dignitaries held overseas by the Japanese government, Sugiura became the executive chef at food services operatorOnodera Group. He has since been developing various menu items, including vegan recipes for company cafeterias, as part of an effort to promote vegan dishes.

In 2018, Yoshiko Hondo took second place in the Vegetarian Chance. She first came across vegan dishes while training in the U.S. After returning to Japan, she developed what she calls "Wa-vegan," a combination of Japanese and vegan cuisines.

"A good point for vegan cuisine is that anyone can dine together, regardless of religion," she said. She added that vegan chefs across the world are taking note of Japanese cooking techniques and ingredients like soy sauce, seaweed broth and miso, a paste of fermented soybeans.

The growing number of overseas tourists is also powering the rise of vegan cuisine. In November, local tourism-relatedcompanies and vegan food makers held a networking event in Yamanashi Prefecture, near Mount Fuji. They were meeting because many tourists who come to see the stately mountain do not stay overnight, in part because there are few dining options for vegans.

Demand for vegan ingredients is rising sharply, according to companies that took part in the event. "Until last year, we were actively passing out samples at trade shows, but this year customers have come to us and asked for them," said onecompany official.

Largecompanies are also taking note. A unitof trading houseMitsubishi Corp. has rolled out vegan ramen soup, and rivalMitsui & Co.has invested in a U. S-based meat substitute venture.

Big Japanese retailers are taking orders for vegan Christmas cakes and sechi-ryori, food traditionally eaten during the New Year holidays.

At the networking event, the vegan suppliers managed to win at least one new convert, a local worker who had sampled some soy meat and vegetarian curry. "This is the first time I've tried it, but you could serve something like this in a restaurant."

See the original post here:

Vegan sushi is the new frontier for plant-based cuisine in Japan - Nikkei Asian Review

Hollywood is officially making a switch! On Sunday, January 5, all of Hollywoods biggest and brightest stars will be dining on a completely vegan menu the first time in the 77 years of the Golden Globe history! Everyone from Jennifer Lopez to Sofia Carson to Jennifer Aniston will be dining world-class dishes prepared with the finest ingredients by the master chefs at the Beverly Hilton in California.

Earlier tonight the full menu was shared via social media by Variety showcasing the full three-course menu that the stars will be dining on. So whats on the lineup for the night? Celebs will be served a delicious Chilled Golden Beet Soup topped with candied striped beets and pistachios as their first course, followed by King Oyster Mushroom Scallops paired with a mushroom risotto. The night will be capped off with a decadent Vegan Opera Dome with chocolate, pralines and hazelnuts. #yum

See the original post:

The Globes go vegan! See what your favorite celebs will be dining during the show - HOLA! USA

When on Friday a court ruled that ethical veganism was akin to a religion and should be protected by law, many vegans celebrated. Yet we should be cautious about doing so.

Jordi Casamitjanas case against his employer was that he was discriminated against on the basis of his veganism he did not want his pension invested in companies linked to animal experiments.

Its been years since I ate, wore, or used animal products, so I guess that makes me an ethical vegan, too though who came up with the definition isnt clear. To me, being a dietary vegan is pretty ethical already.

But resorting to the law to enforce ones rights is hardly the best way to promote support for ones views.

The perception of vegans as shouty turns many people off veganism; nobody likes to think something is being foisted on them, or that theyre being judged. Indeed, many people react badly to it.

The pop singer is a passionate animal rights advocate, telling Vanity Fair in 2019 that her diet also reflects her fashion choices: "Im challenging the system more than ever. Choosing to live as a sustainable vegan activist means wearing more vintage (less waste; loving pieces for longer), playing with the newest eco-materials and technology, and making custom vegan pieces with some of my favorite designers."

Getty

The Clueless star went vegan shortly after wrapping the hit 1990s film and has been a passionate campaigner for animal rights since. Speaking in a video for Compassionate Meals in 2017, she said: "Knowing the truth about where our food comes from is just so disturbing to me. Once you see it, theres no way to go back from that for me."

Getty

The music mogul revealed in a recent interview with The Sun that he decided to give up animal products earlier this year "on a whim", adding that he feels much better as a result.

Getty

"I started for health reasons," Williams told Health in 2019. "I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, and I wanted to maintain my performance on the court. Once I started I fell in love with the concept of fueling your body in the best way possible. Not only does it help me on the court, but I feel like Im doing the right thing for me."

Getty

The American-Israeli actor decided to go vegan eight years ago after learning more about the environmental consequences of eating animal products. Speaking at an Environmental Media Awards benefit, 2017, she said: "Factory farming is responsible for most of the air, water, and land pollution - that disproportionately affects our poor communities as well. So we get to make decisions three times a day, what we do with our planet, and you can make a difference by even once a day or once a week choosing not to eat animals or animal products."

AFP/Getty

While she chooses to refer to herself as plant-based as opposed to vegan, the 'Halo' singer underwent a 22-day vegan challenge with husband Jay-Z in 2013 and is believed to have maintained the diet ever since. Writing in the foreword of The Greenprint: Plant-Based Diet, Best Body, Better World by Marco Borges, the couple say: "We used to think of health as a diet some worked for us, some didnt. Once we looked at health as the truth, instead of a diet, it became a mission for us to share that truth and lifestyle with as many people as possible."

Getty/Coachella

The British boxer extolled the virtues of veganism in an interview with The Daily Telegraph in 2016: "A lot of the meat that people eat has been genetically modified, or if it hasnt then the food the animals been fed has been. Thats tough for a human being to process, so cutting it out made me feel immediately better and stronger than ever."

Getty

The 'Dangerous Woman' singer announced she was going vegan in November 2018. Speaking to The Daily Mirror in a recent interview, she explained: "A lot of the meat that people eat has been genetically modified, or if it hasnt then the food the animals been fed has been. Thats tough for a human being to process, so cutting it out made me feel immediately better and stronger than ever."

AFP/Getty

The British singer has been toying with veganism for a while, having been a vegetarian for seven years. Speaking to The Cut in 2018, she revealed that she will "never eat fish or meat again" and eats a predominantly vegan diet.

Getty

The former heavyweight boxing champion revealed he had become vegan in 2010. "I wish I was born this way," he told Fox News in 2011. "When you find out about the processed stuff you have been eating. I wonder why I was crazy all those years."

Getty

The Zero Dark Thirty star decided to go vegan roughly 13 years ago because of low energy. Speaking to W Magazine in 2017, she clarified: "being vegan was not anything I ever wanted to be. I just really was listening to what my body was telling me."

Getty

Mara has been vegan for eight years, telling Harper's Bazaar in 2018 "its better for your health and the environment.

Getty

Reality star Kim Kardashian West revealed that she has started eating a plant-based diet on Instagram in April 2019. Sharing two photographs of vegan dishes on her Instagram story, the 38-year-old wrote: I am eating all plant-based when I am at home.

Getty

The pop singer is a passionate animal rights advocate, telling Vanity Fair in 2019 that her diet also reflects her fashion choices: "Im challenging the system more than ever. Choosing to live as a sustainable vegan activist means wearing more vintage (less waste; loving pieces for longer), playing with the newest eco-materials and technology, and making custom vegan pieces with some of my favorite designers."

Getty

The Clueless star went vegan shortly after wrapping the hit 1990s film and has been a passionate campaigner for animal rights since. Speaking in a video for Compassionate Meals in 2017, she said: "Knowing the truth about where our food comes from is just so disturbing to me. Once you see it, theres no way to go back from that for me."

Getty

The music mogul revealed in a recent interview with The Sun that he decided to give up animal products earlier this year "on a whim", adding that he feels much better as a result.

Getty

"I started for health reasons," Williams told Health in 2019. "I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, and I wanted to maintain my performance on the court. Once I started I fell in love with the concept of fueling your body in the best way possible. Not only does it help me on the court, but I feel like Im doing the right thing for me."

Getty

The American-Israeli actor decided to go vegan eight years ago after learning more about the environmental consequences of eating animal products. Speaking at an Environmental Media Awards benefit, 2017, she said: "Factory farming is responsible for most of the air, water, and land pollution - that disproportionately affects our poor communities as well. So we get to make decisions three times a day, what we do with our planet, and you can make a difference by even once a day or once a week choosing not to eat animals or animal products."

AFP/Getty

While she chooses to refer to herself as plant-based as opposed to vegan, the 'Halo' singer underwent a 22-day vegan challenge with husband Jay-Z in 2013 and is believed to have maintained the diet ever since. Writing in the foreword of The Greenprint: Plant-Based Diet, Best Body, Better World by Marco Borges, the couple say: "We used to think of health as a diet some worked for us, some didnt. Once we looked at health as the truth, instead of a diet, it became a mission for us to share that truth and lifestyle with as many people as possible."

Getty/Coachella

The British boxer extolled the virtues of veganism in an interview with The Daily Telegraph in 2016: "A lot of the meat that people eat has been genetically modified, or if it hasnt then the food the animals been fed has been. Thats tough for a human being to process, so cutting it out made me feel immediately better and stronger than ever."

Getty

The 'Dangerous Woman' singer announced she was going vegan in November 2018. Speaking to The Daily Mirror in a recent interview, she explained: "A lot of the meat that people eat has been genetically modified, or if it hasnt then the food the animals been fed has been. Thats tough for a human being to process, so cutting it out made me feel immediately better and stronger than ever."

AFP/Getty

The British singer has been toying with veganism for a while, having been a vegetarian for seven years. Speaking to The Cut in 2018, she revealed that she will "never eat fish or meat again" and eats a predominantly vegan diet.

Getty

The former heavyweight boxing champion revealed he had become vegan in 2010. "I wish I was born this way," he told Fox News in 2011. "When you find out about the processed stuff you have been eating. I wonder why I was crazy all those years."

Getty

The Zero Dark Thirty star decided to go vegan roughly 13 years ago because of low energy. Speaking to W Magazine in 2017, she clarified: "being vegan was not anything I ever wanted to be. I just really was listening to what my body was telling me."

Getty

Mara has been vegan for eight years, telling Harper's Bazaar in 2018 "its better for your health and the environment.

Getty

Reality star Kim Kardashian West revealed that she has started eating a plant-based diet on Instagram in April 2019. Sharing two photographs of vegan dishes on her Instagram story, the 38-year-old wrote: I am eating all plant-based when I am at home.

Getty

You dont get people to empathise with you or like you by force, and you dont get people to tolerate your views or win them over by insisting on your rights. Who ever started liking someone because they had a gun held to their head?

Indeed, insisting punctiliously on your rights is a surefire way of getting people to dislike you. Whether in the workplace or on an international level, it causes friction. You may get your way superficially, but it sets up the type of opposition that leads to psychological, cultural and geopolitical tensions.

Even the -ism after the word vegan is a suffix some of us baulk at using suggesting, as is it does, a certain religiosity.

Mr Casamitjanas case also risks encouraging the creep of a wearisome culture of insisting on rights. Sure, human rights and religious faiths must be respected; but the idea has started to filter down through society to petty levels, such as restaurant customers demanding discounts because the menu doesnt exactly match that displayed on the website, or pool-goers complaining because of a closure on one day of the school holidays. First-world problems where a sense of perspective is required.

Using the law to enforce vegans rights is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut a kind of needless passive aggression.

Far better for vegans to demonstrate that we are just like everyone else; that we dont get up at 5am to knit our own hemp, pray to Buddha, perfect our yoga or devise other new ways to single ourselves out.

More effective is to get on with being vegan, showing by quiet long-term example that we are normal, too.

A lot of people who avoid consuming meat, dairy and eggs instinctively know this, which is why the tribunal result received a mixed reaction.

Showing that you dont have to undergo any kind of spiritual conversion, be indoctrinated into anything, sign any documents, have any special qualities or turn your lifestyle upside down to stop being cruel to animals is more likely to be a far more constructive and effective influence in the long run than insisting on our rights.

This tribunal victory has done little to encourage people to give up meat and animal-derived and -tested products. Its a pity the case was ever brought.

View original post here:

Vegans have won this court case but they're losing hearts and minds - The Independent

It feels like we were ringing in the new year just a few months ago but 2019 is already over. And what a year its been.

From global climate strikes to major wins for animal rights, weve taken major strides toward creating a better world. Lets close out the decade with the biggest wins for veganism. Here are the top 14 vegan news stories you loved from 2019.

2019 kicked off with a bang, thanks to Beyonce and Jay-Z offering fans free concert tickets for life for going vegan. The giveaway was a partnership with the Marco Borges-led 22-Days Nutrition Greenprint program. Fans who pledge to eat vegan could enter to win a lifetimes worth of Jay and Bey concert tickets.

The pair have worked with Borges for several years, first on his 22 Days system to help people shift their mindset, improve health, lose weight, and impact the planet for the better through a vegan diet. They backed the 22 Days vegan meal delivery program and subsequent product launches.

They got to a point where they realized that the overwhelming information about the benefits of a plant-based diet were too hard to ignore, said Borges. He added, so they decided they wanted to challenge themselves and others to move towards a plant-based diet.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) petitioned the FDA to place breast cancer warning labels on cheese.

According to PCRM, the organization combines the clout and expertise of more than 12,000 physicians with the dedicated actions of more than 175,00 members.

At the start of breast cancer awareness month, the organization pushed for cheese products to have warning labels similar to those on cigarette packs. It sent a petition on the subject to the FDA, signed by its president Neal Barnard, MD.

PCRM gives an example of a warning in the petition. It suggests, dairy cheese contains reproductive hormones that may increase breast cancer mortality risk. Breast cancer is among the most common causes of death in women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Instead of cheese manufacturers like Kraft slapping a pink ribbon on products like Philadelphia Cream Cheese and Macaroni & Cheese, as they have done during previous Breast Cancer Awareness Months, they should be adding warning labels, said Barnard in a statement. We want women to be aware that dairy cheese could put them at risk of dying from breast cancer.

Animal rights organization Last Chance for Animals released a two-minute-long film set in fictional fancy restaurant Casa De Carne. Eric innocently goes out to eat with friends, he orders the ribs, and all is well until the twist is revealed. He is shut in a room with a pig and handed a knife. If he wants to eat the pig, he has to kill it.

Unsurprisingly, he cant bring himself to do it, instead opting to pet the animal. But the chefs at Casa De Carne dont mess about and Eric is forced to watch while a butcher slits the throat of his dinner for him. The uncomfortable reality is that meat ends up in restaurants and grocery stores only because somebody was hired to do what every fiber in Erics body was telling him not to do.

LCAs thought-provoking film was awarded the first place Tarshis Short Film Award at the Animal Film Festival.

In the wake of the devastating Amazon rainforest fires, Academy Award-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio continued to be a powerful advocate for the environment.

Earth Alliance, a nonprofit organization launched by DiCaprio in July, started the emergency Amazon Forest Fund, which supports local partners and Indigenous communities in their efforts to protect and restore the forest.

When news of the Amazon fires hit major news outlets, DiCaprio shared a post from the Rainforest Alliance calling for people to stop eating beef.

Be a conscious consumer, taking care to support companies committed to responsible supply chains, the post said. Eliminate or reduce consumption of beef; cattle ranching is one of the primary drivers of Amazon deforestation.

DiCaprio also teamed up with actor Will Smith to launch a limited-edition shoe for charity. All proceeds went to DiCaprios Amazon Forest Fund. The shoes were a collaboration between Just, a boxed water brand that Smith co-founded with his son Jaden, and environmentally-friendly footwear brand Allbirds, of which DiCaprio is an investor.

There is only one Mother Earth and its on us to protect her, Smith said in a statement about the collaboration. The Brazillian Amazon, our largest carbon sink, has now been burning for a month.

Sixteen-year-old activist Greta Thunberg had a busy year. The 16-year-old traveled to the United States on a zero-emissions yacht over the summer for a series of high-profile speaking events. Not only that, she was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, had her speeches published in a book (No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference), was the subject of several art installations, and she became the youngest person ever to be named TIMEs Person of the Year. Thunberg, who is also vegan, has shown no signs of being intimidated when chastising world leaders for the lack of real action against climate change.

Thunberg sparked the Fridays for Future movement by cutting school to protest climate change. In September, she led the largest-ever climate strike, with protests happening in major cities across the globe. UK-based sustainable beauty brand Lush shut down all operations in solidarity with Thunberg. All 250 Lush stores in the U.S. and Canada closed down, including headquarters, manufacturing facilities, and e-commerce operations.

As a business with deep roots in environmental activism, giving our thousands of staff the time to get out there and demand bold action is a no brainer, Mark Wolverton, president and CEO of Lush North America, said in a statement. We all share this planet, so we need to band together to sound the alarm and show our politicians that business as usual is no longer an option. The climate crisis wont wait, and neither will we.

In addition to performing a concert at the climate strike in New York City, Jaden Smith lent a helping hand to those who cant afford healthy food. The entrepreneur launched I Love You Restaurant, a free vegan food truck, in Skid Row, one of the poorest neighborhoods in Los Angeles. He even brought the food truck to New York City while he was in town for the climate strike. Along with rapper A$AP Rocky, Smiths food truck handed out more than 500 vegan meals in Harlems Drew Hamilton Houses.

Beyond Meat made history as the first vegan meat company to IPO in May. The California-based brand made an impact on its first day: initially priced at $25 per share, Beyond Meat closed out the day at $65 a 240 percent jump in value. The brand plans to use funds raised by the IPO to invest in existing facilities, expansions, and on R&D.

Filmmaker James Camerons documentary The Game Changers made its worldwide premiere in September. The film follows retired English mixed martial artist James Wilks as he explores the myth that athletes need meat in order to be strong. He meets with experts and athletes alike, including six-time Formula 1 racing champion Lewis Hamilton and former award-winning bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger. Both also served as producers. The Game Changers became available to stream in October, quickly topping iTunes top documentary download spot.

Meat producers are getting on board with vegan protein. This years most high-profile example is Smithfield Foods, the worlds largest pork producer that has faced a lawsuit for polluting nearby towns. Smithfield announced its vegan range, Pure Farmland, earlier this year.

A recent report shows that eight of the top ten meat producers in the U.S. have launched or are investing in vegan ranges, including Hormel, JBS, Cargill, Tyson (the former Beyond Meat investor launched plant protein blended with real meat), Sysco, Perdue Farms, and ConAgra. The ABP Group, one of Europes top meat processors, announced its own range last March. Nestl, the worlds largest food and drink company, is pivoting its focus to non-meat brands. This year, it launched new vegan burgers in Europe under the Garden Gourmet brand. In the U.S., it launched similar products under the Sweet Earth label.

It was an amazing year for vegan fast food.

Burger King launched the Impossible Whopper nationwide. The launch followed a successful trial run in St. Louis. While Burger King initially intended to add the meat-free Whopper to all menus at the end of the year, it was such a hit that the company launched it months ahead of time.

According to Burger King, the Impossible Whopper saw a 28 percent increase in sales following the launch.

Restaurants arent just serving vegan meat for lunch. Dunkin introduced a meatless breakfast sandwich featuring a breakfast sausage made by Beyond Meat. The coffee and donut chain trialed the plant-based breakfast sausage, which comes served on an English muffin with egg and cheese, in all locations across Manhattan over the summer. Like Burger King, Dunkin moved up the nationwide launch because of strong sales.

It was the second best-selling sandwich in Manhattan. Sales were more than double the original forecast. The new option may only be the beginning. I think this is going to be a partnership for years to come, Dunkin CEO David Hoffman said in an interview with CNBC. Dunkin and Beyond Meat got a little help from Snoop Dogg on the launch date. It wasnt the first time the rapper worked with Beyond Meat. Last May, he drove a food truck around El Segundo, California where Beyond Meat is headquartered to promote the brands IPO.

Other big launches include Beyond Meat at Carls Jr., Hardees, and Del Taco and the Impossible Burger at Red Robin. KFC conducted vegan chicken trials in both the U.S. and Canada.

This year, vegan actor Joaquin Phoenix starred as the titular character in director Todd Phillips Joker. Phoenix was more than happy to use his platform to promote a vegan message in the months leading up to the films release. In a video for Brut, the actor recalled what made him vegan.

Me and my siblings witnessed fish being killed in a really violent and aggressive way. It was just absolutely obvious that it was something that we didnt want to participate in and we didnt want to support. To me, it just seems obvious. I dont want to cause pain to another living empathetic creature, he said.

Phoenix criticized the factory farming industry as well, explaining how the dairy industry impregnates mother cows, only to take their babies away so humans can use their milk. Referring to chickens fattened up for slaughter at alarmingly fast rates, Phoenix said: I dont want to force it to be indoors and fattened up just to be slaughtered. It is absurd and barbaric.

The actor also led a public protest against animal cruelty in Toronto. At the Joker premiere, Phoenix wore a hoodie representing the Animal Liberation Front, a faceless direct action group funded through donations and the sale of merchandise such as Phoenixs sweatshirt.

Fur is falling out of style, fast. On October 12, California became the first state to ban the sale of fur.

Assemblywoman Laura Friedman presented AB 44 last December. The bill also prohibits the sale, manufacturing, distribution, trade, or donation of new fur products in any way.

Those who breach the ruling could face civil penalties. Several California cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and West Hollywood had already banned fur prior to the bills passage. It goes into effect in 2023 and similar legislation is pending in New York.

Major retailers are also turning away from fur.

Two weeks after Californias landmark ban, Macys, Inc. announced that it will stop selling fur by the end of 2020. With more than 680 stores and more than 190 outlets in the U.S., its the biggest American retail chain to announce a fur ban.

The company, which also owns luxury department store Bloomingdales, said it will shut down its Fur Vaults and salons that offer fur storage and repairs.

The decision followed years of protests from animal rights groups including PETA and the Humane Society of the United States. Macys announced that the ban was in a partnership with HSUS.

Even the Queen went fur-free. Queen Elizabeths personal advisor and senior dresser Angela Kelly, who has worked for the Royal Household for 25 years, revealed the wardrobe update in her new memoir, The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe.

According to the book, the Queen will wear faux fur for all future engagements. Kelly noted that the Queens use of fur has come under fire from activists.

Fur fashion has long been a status symbol of the Royal Family. The Queen wore a purple velvet robe trimmed with ermine to her coronation ceremony in 1953. She has had a floor-length coat on rotation for more than 60 years. But, the Queens wardrobe is changing with the times.

Canada banned dolphin, whale, and porpoise captivity in venues including aquariums and theme parks. Bill S-203, the Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act, received Royal Assent on August 21. A coalition of more than 20 marine scientists and organizations including Humane Society International, World Animal Protection, the Whale Sanctuary Project, and Ontario Captive Animal Watch endorsed the bill.

Whales and dolphins dont belong in tanks, and the inherent suffering these highly social and intelligent animals endure in intensive confinement can no longer be tolerated. We congratulate the sponsors of this bill and the Canadian government for showing strong leadership in responding to public will and sound science on this critical issue, Rebecca Aldworth, Executive Director of Humane Society International Canada, said in a statement.

Exceptions for research will be provided under permit.

Summary

Article Name

Your Most-Loved Vegan Stories of 2019

Description

From California banning the sale of new fur products to Canada prohibiting dolphin and whale captivity, here are the top vegan news stories of 2019.

Author

Kat Smith

Publisher Name

LIVEKINDLY

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Your Most-Loved Vegan Stories of 2019 - LIVEKINDLY