Hi Mark,
I think this is a fantastic idea. I've been vegetarian for almost two years and have recently, within the last few weeks, become vegan. One of the first things I ventured out to find was soy cheese, as being vegetarian, I ate vegetarian cheese. Now I had to find vegan cheese. I was under the impression that soy cheese was vegan. I bought two blocks, got home and realised that it contained milk....
I know and really respect that Aldi supermarkets have a label similar to the one you're talking about. All products they stock that are vegetarian or vegan clearly state that they are one or both.
If Aldi can do it, I don't see why it can't be nationwide in all shops big and small. I think it would have to be started with the major manufacturers, the big brands. Then I'm sure the smaller brands would only follow suit.
I think the logo should apply not only to products that are clearly vegan or vegetarian, but also to products that aren't so easily known as being vegan, like curry sauces potato chips, which I've recently discovered, even the sea salt flavours of some brands contain milk.
I think it would be very useful and helpful, not only for vegans and vegetarians, but also for non vegans and vegetarians, people who often say "what do you even eat?", will now have a clear idea of what we can and can't. It's important for them to know that they too can choose a vegetarian option over a non vegetarian product, know it, and feel good about it.
Not only is it important for food products, but for products such as hair care, oral care etc. I think they could even go one further and display "not tested on animals" or "against animal testing" which very few products do display, but I think is an awesome idea.
Thanks,
Tai.
Hi Tai,
Thanks for your valued feedback and congratulations for making the big leap.
In response to the soy cheese thing, you are right. There have been a few people blog on Unleashed about how they have been caught this way. I believe Woolworth's have a home brand 'soy' cheese, which is not really soy, which a lot of people have complained about. One would have thought that it kind of defeats the purpose having soy cheese which contains dairy products, but I am sure that these companies do this deliberately, probably thinking they have cornered a niche market. Hopefully a Vegan Safe logo would help with this.
If you are after good vegan cheese though, I personally recommend Cheezely. Doesn't really taste overly like cheese, and does take a bit of getting use to, but once you do get use to it, kind of becomes addictive. You can find this brand and other vegan cheeses at some supermarkets as well as online mailorders like Cruelty Free.
Its funny that you mentioned potato crisps, because that is one product that I kept thinking of when I first came up with the idea of the logo, and there are many products that people don't think of, that might have animal or dairy products, only to find out later that they do in fact include them.
I think veganism will grow in the next few years, and I see future generations become more 'aware' of what they eat, as well as change over to vegan diets, either because of welfare concerns or environmental concerns. A logo like this will help create awareness and you are correct about it creating more awareness in people, to the fact that there is quite a lot more that we vegans can eat, than they might think. Seeing that logo on more mainstream foods will also highlight this.
I am two minds about pushing the Vegan Safe logo on non-food items, at least on this stage, as Choose Cruelty Free already have a logo which they use for things like shampoo etc. and don't really want to step on their toes too much. Admittedly, I would like to see their logo on more things, but if that is not the case, then I will definitely give that consideration. The Vegan Safe logo is a first step, but there is also the possibility of other logos down the track, such as 'not tested on animals', if the Vegan Safe logo is successful enough. I am also playing with the idea of a industry recognised Free Range logo. I don't support chicken farming, but would rather those people who do eat eggs be able to make their purchase from those more 'ethical' farmers i.e. that do have genuine free range chickens.
Thanks once again for taking the time to respond.
