For the chocolate loving vegetarians of WAB

[honeybee]

Masterfoods (makers of twix, milky way, mars, malteasers etc) have decided to make their choc unsuitable for veggies

The Vegetarian Society - News 2007 - mars

[goosey]

What an absolute sickner, I can't believe how backward thinking that is. I will stop buying these brands as one of my kids is vegetarian and the other is going the same way so there is no point in having these chocolates in the house. If there is a mass reduction in profits due to this, their shareholders will be up in arms and they may rethink. Pure stupidity in this day and age.

[honeybee]

Just seems like a step backwards. I have emailed them to say I will be boycotting their products, I may lose weight at the same time

[agrumpycow]

I think the best/funniest/saddest quote about this subject is by Masterfood's corporate affairs manager: "Since changing the sourcing of our ingredients we are no longer able to ensure our chocolate will be animal rennet-free. So we made the principled decision to admit it was not guaranteed to be vegetarian. (Oh, how very kind of you!) If the customer is an extremely strict vegetarian then we are sorry the products are no longer suitable, but a less strict vegetarian should be fine to enjoy our chocolate."
(Oh, that's Ok then)

[eeyore]

I would have though that us principled environmental people would be boycotting masterfoods anyway based on their poor environmental record - huge shipping distances , uneccesary packaging , and paltry payments to third world growers.

if you must buy chocolate , the fair trade brands are at least a more ethical choice and these are suitable for vegetarians too

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by eeyore

I would have though that us principled environmental people would be boycotting masterfoods anyway based on their poor environmental record - huge shipping distances , uneccesary packaging , and paltry payments to third world growers.

if you must buy chocolate , the fair trade brands are at least a more ethical choice and these are suitable for vegetarians too

I agree with you Pete, It's just a(nother) very good reason not to eat the rubbish! Mmm, malteasers *were* nice though...

[goosey]

Panic over!
Mars have done a u-turn and will be keeping to the old recipe. The vegetarian Society had called for the stop to changes with the backing of Britains 3 million vegetarians. I Heard this on the BC this morning.

[nightshade]

U-turn by Masterfoods,I should think so,Cadbury is not so daft but
The Fairtrade Chocolate is really very very good
(as are Belgian Chocs from Harrods ) oh! and Thorntons

[richardkm]

Did anyone listen to "The News Quiz" on Friday? One comment was that veggies should have realised that there were animal products in Mars bars because after eating one, they had some colour in their cheeks and were able to walk to the corner shop without feeling exhausted!!!!

As you can probably gather, I am a meat eater. Nothing better than a good steak.

[nightshade]

Whats a godd steak? I do agree with the sentiment,all those veggies making
Methane tut tut

[richardkm]

Originally Posted by nightshade

Whats a godd steak?:

Blimey, you were quick, I corrected that one as soon as my post had appeared. A godd steak is one that you say, as you slice into it and the red juices pour out - "Godd, this is a nice steak!" Further conversation is then not possible as one worships at the table of meat.

[Gaina]

If you haven't tasted Green and Black's chocolate, you haven't lived .

[Paul mabbott]

I think these comments are offensive to vegetarians and rather enforce the belief that George Bush's intelligence is due to steak-eating ... I'm not a vegetarian but most of the vegetarians I know are perfectly fit, energetic, intelligent and active whereas the compulsive 'steak and chips' eaters that I know tend to be lethargic, overweight, and ... rather stupid.
But that's not from a scientific study ....

Originally Posted by richardkm

... One comment was that veggies should have realised that there were animal products in Mars bars because after eating one, they had some colour in their cheeks and were able to walk to the corner shop without feeling exhausted!!!!

As you can probably gather, I am a meat eater. Nothing better than a good steak.

[nightshade]

Originally Posted by Gaina

If you haven't tasted Green and Black's chocolate, you haven't lived .

Ah! but have you tried the G&B icecream mmmmmm

[Gaina]

Originally Posted by nightshade

Ah! but have you tried the G&B icecream mmmmmm

Not yet, I have just found a reliable source of the chocolate in my area, never mind the ice-cream . I am sure I spotted some Vanilla the other day, though so I shall force myself to carry out some research when we have a space in the freezer (Mam bought some of those lovely extra dark chocolate Magnums the other day ).

I keep entering the competitions on the G&B website for the chocolate hampers. Sad, huh?

[richardkm]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

I think these comments are offensive to vegetarians and rather enforce the belief that George Bush's intelligence is due to steak-eating ... I'm not a vegetarian but most of the vegetarians I know are perfectly fit, energetic, intelligent and active whereas the compulsive 'steak and chips' eaters that I know tend to be lethargic, overweight, and ... rather stupid.
But that's not from a scientific study ....

Oh come on, where's your sense of humour. The world's a bad enough place as it is. If you can't have a good laugh, then you just make it a worse place.

By the way, they've climbed down over the animal products thing, so vegetarians rejoice.

Oh, and for your information, I'm 185cm tall, 77 kg in weight and very energetic - I put it down to all that steak!

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

I think these comments are offensive to vegetarians and rather enforce the belief that George Bush's intelligence is due to steak-eating ... I'm not a vegetarian but most of the vegetarians I know are perfectly fit, energetic, intelligent and active whereas the compulsive 'steak and chips' eaters that I know tend to be lethargic, overweight, and ... rather stupid.
But that's not from a scientific study ....

Thank you Paul. I was quite offended by that although I don't take it personally and believe everyone has freedom of speech.

Not going to start a debate but as to the methane comments Mr Nightshade...you should know better. Think the millions of farm animals produce more than the millions of veggies.

And Mr Richardkm, I've never eaten meat and am pretty fit and healthy, certainly not pale and anaemic.
I do have a sense of humour but not when it comes to harmless, gentle, terrified animals being 'mass-produced', artificially inseminated, treated like dirt, transported live to have their throats cut/ to be electrocuted have a bolt through their heads in some horrendous blood splattered slaughter house to feed fat greedy bellies. Trash the environment in the process.
Sorry if that offends but that's the way it is in most cases. I won't bring it up again unless somebody asks. Nobody's perfect, i don't want an argument but you started

Glad Masterfoods have seen sense.

[martin s]

Great free publicity for the Vegetarian Society.

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by honeybee

I do have a sense of humour but not when it comes to harmless, gentle, terrified animals being 'mass-produced', artificially inseminated, treated like dirt, transported live to have their throats cut/ to be electrocuted have a bolt through their heads in some horrendous blood splattered slaughter house to feed fat greedy bellies. Trash the environment in the process.
Sorry if that offends but that's the way it is in most cases.

I agree with you megan but I would point out that you dont have to be a vegetarian to be opposed to animal cruelty , factory farming, and the other inhumane practices that the agricultural industry perpetrates

i do eat meat - but I buy direct from an organic farm where the animals are well treated and when the time comes for them to die they are led away from the others to a feeding area where they are fed a last meal before being shot in the head with a frangible round from a scoped deer rifle at a distance - in this way they never realise they are going to be killed and so are not afraid

The whole process from rearing to killing is open to public scrutiny at any stage so we know that he practices what he preaches and it is not just a marketing story. As you might imagine this meat comes at a premium price but I believe it is worth it from an ethical point of view.

One other point is that if no one eat meat or animal products there would be no farm animals as no farmer can afford to keep a zoo

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by eeyore

I agree with you megan but I would point out that you dont have to be a vegetarian to be opposed to animal cruelty , factory farming, and the other inhumane practices that the agricultural industry perpetrates

i do eat meat - but I buy direct from an organic farm where the animals are well treated and when the time comes for them to die they are led away from the others to a feeding area where they are fed a last meal before being shot in the head with a frangible round from a scoped deer rifle at a distance - in this way they never realise they are going to be killed and so are not afraid

The whole process from rearing to killing is open to public scrutiny at any stage so we know that he practices what he preaches and it is not just a marketing story. As you might imagine this meat comes at a premium price but I believe it is worth it from an ethical point of view.

One other point is that if no one eat meat or animal products there would be no farm animals as no farmer can afford to keep a zoo

I'm not having a go at anyone who knows where their food comes from and it comes from a good source but unfortunately most people aren't like you Pete and don't care.
I'm not vegan anymore (and the dairy industry can be cruel) but I buy organic/free range. I try to make an effort.
Rennet is a trace enzyme used to split curds and whey and Masterfoods were going to use this in the choc (the whey, a miniscule trace of rennet would be in the choc).
The rennet is obtained from the stomachs of new born calfs
Sorry if I sounded a bit harsh but as a veggie all my life I've had to put up with teasing and jibes and being branded some sort of weirdo. I thought I'd left that behind in the classroom.
It's something I feel strongly about.

[nightshade]

Not going to start a debate but as to the methane comments Mr Nightshade...you should know better. Think the millions of farm animals produce more than the millions of veggies.

Sorry Honeybee I just could not resist