Just out of interest, what's the reasoning behind a strict separation of the two? I understand it in the case of gluten free products because that can really have health implications, but when you are vegan for ethical reasons it shouldn't make a difference, right?
But I'd say this is great news either way. I like meat, but when there's a way to get the same taste and texture without the bad consequences for animals and environment I'm all for it, and I'm sure many others are the same.
Disagree that it’s ridiculous, as the goal of a vegan is to not consume animal products. And by consuming, increase the production by pressing the “demand side” button.
For health reasons, like gluten, a perfect separation makes sense. But as long as people know this is what’s up, I think it’s okay. (And, specifically, they are not ridiculous for reusing it he same steel)
I'm surprised by the recent popularity of seitan. Obviously you don't have to avoid gluten to be vegan, but I've always had the impression gluten avoidance is adjacent to veganism. At least for vegans who cite personal health as their primary motivator.
I am personally very defensive about eating animal products, which is funny since I used to be vegan. With current developments it seems like the endgame will be that only extremely rich people will be able to afford meat and other animal products.
I find it dishonest to compare animal product eating to very unhealthy things such as smoking and alcohol, with standard SJW angles of 'toxic masculinity' thrown in and what not. The myth of 'low fat = healthy, fat=bad', pushed for decades starting with Ancel Keys, is slowly disintegrating, and suddenly there's another convenient bogeyman to keep animal products stuck with negative image - climate change.
My life has become so much better since I've turned from vegan to a keto diet based on animal products. I don't eat more meat than a regular person, but most of my calories are animal and milk fats - butter, heavy cream etc. This made all my health issues, some of them pretty severe and incurable autoimmune issues, pretty much disappear.
That's why I would hate to see animal products banned/highly taxed as result of vegan zealots' lobbying, hidden behind the guise of 'helping the planet'.
I have been uncomfortable with eating animal products, for both ethical and environmental reasons, for years now.
There wasn't one event that prompted the change, it was a very gradual process.
I'm not 100% vegan or vegetarian because I sometimes eat canned sardines and eggs but I'd say 95% of my meals are vegan. IMO it's not so helpful to think in terms of strict categories when discussing diet.
Veganism is an ethical position, not a diet. It to reduce the harm to animals we cause as much as feasible and possible. A veggie burger cooked need to a beef one doesn't harm any animal nor does it add demand for animal products. Ethically there's nothing really wrong with it.
Same with the last, I'm vegan because I can live fine while lowering the harm I do to animals, but meat and dairy products do taste good.
This does raise the question, what is the motivation for these vegans? Is it eliminating animal suffering, reducing global warming as farming is a major polluter, or are they actually just disgusted by animal products in general? As the article hints at, this claim only really makes sense if a sizeable section of the US is completely opposed to animal by-products independent of any ethical, moral or scientific component, just by innate disgust of eating anything that came from an animal. And I do believe the last category to be very fringe and small, and this would also mean being opposed to a large number of medical treatments. Personally, I don't think their claim holds any weight, unintentional cross contamination with beef isn't something the average vegan would find justifiably outrageous in a restaurant that also serves beef, and as far as allergies go anyone that has allergies should be asking around for cross contamination in a restaurant that specializes in what they are allergic from.
Except going vegan often involves massive increases in ultraprocessed foods. Realistically, vegan food prep takes a long time, so meat substitutes end up in the diet for convenience if nothing else - and meat substitutes are pure processed food.
I mean we have one group handwriting about gluten and meanwhile one of the tastiest vegan foods is pure gluten.
Not eating meat is easy to understand. What throws a lot of people off is vegans, unlike vegeterians, not eating eggs and cheese. That's really a doozy. It just doesn't make sense (and not that it implies that vegans care and non-vegans don't).
This used to be a concern for me earlier on in my vegan years but I soon realized that veganism isn't about eating a "pure" diet, it's about the animals. The best thing for the animals is for these products to sell and I shouldn't let a little cross contamination deter me from that.
I'm vegan too. My reason for being vegan is entirely on the basis of sustainability. If lab meat is produced in a sustainable fashion then I'll be all for eating it.
Why single out and question veganism specifically?
Wouldn't vegetarians, religious folks, and alpha-gal syndrome sufferers also want a zero animal-product burger? The market is pretty diverse for this demand.
Vegan is not a food safety label, it's an ethical label. And "vegan" or "0% beef" with drops of animal molecules on the stove become the classical how many angels can dance on the tip of a needle problem.
Gluten-sensitive folks (Celiacs especially) don't trust anything that isn't shrinkwrapped in a sturdy package. It doesn't matter what the menu says, because life gets veeery messy compared to picking stuff up from supermarket shelves.
Plus, 0% is not 0.0000000%, it's one significant digit. Sure, on the other hand it should have been "0 + epsilon % beef", but ... there's probably some beef in the air too in burger fast food joints / restaurants.
But I'd say this is great news either way. I like meat, but when there's a way to get the same taste and texture without the bad consequences for animals and environment I'm all for it, and I'm sure many others are the same.
reply