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Thread: What are the laws and regulations that one must obey to call their food vegan?

  1. #1
    gamzehltovah
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    Cool What are the laws and regulations that one must obey to call their food vegan?

    Hello everybody!
    I was wondering if there were any laws or regulations in existence to call your food vegan? Does someone have to inspect the factory? Can a factory that cooks vegan food contain any animal products in it? Can the same vats, ovens, knives, etc. that are used to prepare the vegan food be used on animal products? If not, can we be sure that the factory never used animal products? And what about the food materials that are received from outside companies to make the food? Can we rest assured that those too are vegan and free from any possible animal product remains?

    A Thai Kitchen Green Onion instant rice noodle soup packet reads "vegan" on the back, yet another one of their soups contains shrimp. Could the shrimp have possibly made it into the green onion soup?

    Thank you so much for reading! An answer would really help me out!

  2. #2
    Ex-admin Korn's Avatar
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    Default Re: What are the laws and regulations that one must obey to call their food "veg

    Hi!

    Quote gamzehltovah View Post
    Does someone have to inspect the factory?
    No.
    Can a factory that cooks vegan food contain any animal products in it?
    Sure.

    Can the same vats, ovens, knives, etc. that are used to prepare the vegan food be used on animal products?
    Yes.

    If not, can we be sure that the factory never used animal products?
    We certainly can't be sure that they never used any animal products.


    A Thai Kitchen Green Onion instant rice noodle soup packet reads "vegan" on the back, yet another one of their soups contains shrimp. Could the shrimp have possibly made it into the green onion soup?
    If there's a risk that a food product may contain traces of something which isn't listed as an ingredient, that 'something' should be mentioned along with the ingredient list.

    I certainly buy products listed as a vegan from food comanies - and stores - who make/sell non-vegan food as well, and think all vegans do.

    If there's a reason to believe that their products contain something which isn't mentioned in the packaging, contact them...


    Please check this thread:
    "May contain traces of..." and "Manufactured in a facility that also..."


    PS - most vegan food products aren't listed as vegan.


    An answer would really help me out!
    Good... but you're not a vegan, so.... how/why?

  3. #3

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    Default Re: What are the laws and regulations that one must obey to call their food "veg

    laws and regulations to be vegan: not containing any animal products


  4. #4

    Default Re: What are the laws and regulations that one must obey to call their food "veg

    Vegans do the best they can to avoid animal derived products within reason. For all I know the fresh produce I buy from a Whole Foods Coop may have been grown in manure (with work and school to juggle I dont have time to drive to every farm in the area and research it). I started growing my own herbs last year and this year will grow my own vegetable garden, but guess what? The city I live in likes to fly planes overhead and spray chemicals to keep our mosquito population in check (as if). There is always going to be something but I do the best I can under the circumstances. Someday with continued activism those circumstances will change.

    If I were to nit pick at every tiny detail I would likely starve to death and not bother riding my bike, driving, or touching cement. But I dont have to support massive large scale suffering and environmental destruction either and I can make choices based on what I DO have control over.

  5. #5
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: What are the laws and regulations that one must obey to call their food "veg

    As far as I know there is no country with a legal definition of what constitutes vegan food. The last UK government started developing some guidelines (with input from the Vegan Society) which you can still see here http://www.food.gov.uk/scotland/regs...iguidancenotes

    The Vegan Society has a trademarking scheme for vegan foods but I'm not sure that it involves any inspections - I think the suppliers self-certify but I may be wrong. You could always ask them http://www.vegansociety.com/business...standards.aspx

    The concept is not quite like, say, Kosher as I understand that*, because (for one thing) many vegans don't consider that a risk of cross-contamination makes a food non-vegan. Personally I will sometimes buy foods made in a factory with non-vegan foods because I don't consider that I'm funding the use of animal products that way.

    *but I don't understand it very far

  6. #6

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    Default Re: What are the laws and regulations that one must obey to call their food "veg

    Quote veganosie View Post
    laws and regulations to be vegan: not containing any animal products

    Not for us. Can't say for the Americans, but last I checked Vegan isn't a legally defined term in the UK, it can be used freely as long as they don't go overboard. Obviously they won't get away with shoving it on a steak for the whole false advertising thing, but companies are quite free to stick to the Peta definition or even their own looser if they wanted and reckon they could justify it similarly to how Peta do.

  7. #7
    Berkanan
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    Default Re: What are the laws and regulations that one must obey to call their food "veg

    Being new to this I would agree with Veganosie

    As long as the knives, vats and ovens were cleaned after being used with animal products it shouldn't make any difference. If you don't have the proof that they were, then it's a judgement call. It doesn't make you a bad person if you get that call wrong.

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