Read more: British Cows Could Be Given ‘Methane Blockers’ To Combat Emissions

M&S will work with its 40 M&S Select dairy farmers – meaning those it “knows and trusts” – to give the cows a feed supplement. It says this will help stop the cows’ digestive enzymes from forming methane, a potent greenhouse gas. M&S expects this to save 11,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually, reducing the carbon footprint of its fresh milk by 8.4 percent.

The move is part of the company’s plan to reach net zero across all its operations and supply chains by 2040. 

Are feed supplements really a viable solution?

Around a third of global methane emissions come from animal agriculture. Cows are most responsible, as they produce the gas when they digest food. Many feed supplements are already in use or being trialed to reduce methane emissions from cow burps. These include seaweed, daffodil extract, and essential oils. 

M&S plans to use a methane-inhibiting organic compound called Bovaer, also known as 3-NOP. The dairy cows that will receive this supplement graze on pasture for at least a third of the year. 

While changing a cow’s diet is often touted by the industry to be a viable solution to methane emissions, the effectiveness of this method has been questioned. “Feed swaps can reduce methane, but it’s by miniscule amounts relative to reductions in herd numbers and shifts to plant based diets,” Nicholas Carter, ecologist and co-founder of Plant Based Data, told Plant Based News. “We can also burn coal more efficiently, but that’s meaningless when there are far better alternatives.” 

Read more: Meat Industry Fights To Use ‘Alternative Metric’ To Measure Methane Emissions

There have been numerous feed trials of Bovaer, which received regulatory approval from the European Union in 2022. It is more effective than some other feed additives at reducing methane. But research group Zero Carbon Analytics warns in an analysis of feed supplements that Bovaer may be “impractical” for use while animals are on pasture. This is because it needs to be supplied constantly to work.

The majority of methane generated by cows occurs when they are grazing on pasture. They digest grass and other fibrous vegetation more slowly and produce more gas as a result. DSM, the company that makes Bovaer, says it is working on a slow-release version to tackle this problem.

Carbon opportunity cost

Animal agriculture comes with a carbon opportunity cost. This is the potential for the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through the restoration of healthy ecosystems on land currently used to farm animals.

Pasture-grazed dairy cows, such as those in the M&S supply chain, require more land than intensively farmed dairy cows. Even if M&S can reduce methane emissions by 8.4 percent with a feed supplement, the carbon saved by returning that pasture land to a natural state would be far greater.

As part of its net zero plans, M&S aims to double sales of vegan and vegetarian products by 2025. However, it has no plans to reduce the amount of animal products it sells.

“No doubt feed swaps will continue to lead headlines,” said Carter. “But they’re mostly a distraction and will never compete with plant based alternatives.”

The post M&S Invests £1m To Tackle Methane From Dairy appeared first on Plant Based News.

Read more: What Is Vegan Seafood, Is It Healthy, And What Brands Are Best?

Now, a new study has found that people who eat a lot of “seafood” may be ingesting levels of forever chemicals that could pose a health risk. PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. There are at least 12,000 used in everything from make-up to nonstick cookware. 

The study surveyed 1,829 adult and child residents of New Hampshire on their consumption of fishes and shellfishes. The researchers found that the most commonly eaten types of fishes contained 26 kinds of PFAS. 

Research into the health impacts of PFAS has linked them to conditions including high cholesterol, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, testicular and kidney cancer, and birth defects. They may also compromise the immune system.

High seafood diets

The people surveyed in the study ate more seafood than the typical American. The adults ate an average of 33.9g a day, and the children ate an average of 5g a day. Shrimps, haddock, and salmon were the types of fishes and shellfishes most frequently eaten. The animals were mainly caught in the Gulf of Maine.

Read more: What Is Aquaculture? Inside The Hidden World Of Fish Farming

The researchers acquired samples of fish sold in the region and tested them for PFAS. Among those detected was perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), found in concentrations posing a potential health risk to high consumers of shrimps in particular. 

Following several major pollution events in Australia, Europe, and the US, the use of PFOS was eventually banned or restricted in most regions. But since forever chemicals, as the name suggests, don’t break down, PFOS remains in the environment.

The authors of the study said that though eating seafood has health benefits, these should be weighed against the risks posed by PFAS contamination. The growing popularity of the Atlantic Diet, which is high in fishes such as cod, may encourage people to eat more seafood.

PFAS in animal-based foods

PFAS can be ingested through all kinds of food. But several studies have found that animal-based foods are a particular route of exposure.

According to one recent study, people who consumer processed meats have higher levels of PFAS in their blood. Unprocessed pork also appeared to boost PFAS in the blood, suggesting that the pigs had high levels in their bodies.

The post A High Seafood Diet May Expose You To Large Amounts Of ‘Forever Chemicals’ appeared first on Plant Based News.

Read more: Supermarket Chain REWE ‘To Open All-Vegan Store’

Lidl made the announcement at a protein transition event it hosted in Berlin last week, reports Vegconomist. It said that sales had risen since it created price parity between meat and plant-based alternatives in October 2023. As part of its effort to encourage customers to choose plant-based, it also began placing vegan products next to animal-based versions in stores.

Lidl has been at the forefront of the transition to plant-based protein among major food retailers. In February 2023 it announced it would reduce the amount of animal products it sells while expanding its vegan range. Lidl’s chief buyer Christoph Graf said at the time that there is “no alternative” if we going to “feed ourselves within planetary limits.”

Healthier and more sustainable

Lidl launched its own-brand plant-based range Vemondo across Europe in 2021. It includes around 50 products such as oat milk, pizza, cheese, tofu, and mince. Lidl says the products are carbon neutral. In 2022, Vemondo won PETA’s Vegan Food Award for Best Vegan Private Label.

Read more: Lidl Named Cheapest UK Supermarket To Buy Vegan Christmas Food

As well as lowering prices for plant-based alternatives, Lidl maintains low prices for fruits and vegetables as part of its Healthy Eating Pledge. It aims to increase sales of fresh fruit and veg by 35 percent by 2026.

Change in Germany

Germany is a fitting location for an event – which included politicians, businesspeople, and scientists – focused on transitioning to sustainable sources of protein. The country’s newly published dietary guidelines recommend that people eat at least 75 percent plant-based. The German government also recently committed millions of euros to help boost development of plant-based proteins.

Read more: Tesco Says It’s In Its ‘Second Phase’ Of Plant-Based Growth

Meat eating has hit a record low in Germany, with around 10 percent of people living there now thought to follow a vegetarian diet. In addition, around 55 percent of the population identify as “flexitarian,” meaning they already mostly eat plant-based foods.

The post Lidl Announces Huge Increase In Plant-Based Food Sales appeared first on Plant Based News.

Read more: The Best Totally Vegan Fast Food Restaurants In The UK And USA

Bowditch, a regular cast member of Made in Chelsea, co-founded the London restaurant in 2020 with YouTuber Mikey Pearce. Serving healthier fast food items such as burger and nuggets, Clean Kitchen was entirely plant-based until this week.

In an Instagram post, Pearce and Bowditch explained that the restaurant would be adding animal products to its menu following a “tough, tough year.” The restaurant would shift from a “100 percent plant-based menu to a much more wholefood approach, catering for everyone” said Pearce.

“I’m so passionate about animal welfare, I can’t physically be part of something that isn’t fully plant-based,” said Bowditch, referring to her decision to step down from her role. “I have to stand true to my values.”

Business decision

Pearce said that the decision was to protect jobs and protect the business. The restaurant was initially very successful, making £725,000 in revenue in its first year. It also quickly expanded into catering for brands such as Under Armour. But, according to the Instagram post, the restaurant has struggled over the last year.

Read more: Welsh Pub Named Best Vegan Restaurant In Europe

“Clean is now opening up our menu to be focused on becoming healthier, fresher and better for you,” said the accompanying caption. “We will of course still be championing our plant-based classics on our menu.”

It is not the first restaurant to put animal products on the menu after first being fully plant-based. Nomas Gastrobar in Macclesfield, Cheshire, added meat and dairy to its menu in January after being fully vegan since its opening in 2021.

Praise for Bowditch

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A post shared by Verity Scarlett (@veritybowditch)

Many commenters on Clean Kitchen’s and Bowditch’s Instagram posts praised her decision to step down. People expressed admiration that she was “sticking to” her “principles” and said they had “huge respect” for her.

Bowditch was raised vegetarian and grew up surrounded by rescue animals. She transitioned to veganism in adulthood.

Many have expressed disappointment with Clean Kitchen’s menu changes. Some said they had invested in the business when it was crowdfunding and questioned if they could get their money back now that the restaurant no longer aligned with their values.

The post Verity Bowditch Steps Down From Clean Kitchen After It Adds Animal Products To Menu appeared first on Plant Based News.

Read more: France Just Suspended Its Ban On Words Like ‘Steak’ For Plant Foods

A ban on the use of “meat” words for plant-based alternatives meant that non-compliant products were set to be seized by South Africa’s Food Safety Agency (FSA) in 2022. Following an intervention by the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA), the High Court granted a last-minute order to stop the seizure while the a review of the ban took place.

Now the review has concluded, with the Court has ruled in favor of plant-based proteins. Advocates for plant-based diets are celebrating the ruling. 

“ProVeg welcomes this decision by the Johannesburg High Court,” ProVeg South Africa director, Donovan Will, said in a statement. “We appreciate the efforts by the CGCSA and we hope that this latest development encourages [agriculture department] to meet with stakeholders in the plant-based space to discuss the issue further.”

Plant-based burgers here to stay

South Africa’s Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) argued that its ban on words like “burger” and “sausage” for plant-based products was to save shoppers from confusion.

Read more: Denmark Unveils ‘Groundbreaking’ Plant-Based Food Roadmap

DALRRD ordered the FSA to confiscate any products on sale that used these terms on the packaging. ProVeg urged the government to rethink the ban, and plant-based meat company Fry Family Food (known widely as Fry’s) lodged an a formal objection. 

The CGCSA successfully argued that under South African law it was not clear how the seizures could be legally or otherwise enforced. It described the High Court ruling as a “collective victory for the meat analogue sector, which is a growing source for alternative plant based food products, as well as a source of employment throughout the value chain.”

Plant-based burgers, nuggets, sausages, and other products can now remain on sale in South Africa. 

Failed attacks on plant-based alternatives

South Africa is one of several countries that has tried – and failed – to hobble the growth of plant-based alternatives. 

France has just suspended its ban on using the word “steak” on plant-based food labels. Earlier this year, the Belgian government announced that plans to ban “meat” words on vegan products is now unlikely to happen.

Read more: Plant-Based Meat Is ‘Reshaping Retail’ In Australia

ProVeg’s Will acknowledged the challenges of regulating a relatively new industry such as plant-based protein. But he said that there are “undeniable benefits” environmental and health benefits to the helping the industry grow. “ProVeg would love to work with the South African government to better take advantage of plant-based products for the people of our nation,” he said.

The post South Africa Rules That Vegan Meat Cannot Be Seized From Supermarket Shelves appeared first on Plant Based News.

Whether or not you want to proclaim your love of kale on your clothes, its reputation as being very good for us is well-deserved. “The term ‘superfood’ technically isn’t scientifically based,” Emily McKee, dietitian at the Vegan Society, tells Plant Based News. “[But] we can understand it to mean a food with high nutritional density that provides us with a substantial range of micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Kale certainly fits that description.”

Here are all the ways the nutritional content of kale makes it one of the best foods to eat, and 10 recipes to help you get more of it in your diet.

Rich in iron and vitamins

Kale, the cousin of broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower, is packed with vitamins, fiber, iron, and antioxidants.

One cup of cooked kale contains around 2.24mg of iron, contributing between 15 and 25 percent of your daily requirement. Importantly, that same amount of kale will also contain your full day’s vitamin C, which helps your body absorb more iron. This makes kale a great source of iron for vegans in particular.

There are several other important vitamins in kale too, namely K, E, A, and B6. Along with vitamin C, these play a role in supporting the health of bones, skin, hair, and eyes. Kale is particularly high in vitamin K, with one cup delivering around five times our daily needs. This vitamin helps blood to clot and gives moderate protection against bone fractures.

Folate, also known as B9, helps form red blood cells and supports nervous system functioning. It’s important for pregnant women to get enough to ensure the healthy growth of their baby. A cup of cooked kale contains about 65mcg, which is around a sixth of your daily needs.

Fiber and other nutrients

Kale contains 5.7g of fiber per cup. This may not sound like much – it’s recommended to consume 22 to 34g a day. But if you eat kale in a meal with other fiber-rich foods such as sweet potato, chickpeas, or avocado, you’ll easily get enough.

Kale also provides magnesium, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as 4g of protein per cup. Together these contribute to healthy muscle, heart, and nerve function, and support healthy bones.

There are lots of antioxidants in kale too, such as glucosinolates and beta-carotene. These help to protect against cancer and reduce inflammation.

With all these health benefits, how much kale should we be eating? “Whilst there is no ‘recommended daily intake’ for kale specifically, as a leafy green vegetable containing many essential micronutrients you could certainly eat it daily as one of your five-a-day and part of a healthy, balanced vegan diet,” said McKee.

10 kale recipes

There is some evidence that cooking can diminish the nutrient content of kale and that it is better to eat it raw or minimally cooked. Nonetheless, its leaves might feel tough to chew raw, and the stems are definitely made easier to eat by cooking.

Among the recipes below you’ll find kale in both its raw and cooked states, giving you plenty of choice for how to eat it.

Creamy Tahini Kale Salad

This easy recipe from Viva’s new cookbook, Everyone Can Cook Vegan, involves massaging the kale with the dressing ingredients. Massaging kale might sound like an odd thing to do, but it helps make it less tough by breaking down its fibers so it can be eaten raw. All extras in the salad are optional, with the recipe suggesting ingredients including tinned pulses, artichokes, and cherry tomatoes.

Find the recipe here.

Kale, Cashew Cheese, and Apple Salad

This is another raw kale recipe that requires a little massaging of the leaves to soften them up. But that comes later – first you’ll need to make your cashew cheese a couple of days ahead to let it develop. If you don’t have that kind of time or forethought, you can swap it for any vegan cheese of your choice. Made with apple, buckwheat, pomegranate seeds, and courgette, this salad by Happy Skin Kitchen packs a hearty nutritional punch.

Find the recipe here.

Mushroom Bourguignon With White Bean Mash & Kale Crisps

Roasted kale crisps are a lovely side to accompany this mushroom bourguignon from the Viva! Vegan Recipe Club. Just be careful to keep a close eye on the kale as it crisps up in the oven pretty fast. If you prefer, you can steam it instead.

Find the recipe here.

Bean, Kale, And Lemon Stew

The kale in this recipe, also from the Viva! Vegan Recipe Club, simmers in the stew for a few minutes to soften. The stew itself is packed with other healthy ingredients and only take 30 minutes to make.

Find the recipe here.

Apple, Kale, and Sausage Pasta

This pasta dish from Happy Skin Kitchen is a big bowl of comfort. It includes a good portion of kale, while the vegan sausages and apple make for a perfect sweet and savory dish. Top it with a “walnut parm” made from walnuts, miso paste, and nooch.

Find the recipe here.

Roast Pumpkin And Kale Salad

This salad by plantbaes provides almost half of the 30 plant foods (including spices) a week that experts now recommend. The kale remains raw – after some massaging of course – and goes perfectly with the roasted pumpkin and sweet tahini dressing.

Find the recipe here.

Butternut Squash Dhal With Cashew Milk And Kale

From Ashley Madden’s Plant-Based Delicious cookbook comes this hearty dhal. The combination of lentils and kale means this is an nutrient-dense meal. The iron content is particularly good.

Find the recipe here.

Vegan Omelette With Mushrooms & Kale

The omelette in this recipe by Happy Skin Kitchen is made from silken tofu and chickpea flour, making it a healthy, high protein meal. Sauté the kale with mushrooms before piling on top of the omelette with a helping of guacamole and cashew cream cheese.

Find the recipe here.

Pasta with Cauliflower, White Beans and Kale

Chunky roasted cauliflower and a creamy sauce make this It’s All Good Vegan pasta dish filling and comforting. Add the kale to the roasting cauliflower and beans for the last few minutes before mixing the whole lot together. 

Find the recipe here.

Mushroom And Kale Tofu Scramble

You can whip up this healthy scramble by Happy Skin Kitchen in just 15 minutes. Between the tofu, kale, and mushrooms, you’ve got a lot of nutrients covered in one meal.

Find the recipe here.

The post Kale Is One Of The Best Foods We Can Eat – 10 Recipes To Try appeared first on Plant Based News.

Read more: What’s Vegan At Wetherspoons? The Surprisingly Extensive Plant-Based Menu

One punter spotted a sign at a Wetherspoons in Bristol warning that they could not “guarantee, unfortunately, that the fruit garnishes are vegan.” The customer posted a picture of the sign on Reddit, saying that the barman told them “it was sent out from head office with zero context.”

So what does it mean, and why have Wetherspoons only just put the signs up?

New supplier

Plant Based News contacted Wetherspoons for comment on the signs. Spokesman Eddie Gershon explained that the pub chain normally sources its lemons and limes from a “vegan friendly supplier.”

“However, for a limited period of time, we are using a different supplier for our limes across our pubs,” he said. “We cannot, with the new supplier, guarantee that the limes are vegan friendly and as a result have put up the notice in our pubs.”

It isn’t clear why Wetherspoons has switched supplier or when it will return to its usual one.

How can fruit be non-vegan?

Tesco caused a similar stir in 2022 by labeling some of its citrus fruits as unsuitable for vegans. The reason for these warnings from Tesco and Wetherspoons is that beeswax and shellac are sometimes used to coat the fruit skin. This helps to keep it fresh for longer.

Read more: Is Toothpaste Vegan? The Animal Ingredients You Might Be Putting In Your Mouth

Beeswax is not considered vegan because harvesting it takes a toll on the hive and worker bees. Shellac, meanwhile, is secreted by female lac beetles. When harvested, shellac is scraped from the branches – along with any attached lac beetles – before going through a process of crushing, liquefying, and sieving. An estimated 100,000 lac bugs are used to produce a single pound of shellac flakes.

Do vegans need to avoid citrus fruit?

It might be a bit annoying to miss out of a slice of lime in your G&T at Wetherspoons, but you might not want to give up on citrus fruits altogether. It’s possible to find vegan-friendly, unwaxed fruits at supermarkets, though often these are the organic ones which can costs twice as much.

Read more: Eating More Fruit And Veg ‘Equivalent To Walking 4,000 Extra Steps A Day’

It’s worth bearing in mind the definition of veganism from the Vegan Society. It says that being vegan is about avoiding animal exploitations and products “as far as is possible and practicable.” Organic fruit is unaffordable for many people, but fruit is an important part of a healthy diet. However, a number of affordable fruits are unwaxed, meaning you should be able to find accessible vegan fruit with a bit of research.

As the confused reaction to Wetherspoons’ sign shows, many don’t even know that citrus fruit might have beeswax or shellac coatings. If you’ve eaten a waxed orange or lemon lately, you shouldn’t panic over it.

The post Wetherspoons Warns Lemons And Limes ‘May Not Be Vegan’ appeared first on Plant Based News.

Read more: EU Making Animal Diets ‘Artificially Cheap’ With Subsidies, Report Finds

An international group of academic experts has described the omission as “concerning” in a commentary in Nature. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) published the roadmap during the COP28 Climate Summit in December 2023. It lays out how to achieve zero hunger without breaching 1.5°C of global temperature rise.

“The FAO roadmap neglects one of the most obvious and urgent interventions to reduce emissions from the food system: shifting away from the production and consumption of animal-sourced foods,” the authors write.

The roadmap has already received criticism from environmental organizations for urging an intensification of animal farming to make it more efficient.

Ignoring a key solution

The FAO roadmap acknowledges the climate impact of animal agriculture and that diets “absolutely must” change “for human and planetary health.” To address this, it sets a goal of a 25 percent reduction in methane emissions from the sector by 2030 compared to 2020. But it doesn’t “offer measures or milestones for lowering production and consumption of animal-sourced foods,” the academics write in the commentary.

Read more: Meat Industry Fights To Use ‘Alternative Metric’ To Measure Methane Emissions

This is despite the mounting evidence that a shift to plant-based diets, particularly in wealthy countries, is a key way to bring down global emissions. 

The commentary also criticizes the roadmap for “dismissing plant-based meats as “hav[ing] nutritional deficiencies” without providing any evidence to support this claim.”

One Health

The roadmap does encourage a reduction in the production of meat from large ruminant animals – mainly cows – which cause the majority of emissions in animal agriculture. But it recommends replacing them with chickens instead, along with the intensification of animal farming.

Read more: Denmark Unveils ‘Groundbreaking’ Roadmap Towards Plant-Based Food

The commentary warns that such a move would come with a range of other negative impacts on the environment and human health. These include a potentially big increase in the risk of antimicrobial resistance and the emergence of zoonotic diseases such as bird flu.

The authors argue that the FAO’s focus on intensification of animal agriculture means it fails to consider how plant-based diets also entail “public health and sustainability co-benefits.”

They support a “One Health” approach, which addresses the health and welfare of humans, animals, and the environment holistically. The roadmap does not mention One Health, despite the FAO being part of a coalition of organizations advocating the approach.

Lack of transparency

The commentary highlights other problems with the roadmap. These include no explanation of how proposed actions were selected, nor a list of authors and reviewers or what review process was used.

The need for transparency in this regard is clear. In 2023, former FAO officials claimed that senior figures in the organization had censored and undermined them for reporting on the climate impact of animal agriculture. Some blamed lobbying of the FAO by powerful meat producers.

As the FAO roadmap is the first of three instalments, the commentary calls for the subsequent ones to be more upfront about how the reports are produced, and who is writing them. 

The post Academics Call Out FAO For Leaving Meat Reduction From Food Emissions Plan appeared first on Plant Based News.

Read more: Pamela Anderson Slams UK Government For Killing Up To 1,000 Bears For Queen’s Guard Caps

The book started life as a housewarming gift from Anderson to her sons, but became “a project that encapsulates” all the family’s “favorite things.”

The recipe book follows the announcement in 2023 that Anderson would host a new plant-based cooking show, Pamela’s Cooking With Love. On it, influential chefs will join her to cook vegan meals in her childhood home on Vancouver Island, where she now lives. It will premiere this year on the Food Network Canada.

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A post shared by Pamela Anderson (@pamelaanderson)

Dreams realized

Anderson has long harbored ambitions to share vegan cooking and recipes with the world. She told the Food Network that she first pitched it the idea of a plant-based cooking show thirty years ago. But back then they didn’t think anyone would watch it. 

Read more: From Chicken Wings To Lamb Ragu: Cookbook Offers Vegan Recipes For Meat Dishes

“This has always been my dream to have a cooking show. Always, always, always,” she said. “I’ve been an activist for a very long time. I’ve always fought for animal rights, human rights, vulnerable people, vulnerable beings and nature and climate change,” she went on. “So I don’t really even want to say the word ‘vegan’ when it comes to the show. We’re just celebrating vegetables. This is just how we eat.”

She said the same for her new cookbook. “I’m writing a cookbook and I’m not saying the word vegan in it because I don’t want to be stuck on the part of the shelf with the vegan cookbooks. I want access for all!” She said she wants to celebrate “plants, my garden, being self-sustainable… vegetables and eating really healthy, but not boring!”

It’s thought that Anderson is mostly plant-based, rather than vegan. In an interview with the Guardian in 2018, she admitted that doesn’t adhere entirely to the lifestyle. At the time she lived in France, where she ate croissants. “I do the best I can, but I’m not a dictator,” she said. “It’s a radical choice to be vegan, so I’m not so strict.”

A lifelong activist

Anderson is well-known for her animal activism, having first posed in a PETA campaign 27 years ago. Her campaigning over the years has had a real impact, with Kim Kardashian and Melania Trump reportedly having stopped wearing fur because of her. Fashion brand Prada also ditched fur after Anderson wrote to it about it on behalf of PETA.

In 2022, Anderson collaborated with French fashion house Ashoka Paris to create a new line of cruelty-free vegan handbags made from apple skin leather. The leather is a revolutionary biodegradable material crafted from the cores and skins of apples discarded by the food industry.

The post Pamela Anderson To Release Plant-Based Cookbook appeared first on Plant Based News.

Read more: Pro-Meat Ads In UK Supermarkets Prompt ASA Complaints

The supermarket chain plans to make half of the protein on its shelves plant-based by 2025, increasing to 60 percent by 2030. In aid of this goal, which is in line with Dutch Health Council dietary guidance, it has a campaign to promote plant-based recipes to customers.

The move to end fresh meat promotions is a first among Dutch supermarkets. Animal rights group Wakker Dier has praised Jumbo for its “ambition.”

More plants

Wakker Dier has been campaigning for supermarkets to embrace “more plants” in their products since 2010. Meat promotions in particular have stood in the way of this goal, according to Wakker Dier. Such promotions keep prices for meat low, forcing farmers to produce meat as cheaply as possible. 

Read more: Supermarket Chain REWE ‘To Open All-Vegan Store’

These promotions “are driving up meat sales enormously,” said Collin Molenaar, campaigner at Wakker Dier in a statement. “And the animals pay the price for this with poor living conditions.”

Campaigning by Wakker Dier led recently to Jumbo and six other brands in the Netherlands, including Knorr and Koh Thai, to commit to make 50 percent of the suggested recipes on their product packaging meat-free. Leading Dutch supermarket Albert Heijn said it would add plant-based ideas to its packaging, but would not commit to removing meat from half the recipes.

However, in 2022 Albert Heijn pledged to make more than half its range of proteins plant-based by 2030. It said it would make these options equal to or cheaper than the animal-based equivalents.

Should the UK follow suit?

Matthew Glover, founder of Veganuary, praised Jumbo and told Food Manufacture that UK supermarkets should think about following its lead. They should leverage “their influence to promote healthier, plant-based alternatives and contribute significantly to the global effort against climate change and animal mistreatment,” he said.

Read more: EU Making Animal Diets ‘Artificially Cheap’ With Subsidies, Report Finds

Research by UK food waste organization Feedback revealed that British supermarkets are fuelling demand for meat with promotional offers. Another study in 2022 found that four major UK supermarkets use multi-buys and reduced prices to to sell more meat. This was in spite or their pledges to promote sustainable eating to improve diets and tackle climate change.

The post Dutch Supermarket Jumbo To Ditch Meat Promotions appeared first on Plant Based News.

Read more: ‘Sheer Nonsense’: Stella McCartney On Why Leather Is Not A Byproduct

Researchers at Imperial College London have created a shoe from a genetically engineered bacteria species. The bacteria produces sheets of microbial cellulose, a strong, flexible material already used in food, cosmetics, and textiles. 

The scientists worked with designers to grow a sheet of bacterial cellulose in a specially made shoe-shaped vessel over a two week period. The shoe then spent two days being gentle shaken at a temperature of 30°C. This activated the bacteria to produce black pigment, dyeing the material from the inside.

“Bacterial cellulose is inherently vegan, and its growth requires a tiny fraction of the carbon emissions, water, land use and time of farming cows for leather,” lead author Professor Tom Ellis said in a statement. “Unlike plastic-based leather alternatives, bacterial cellulose can also be made without petrochemicals, and will biodegrade safely and non-toxically in the environment.”

Making leather non-toxic

The self-pigmenting bacteria could solve one of the most toxic problems in fashion. Dyeing and finishing textile products accounts for about 20 percent of the pollution of clean water. Leather production and dyeing is particularly harmful, requiring significant amounts of toxic chemicals.

Read more: Billie Eilish Promotes Gucci’s New Vegan Leather Bag

The Imperial College scientists modified the bacteria to produce the dark black pigment, eumelanin. But designers who might use it in future won’t be limited to black leather products. 

The bacteria can be further engineered using genes from other microbes to produce other colors. 

The researchers showed that they can project a pattern or logo onto the cellulose sheets using blue light. This makes the bacteria produce colored proteins which then glow. This means that designs can be projected onto the bacterial cultures as the leather grows. They then form within the material and don’t need to be added after.

“Our technique works at large enough scales to create real-life products, as shown by our prototypes,” study co-author Dr Kenneth Walker said in a statement. “From here, we can consider aesthetics as well as alternative shapes, patterns, textiles, and colours.”

The researchers and design collaborators have just received £2 million in UK Research Council funding. They will use it to solve more of fashion’s toxic problems with bacterial cellulose.

The post Scientists Grow A Vegan Self-Dyeing Leather Shoe From Bacteria appeared first on Plant Based News.

Luckily, a vegan dinner party takes some of the anxiety out of things since it can cater to so many dietary requirements. 

We’ve put together 15 vegan main course ideas that look fantastic and taste delicious. Many of them can also be fully or partially prepared ahead of time too, giving you more time to enjoy yourself on the night.

Read more: 25 High Protein Vegan Recipes

Vegan dinner party main courses

Whole Katsu Cauliflower

This recipe from BOSH! involves boiling a whole cauliflower first to soften it, then letting it turn golden brown in the oven. Smothered with a smooth katsu sauce and topped with a crunchy pickle and herb salad, it makes both a striking and healthy main course. Serve with basmati rice and chapatis. 

Find the recipe here.

Gnocchi, Aubergine, And Chickpea Traybake

Chickpeas and harissa paste add an unusual twist to this healthy, hearty gnocchi traybake by Natlicious Food. You can use store-bought gnocchi (make sure it’s vegan), which makes this recipe simple and pretty quick to whip up.

Find the recipe here.

Butternut Squash and Miso Risotto

It takes a little more effort to cook risotto than pasta, which makes it feel special enough for a dinner party without being especially complicated. This recipe by Plant Baes uses white miso paste to give it a rich umami flavor. The vegan parmesan and walnut sage pesto can be made while the risotto is cooking, or ahead of time. 

Find the recipe here.

Asparagus Tart

A tart is always a good option for an impressive-looking main course. Using store-bought puff pastry, this recipe by Natlicious Food is full of spring flavors. But if you’re making it out of asparagus season or simply prefer other vegetables, it’s easy to sub in something else, such as purple sprouting broccoli or artichokes.

Find the recipe here.

Apple Biryani

A biryani is a perfect dish to share with lots of people. The inclusion of apple in this version compliments its other flavors of cardamom and ginger perfectly. If you’re short on time, it can also be made in advance.

Find the recipe here.

Rose Harissa Aubergine with Butter Bean Mash

Butter bean mash is a healthy, lighter take on classic mashed potatoes, and may feel a little bit fancier for your guests. The aubergines in this recipe from So Vegan are cooked in an aromatic tomato and lentil sauce with rose harissa – a lovely, slightly milder type of harissa.

Find the recipe here.

Vegan Beef Stew

The “beef” in this recipe from ZardyPlants is made from seitan, a wheat-based meat alternative that you can make at home. The stew is packed with vegetables and lentils, and made rich and warming by red wine, balsamic vinegar, and smoked paprika. Serve with crusty bread or on top of grains to give your guests an impressive, hearty meal.

Find the recipe here.

Read more: 15 Delicious Meaty Recipes (That Are All 100% Vegan)

Sweet Potato Katsu Curry

Your guests will feel just like they’re eating out at Wagamama when you serve them this katsu curry. Instead of breading the sweet potato, this So Vegan recipe calls for toasted panko breadcrumbs to be sprinkled on top of the dish when it’s ready to serve. 

Find the recipe here.

One-Pot Mushroom Pie

Another offering from So Vegan, this rich mushroom pie is topped with sliced potato instead of pastry. So Vegan recommend serving it with a side of roasted broccoli or a lentil salad.

Find the recipe here.

Butter Bean Bourguignon

Bourguignon without the beef. This wholesome meal from Matt Pritchard’s book Dirty Vegan: Fast and Easy is full of essential nutrients like iron, potassium, and magnesium. It also provides a good dose of protein. You can use canned butter beans to make the prep for this dish very quick and easy.

Find the recipe here.

Roasted Aubergine With Harissa Yogurt

These roasted aubergines have a creamy texture and earthy flavor that pairs perfectly with harissa spiced yogurt. Topped with mint and toasted pine nuts, it’s sure to delight your guests. This recipe by Madeleine Olivia can be served as a main or as one of several dishes. 

Find the recipe here.

Mushroom Bourguignon With White Bean Mash & Kale Crisps

Another vegan take on bourguignon. This one by Viva! Vegan Recipe Club replaces the beef with a mix of mushrooms to provide a rich, umami flavor and substantial texture. Red wine, herbs, and vegan lardons add to the dish’s deep flavor. The white bean and potato mash adds a hit of protein, while the kale crisps provide some crunch and extra iron.

Find the recipe here.

Read more: How To Make This Apple And Raisin Stuffed Sweet Potato

Spicy Cauliflower Tacos

Tacos are a great option for a more casual dinner party, where everyone can dig in and assemble their own. These tacos from Rise Shine Cook feature cauliflower and black beans as their main filling. Serve them with vegan sour cream, avocado, and salsa.

Find the recipe here.

Tuscan Bean And Spaghetti

If you’re cooking for a lot of people, pasta is easy to make in large quantities. Plus everybody loves pasta. This recipe by Rise Shine Cook includes leeks, beans, and spinach in a tomato sauce for a filling meal. Being a one-pot recipe also means there will be minimal washing up after. 

Find the recipe here.

Apple, Kale, And Sausage Pasta

For a meatier pasta option, this one from Happy Skin Kitchen includes vegan sausages and apple for a perfect sweet and savory dish. Topped with a “walnut parm” made from walnuts, miso paste, and nooch, it’ll definitely leave your guests satisfied.

Find the recipe here.

The post 15 Vegan Dinner Party Main Course Ideas appeared first on Plant Based News.

Milk samples from cows on farms in Texas and Kansas tested positive for the H5N1 strain of the virus. The samples were collected for testing after farmers reported that some cows had become ill. They also reported that they had found dead wild birds on their properties.

The H5N1 strain is deadly for birds, but none of the cows have died so far. They are the latest in a number of mammal species to have become infected as avian flu rages around the world.

How are cows affected

The USDA has said that the cows seem to have caught the virus from wild birds, but it isn’t clear how transmission occurred. Contamination of water or food on the farms by bird faeces or saliva is one possibility. The USDA is conducting further tests.

The infected cows have displayed flu-like symptoms. These include fever and thick and discolored milk, as well as a drop in how much milk they could produce. Any contaminated milk will be destroyed, while pasteurization would kill any virus that managed to enter the food chain.

“Unlike affected poultry, I foresee there will be no need to depopulate dairy herds,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said in a statement. “Cattle are expected to fully recover.”

The dairy worker who caught the virus has displayed mild symptoms, mainly conjunctivitis. They are being treated with antiviral medication, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). They are only the second person in the US to ever catch bird flu.

Transmission between species

Bird flu has affected millions of birds and jumped to 48 mammal species. Infected mammals, which include sea lions, foxes, otters, and bears, are most likely to have caught it from eating dead and infected birds.

The virus has reached even far flung locations. In late 2023, penguins in the Antarctic tested positive for H5N1. Though they were not showing symptoms and are still healthy, experts have warned they could spread the disease to other species on the continent.

The risk of humans catching bird flu is low since there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission. The main route for infection being close contact with infected birds. Globally, several people, including workers on chicken farms, have contracted various strains of bird flu. Some have died as a result. Infectious diseases experts warn that every transmission to mammals gives the virus a chance to mutate into a strain that could more easily jump to humans.

Wild birds not to blame

While wild birds have helped to transmit the virus around the globe as they migrate vast distances, they are not to blame for its lethalness. 

The H5N1 strain is “highly pathogenic” – meaning, deadly – compared to low pathogenic strains that naturally and mostly harmlessly circulate in wild bird populations. H5N1 was first detected on a goose farm in China in 1996 and reappeared on poultry farms in Hong Kong in 1997. Experts believe that the growth of intensive poultry farming have helped to H5N1 and other bird flu strains spillover to wild birds.

Since bird flu began surging globally in 2021, hundreds of millions of farmed birds have been culled in a bid to contain the virus. The culling process itself can be extremely cruel; in the US, an increasingly common method is ventilation shutdown. This suffocates and essentially roasts the animals to death. Millions of wild birds have died horrible deaths from the virus, which can cause respiratory difficulties, diarrhea, and swelling in the head.

More like this:

• Pandemic ‘Time Bomb’: Virologists Urge Governments To Ban Fur Farming
• US School District Ditches Eggs Due To Avian Flu
• Antibiotics On Animal Farms: The ‘Global Health Crisis’ Of Superbugs

The post Bird Flu Infects Dairy Cows And Farm Worker In The US appeared first on Plant Based News.

New Zealand (Aotearoa) startup ANDFOODS is one of several companies developing legume-based dairy alternatives. And it has just raised NZD $2.7 million in seed funding for to make milk, milk powder, and cream using its novel fermentation technology.

A functional alternative

ANDFOODS uses pulses, the edible seeds of legumes. It splits them into liquid and solid, using the liquid as the base for its powders, milks, and creams. Its novel fermentation process gets rid of the “plant taste” and creates products that ANDFOODS says are “nutritionally and functionally superior.”

Alex Devereaux, CEO of ANDFOODS, says that the pulses the company make a “perfect” alternative to dairy. “Though many dairy alternatives reasonably capture the taste and texture of dairy milk, few to date have come close to emulating the measurable quality of high-grade cow-based creams or milk powders,” he told Food Ingredients First. “As a result, many extra ingredients are needed throughout the manufacturing process. Our chosen legume has properties that reduce the need for a long list of additives to make it functional.”

ANDFOODS’ products “blend effortlessly into recipes,” according to the company website. They can be used in baked goods, creamy foods, and frozen desserts. They would make “a standout choice” for food manufacturers that want to use more plant-based ingredients in their products without worrying about altering the taste and texture.

Versatile legumes

In 2023, UK-based The Good Pulse Company received £300,000 in public funding to develop cheese made from yellow split peas. The company says its use of the whole peas means the cheese retains the peas’ high protein and nutrient content.

Chickpea protein company Innovopro has been developing chickpea-based emulsifiers and egg replacers for use in plant-based milks, cheese, and desserts. It has partnered with plant-based milk brand Milkadamia to make ice-cream from chickpeas and macadamia nuts.

More like this:

• Veg Capital Invests Millions In SHICKEN
• Supermarket Chain REWE ‘To Open All-Vegan Store’
• Company Unveils ‘Revolutionary’ Machine That Makes Vegan Egg Yolks

The post Legume-Based Dairy Could Be The Next Plant-Based Innovation appeared first on Plant Based News.

SHICKEN, which makes vegan curries and kebabs with plant-based chicken, will use the money to upgrade its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Kent. This will turn it into one of only a small number of fully plant-based and nut-free facilities in the UK. 

“The SHICKEN range is simply delicious, and their curries and kebabs are flying off the shelves – it was a no-brainer for Veg Capital to reinvest,” Matthew Glover, Veg Capital Director, said in a statement. “We’re excited to play our part in helping this family business go global over the coming years.”

Exponential growth

SHICKEN launched in late 2020 with a range of vegan Asian ready meals such as Plant-Based Tikka Masala. The company uses a unique technology to create realistic chargrilled “chicken” from soy, wheat, and pea proteins. 

SHICKEN ready meals first appeared in Costco before rolling out in UK supermarket chain Tesco. The curries and kebabs have since landed in Sprouts Farmers Market stores across the US. They have also appeared in supermarkets in Iceland, Sweden, and France. 

The company is family-run, co-founded by husband and wife duo Parm and Satvinder Bains. Veg Capital already invested £2 million in the company in 2022. The SHICKEN manufacturing facility recently gained BRC accreditation, a global food standards certification.

“It has been a phenomenal journey for SHICKEN so far and we’re incredibly excited to see business scale on an international level, both as a brand and as one of the UK’s few dedicated BRC accredited specialist primary plant-based manufacturers,” said Parm Bains in a statement.

More like this:

• Tesco Says It’s In Its ‘Second Phase’ Of Plant-Based Growth
• ‘World First’ Cat Food Made With Cultivated Chicken Is Here
• Supermarket Chain REWE ‘To Open All-Vegan Store’

The post Veg Capital Invests Millions In SHICKEN appeared first on Plant Based News.

The blueberry, which grew at a farm in New South Wales, Australia, is about the size of a table tennis ball. The average wild blueberry is almost 70 times lighter in weight than the record-breaker.

It comes from the Eterna variety of blueberries, developed by the Costa farming company through plant breeding techniques. “Eterna as a variety has a really great flavour and consistently large fruit,” Costa’s Senior Horticulturalist Brad Hocking said in a statement. “When we picked this one, there were probably around 20 other berries of a similar size.”

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Benefits of blueberries

Blueberries are often dubbed a “superfood” due to being low in calories but rich in nutrients. 

One cup of blueberries – equal in weight to about eight Eterna blueberries – packs 3.6g of fiber. It also provides 16 percent of your daily vitamin C needs, 24 percent of your vitamin K, and 22 percent of your manganese.

Blueberries are one of the best sources of antioxidants of all fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants help to protect the body from free radicals, which can damage cells and increase the risk of developing diseases like cancer.

Consuming just 50g of freeze-dried blueberries a day helps to improve cardiovascular health, including by lowering blood pressure.

Record-breakers

While massive for a blueberry, Costa’s record-breaker is dwarfed by some of the other Guinness World Record-holding fruits and vegetables.

A UK-grown aubergine (eggplant) took the record in 2021, weighing in at 3.12kg. A mango grown in Colombia reached 4.25kg – just shy of the weight of the average adult human head.

A particularly massive Guinness World Record-holder is a USA-grown watermelon, weighed in 2013 at 159kg. That makes it about 15 times heavier than the average watermelon. No other watermelon has been able to break its record since.

More like this:

• Strawberries May Benefit Brain Function And Heart Health, Study Finds
• Start The Day Right With These Vegan Breakfast Muffins
• Vegan Blueberry Rolls: A Fruity Twist On The Cinnamon Classic

The post The World’s Heaviest Blueberry Wins Guinness Record appeared first on Plant Based News.