The Saturday Night Live star called up the animal organization after they criticized him for buying a puppy from a pet store rather than adopting. He and his girlfriend, actor Chase Sui Wonders, were recently spotted buying a Cavapoo in New York City. (A Cavapoo is a mixed-breed dog combining the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Poodle breeds.)

The purchase came weeks after Davidson’s two-year-old dog Henry died after falling ill.

In a statement to TMZ, Daphna Nachminovitch – PETA’s senior vice president of cruelty investigations – said it was “tragic” that Davidson didn’t rescue an animal from a shelter instead. 

“Since shelters in New York and across the country are overflowing with homeless animals, PETA urges Pete to show some big heart energy by adopting, not shopping, in the future,” she added. 

Pete Davidson responds

In a perhaps unexpected move, Davidson decided to respond to PETA’s criticism. In a voicemail sent to the organization, he attempted to justify his decision. 

“Hi, my name is Pete Davidson. This message is for Daphna,” he said. “Thank you so much for making comments publicly that I didn’t adopt a dog. I just want to let you know I’m severely allergic to dogs so I have to get a specific breed.”

He went on to say that his family had been “so sad” since the death of Henry, and that Cavapoos are the only dogs that don’t set off his allergies.

“So why don’t you do your research before you f***ing create news stories for people because you’re a boring tired [bleeped, unclear]. “F*** you and suck my d***!”

The aftermath

PETA retaliated to Davidson’s words, however, stating that there’s “no such thing” as a hypoallergenic dog.

“At least a quarter of dogs in shelters are purebreds, and that Petfinder has listings for homeless dogs of every breed under the sun, including the one he purchased,” they added.

Davidson subsequently said he’s “not sorry” for the voicemail, but did admit that he used a “poor choice of words.”

“I haven’t seen my mom and sister cry like that in over 20 years,” he told TMZ yesterday (Tuesday, June 6). “I was trying to cheer up my family, I was already upset that the store had filmed me without my permission or acknowledgment. Then this organization made a public example of us, making our grieving situation worse.”

“I am upset. It was a poor choice of words. I shouldn’t have said what I said, but I am not sorry for standing up for myself and my family.”

The problem with pet stores

Buying dogs and other animals from pet stores is hugely controversial due to concerns about their treatment. Animals are often sourced from “puppy mills,” where they are typically kept in cramped and filthy conditions.

Some puppies are imported from other countries, and many will struggle to socialize due to the conditions in which they were raised. Selling dogs, cats, and rabbits in pet stores will be banned in New York City from next year.

The post Pete Davidson Leaves Furious Voicemail For PETA Amid Pet Store Controversy appeared first on Plant Based News.

It isn’t known whether he follows the lifestyle in all aspects of his life. He sparked controversy last year after attending a dolphin show while promoting Avatar: The Way of Water. He’s also previously distanced himself from the word “vegan.”

Here’s what we know about Cameron’s diet and whether his lifestyle is vegan.

Is James Cameron vegan?

James Cameron, born in 1954, is a Canadian director, screenwriter, and producer. He is thought to have adopted a fully plant-based diet in 2012, a few years after the release of the first Avatar film in 2009. Avatar carries an environmental message, with the plot revolving around a corporation seeking to extract natural resources from a fictional moon, named Pandora, in the year 2154.

He has since endorsed the health benefits of plant-based eating. Speaking to Deadline in 2018, he said: “The fact that I’ve been eating plant-based for six years, I haven’t been sick one day, I haven’t been sick at all in six years. I haven’t had a sniffle, I haven’t had a flu, a sore throat or anything in six years and that was certainly not the case before that.”

Cameron added that he was on an “enormous mission” to make more Avatar films at the age of 63. And, that he’s “got tons of energy.” He added: “I don’t think I could be doing this if I wasn’t plant-based, not at this age. I think that’s a big factor.”

Veganism on the ‘Avatar’ set

According to reports, Cameron ensured that the production followed the messaging of the film – and he is thought to have enforced a strict vegan food policy on set.

“We have to walk the walk. We have to live our lives, as the people working on this film, consistent with the message of the films,” he is reported to have told the crew. “So we’re all going to eat vegan on this production.”

He is thought to have provided vegan Italian, Thai, Mexican, and other cuisines. While the crew were free to eat meat off-set, many embraced his plant-based catering. 

James Cameron and ‘The Game Changers’

Cameron was an executive producer of the 2018 film The Game Changers. It has since gone on to be one of the most popular vegan documentaries (with a sequel in the works). The film explores the health benefits of a plant-based diet, with particular focus on men and athletes.

“I don’t usually dump my own money into movies but we wrote a pretty fat check to get this film going,” Cameron previously told Deadline. “They had a sizzle reel, I showed Arnold [Schwarzenegger] the sizzle reel, got him involved and so on. It built momentum.”

The film features a number of experts, including a cardiologist named Dr. Dean Ornish. Together, they make the case that plant-based eating reduces inflammation and lowers the risk of heart disease. A number of athletes also appear in the film, including NFL stars. 

“The greatest single barrier to entry for men contemplating [a vegan diet]—even for their own health, even if their lives depended on it, if they were facing a quadruple bypass—is this idea that to be a big strong man you have to eat animal flesh. That’s just wrong,” Cameron said. 

James Cameron renames veganism

Cameron caused a stir in November 2022 after revealing that he refers to himself as a “futurevore” rather than vegan. He said it was an attempt to rebrand the lifestyle, due to the fact that vegan “has all those connotations.”

“The term I came up with is futurevore. We’re eating the way people will eat in the future. We’re just doing it early,” he told GQ. 

Dolphin show controversy

While we know that the filmmaker follows a plant-based diet, there is some debate over whether he’s vegan. Being vegan means not contributing to animal suffering in every aspect of your life (as much as possible), meaning its scope is far wider than what we eat. 

In December 2022, Cameron sparked controversy after attending a dolphin show as part of the press tour for Avatar: The Way of Water.

At a press event in Japan, Cameron and his team watched an Avatar-themed dolphin show at a marine park. Cameron introduced the show, saying “Welcome to Pandora.”

Attending dolphin shows is not compatible with a vegan lifestyle, as the animals are held captive against their will and forced to take part in unnatural performances. After a great deal of criticism from the community, Cameron responded to the backlash. 

In an email to ocean photographer Brian Skerry, which was then posted on Facebook, Cameron wrote: “We were on a whirlwind publicity tour for Avatar: The Way of Water across multiple countries, and I was getting whisked along from one appearance or interview to another for a week straight, literally doing twenty or thirty interviews a day.”

He added that he was handed a schedule that showed an event was taking place at an aquarium. He said that he’d envisaged “something like the Monterey Bay Aquarium, with its great science and conservation programs.” Cameron stated that there had been no mention of a dolphin show, and that he found out “as they were walking on stage.”

—

Looking for more content like this? You might like:

• Is Billie Eilish Vegan? Everything She’s Said About The Movement
• Is Ricky Gervais Vegan? Here’s What He’s Said About The Lifestyle
• What Diet Does Bear Grylls Follow, And Was He Really Vegan?

The post Is James Cameron Vegan? Here’s What We Know appeared first on Plant Based News.

According to the brand, the shoes “replicate the luxurious look and feel” of animal leather. They are made from 50 percent maize waste and 50 percent recycled polyurethane, and are said to be 63 percent biodegradable. They are also up to four times more durable than animal leather. 

The new collection is mostly made up of black and white sneakers, with some pairs coming in red, green, and blue. They are all handmade in Portugal, and described as “for the eco conscious trendsetter.”

The rise of LØCI

LØCI was founded in 2021, and it’s quickly establishing itself as a key player in the plant-based shoe space. Leonardo DiCaprio invested in the brand last year, and its celebrity fans include Ben Affleck, Jessica Alba, and Mila Kunis. 

“We believe that the measure of our success lies in the magnitude of our impact,” said CEO Emmanuel Eribo in a statement. “Today, it is crucial to go beyond creating exceptional products; we are here to drive change. That is why it is always imperative for us to think differently and swim against the tide.”

One of LØCI’s USPs is that it uses recycled plastic bottles where possible, while also incorporating materials like recycled nylon and brass, cork, bamboo, and natural rubber replace, rather than animal leather. 

LØCI has claimed that it’s prevented around one million plastic bottles from being discarded. It also donates 10 percent of sales to marine organizations SEE Turtles and Sea Shepherd. 

Leonardo DiCaprio supports sustainable brands

Speaking about his decision to invest in LØCI, DiCaprio previously said in a statement that he was “proud” to support a brand “dedicated to minimizing its environmental impact, and centered around creating cruelty-free, ethical footwear.”

The actor has also supported a number of other sustainable fashion brands, including Vitrolabs and Allbirds. He’s also invested in the cultivated meat sector, as well as Lewis Hamilton’s vegan chain Neat Burger.

Those interested can view the new LØCI maize collection here. Prices for the “corn” sneakers start at $215 (£173), and they are available to order online now.

The post Leonardo DiCaprio-Backed Vegan Brand LØCI Unveils Corn Leather Sneakers appeared first on Plant Based News.

Plaza posted the ad on her Instagram page in April 2023. It saw the White Lotus actor claim to have invented a new milk made from trees. The supposedly humorous commercial appeared to be a dig at plant-based milks. At the end of the clip, Aubrey proclaimed that “only real milk is real.”

Many of her followers expressed disappointment in the ad. It came at a time when there is growing awareness of the ethical, environmental, and health costs of dairy milk. Plaza turned off the comments on the post after the backlash.

USDA funds helped create the ad. It comes from the Got Milk? campaign, where high profile celebrities are paid to promote fluid dairy milk.

Did the wood milk advert violate federal law?

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has filed a complaint with the USDA’s inspector general, accusing the ad of violating two federal laws. The committee is a nonprofit animal rights and health group that promotes preventative medicine.

PCRM cited a law that prohibits USDA-backed adverts from disparaging other agricultural products. In addition, commercials should also not influence government action or policy. In the US, the Food and Drug Administration is currently calling for the public to offer opinions on guidelines for plant-based milk labels.

According to the complaint, the Wood Milk ad was created to drum up “backlash” against dairy-free alternatives. “This conduct unabashedly violates the legal guardrails that exist to prevent USDA from promoting one commodity to the detriment of others,” the complaint reads.

Plant Based News contacted the USDA for comment. A spokesperson said that they do not comment on ongoing litigation.

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The model and media personality shared the photos over the weekend to her 49.5 million Instagram followers. The images show Bieber posed on a boat while dressed in a bikini and wet t-shirt carrying the words.

She captioned the post: “all I know is, I’m about to have the best summer of my life,” alongside the glass of milk emoji. The photos may come as a surprise to some, as Bieber previously hailed the benefits of a plant-based diet.

Bieber is the latest celebrity to be associated with the “got milk?” campaign, which comes from the dairy industry. It sees famous faces paid to promote dairy milk consumption. Emma Roberts, Emily Ratajkowski, and Aubrey Plaza have made similar posts in recent months. 

Got milk? controversy

A number of people criticized Bieber’s recent post, pointing out the ethical costs of the dairy industry. Seb Alex, a well-known vegan campaigner, wrote: “The reason dairy is falling is because people are realizing they’re not baby cows and don’t need to drink the breastmilk that cows make for their babies. Not to mention what actually happens to these cows in this messed up industry.”

He added that it’s “sad” to see her use her platform to advertise a product “based on animal abuse.” Activist Rob Banks wrote that it’s “so strange” to see celebrities starring in these campaigns. 

Got Milk? was launched in 1993. It became famous for featuring a number of well-known celebrities donning milk mustaches. The ads were shelved in 2014, but similar campaigns are seeing a resurgence.

Most recently, White Lotus star Aubrey Plaza sparked controversy after appearing in a fake advert for “wood milk” that parodied the plant-based milk industry. In it, she stated that “only real milk is real.” The actor turned off her comments after backlash, with some accusing her of being a “dairy propagandist.”

The fall of dairy milk

Big dairy’s decision to invest huge amounts into such campaigns is likely in response to the decreasing popularity of fluid milk among younger generations. A recent New York Times article dubbed generation Z the “Not Milk generation.” This was in reference to the fact that they bought 20 percent less milk than the national average last year. 

As well as growing awareness of the environmental and health impacts of dairy, many young people are increasingly concerned about the ethical costs of the industry. “Dairy cows” are forcibly impregnated in order to produce milk, usually every year. Each time, their newborn calves are taken away so that their milk can be used for humans. The separation typically happens within hours after birth. This causes huge distress to both mother and baby, who will often bellow and cry out for days after they’re gone.

Due to the conditions in which they’re kept, lameness and mastitis, among other health problems, are common in dairy cows. When their bodies are worn out, they are sent to the slaughterhouse.

The post Hailey Bieber Sparks Backlash For ‘Got Milk?’ Post To 50 Million Fans appeared first on Plant Based News.

The naturalist and media personality said the appointment comes at a “historic moment.” The RSPCA is set to celebrate its 200th birthday next year. In a statement, Packham added that he’s arguably taking up his position at “one of the most critical times for animals in the charity’s history.”

Packham went on to state that the modern world comes with its “own challenges” for non-human animals. He highlighted the Covid-19 pandemic, the cost of living crisis, and the war in Europe, all of which are having an impact. He pointed out that there has been a 25 percent rise in abandoned animals year on year, as people struggle to manage costs. Incidents of neglect have also risen by 13 percent. 

What this leads to, Packham pointed out, is declining political will to look after non-human animals, as humans are priotitized.

“This would be a huge mistake,” he said. “Animal welfare is central to many of the big challenges facing governments and society, not just here but around the world, now and in the future. Wildlife is in crisis and we all need to do our bit to support the animals who share our world.”

‘What is good for animals is good for us’

Packham argued that there is a link between between the welfare of humans and wildlife, saying “what’s good for animals is good for us.”

The majority of infectious diseases and pandemics have originated from our unnatural treatment of animals. Animal farming is also a leading cause of the climate crisis, driving greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and biodiversity loss. Factory farms are also driving antibiotic resistance, with around 80 percent of antibiotics given to these animals, rather than humans. 

What is the RSPCA?

The RSPCA, established in 1824, specializes in animal rescue and promoting animal “welfare.” The charity often rescues and rehomes abandoned dogs, cats, and other companion animals. It also claims to promote better treatment of animals in farms, labs, and captivity. 

The charity isn’t without controversy, however. Some have criticized it for not going far enough in its promotion of “animal welfare.” Its “RSPCA Assured” label is given to farms that supposedly adhere to high standards. These include no cages, “responsible” antibiotic use, more living space, and what the charity calls “humane slaughter.” 

Many have argued that its standards are inadequate, and that the RSPCA should instead promote a plant-based food system. A number of RSPCA-assured farms have been investigated for cruelty, including most recently Scottish salmon farms linked to “a string of abuse.” 

The post Chris Packham ‘Immensely Proud’ As He’s Named RSPCA President appeared first on Plant Based News.

The restaurant is placed at one of the busiest fast food intersections in Hollywood. The new location is also taking the spot of a former McDonald’s restaurant.

Hart House used the new opening as an opportunity to launch a fresh summer menu, too. Dubbed “Summer Lovin,” it features three new plant-based items: a Smokey BBQ Burg’r, Hart House lemonade, and Nashville nuggets.

“Since the inception of Hart House, it’s always been about creating a new option within fast food which is why I’m so excited to bring Hart House to Hollywood,” said actor and comedian Hart in a statement. “At Hart House, we are in the business of making people feel good and I’m so proud of how fast we are growing and can’t wait ’til there are Hart House restaurants all across the nation!”

The celebrity also took to Instagram to celebrate the launch, encouraging his 175 million followers to visit the eatery and discover “what all of the food hype is about.”

Vegan drive-thru on Sunset Boulevard

The new Hart House offers 24 indoor seats, plus a further 16 outdoors. As it has before, the chain chose to work with Kai Williams and Nicollette Santos to complete the interior fit-out and graphic design details. This allowed the restaurant to again showcase the talents of a team made up exclusively of women of color.

The space has been ceremoniously painted with an expansive mural, by artist Olivia Sawai. She has previously completed large-scale artworks for Starbucks. 

Alongside the artwork comes fresh landscaping, with existing palm trees carefully preserved. In addition, a rainwater retention system that will capture and recycle rainfall has been installed to maintain the grounds in a sustainable way. 

“We are on a mission to create a sustainable restaurant brand that is grounded in high-quality jobs and objectively delicious food, with a menu that happens to be made entirely from plants,” Andy Hooper, Hart House CEO, said in a statement. “We believe it’s time to usher in a new era of fast food in Hollywood that matches up against the titans of the industry.”

Hart House Hollywood is located at 6800 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90028. The new vegan Summer Lovin’ dishes will be available at all three Hart House restaurants in Hollywood from May 25.

The post Kevin Hart’s Vegan Fast-Food Chain Just Opened Its First Drive-Thru appeared first on Plant Based News.

The campaign sees nearly 100 screens “take over” the iconic Atlantic City Boardwalk in New Jersey. The stretch is said to be the longest and busiest boardwalk in the world.

The actor’s face can be seen on dozens of advertising columns and other structures along the coast. Beside it, some text reads: “Helping Animals and the Earth Isn’t a Tall Order. Starbucks, End the Vegan Upcharge.”

The five-mile-long boardwalk first opened in 1870, making it the oldest in the United States. It’s considered by some to be “the backbone” of Atlantic City.

Shops, restaurants, hotels, casinos, and other attractions line the promenade. PETA says the new screens are within sight of two separate Starbucks locations.

Starbucks charges extra for vegan milk

The world’s largest coffee chain has long applied surcharges to its dairy-free milk options. In the US, Starbucks offers almond, coconut, oat, and soy milk alongside dairy. But consumers have to pay around 70-90 cents more for it.

“Dropping the upcharge would make it easier for compassionate customers to choose animal- and planet-friendly vegan options,” commented Cromwell, who starred in Babe in 1995. The film earned him an Academy Award nomination, and was the catalyst for his journey to veganism.

The actor underscored that “many other coffee companies have already stopped charging extra for these choices.” Indeed, even some of Starbucks’ own international locations have ditched the added fee, including in the UK and Germany.

The move is more important than ever, the actor says, in part due to environmental reasons. “We all have a stake in the life-and-death matter of the climate catastrophe, and Starbucks should do its part by ending its vegan upcharge,” he stated, adding that the surcharge “punishes kind and environmentally conscious customers.”

Cromwell isn’t alone in his request. Beatles legend Paul McCartney has also participated in PETA campaigns about the matter. McCartney wrote to the CEO of Starbucks and placed his support behind a petition urging the company to stop the upcharge. It has since garnered more than 150,000 signatures.

James Cromwell activism

The recent Atlantic City campaign is certainly not Cromwell’s first in the vegan space, or his first aimed Starbucks.

In May 2022, the 83-year-old superglued himself to a Starbucks counter in protest of the vegan dairy surcharge. “When will you stop raking in huge profits while customers, animals, and the environment suffer?” he said at the time.

In 2019, Cromwell was arrested during a protest against animal testing at Texas A&M University. Two years prior, he was arrested for trespassing after interrupting an orca performance at SeaWorld.

The post James Cromwell Asks Starbucks To End Its Vegan Tax – With 100 Photos Of His Face appeared first on Plant Based News.

In an article for The Times about his new cooking show Oh Cook!, the tv presenter said we have the “privilege” to decide to give up meat, adding: “There’s enough healthy vegetarian food about. I’m not one — yet — but I have devoted an episode to meat-free cooking and I’m particularly proud of my vegan burger.”

He added: “It’s quite possible we’ll look back in a generation or two’s time and regard eating animals as primitive. I still intend to try that 25-year-old steak and kidney pudding, though.”

James May and veganism

This isn’t the first time May has discussed the ethics of eating meat. In a 2019 interview, he said that he’d “tried veganism,” before going onto claim that eight months of eating vegetarian “made him ill.” He went on to say that humans will “in the future” give up meat. 

He stated that eating animals “genuinely isn’t sustainable,” adding: “I’ve also got some cow friends now down in the countryside and I go and talk to them in the field next to our house and I look into their eyes and I think they do know me.”

May’s views on meat may come as a surprise to some, as his good friend and former co-star Jeremy Clarkson has become known for his starkly opposing views on meat consumption. 

In November last year, Clarkson said vegans get “very little sex” in a bizarre tirade against plant-based eating. He has also described the move by Oxford County Council to serve only plant-based food at events as “madness,” claiming the council had “absolutely no idea about farming.”

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“I was vegan quite a few years ago – in fact, I wrote a vegan cookbook – and I feel a bit embarrassed because I really promoted that,” he told PA. “I thought that was good for the environment and I thought it was good for my health. And through time and experience and knowledge and study, I realized I was wrong on both counts.”

Throughout his almost two-decades long career in the public eye, Grylls’ diet has regularly sparked headlines. In his early TV shows, including The Island, he would regularly kill and eat animals like iguanas and snakes. He has since expressed regret for his actions, but nevertheless regularly endorses a meat-heavy lifestyle. 

But what diet does Grylls follow now? And was he ever really vegan? Here’s everything you need to know. 

What diet does Bear Grylls eat?

Grylls regularly makes public claims about his typical diet and the foods he chooses to eat. 

Recently, he has stated that he follows a mostly carnivorous diet heavy in meat, eggs, and liver. In March 2023, for example, he caused a stir on Twitter after endorsing a “natural diet” of mostly animal products. 

He said he builds “all his meals” around “really good grass-fed good quality meat,” adding that he “always throws in a bit of liver as well.” He also said his diet features lots of raw dairy and fruit, as well as “good quality honey.” 

Grylls went on to say that he doesn’t eat much bread or pasta, and that he avoids “processed foods.” He also went on to promote “Ancestral Supplements,” a brand he appears to have partnered with. These supplements contain animal organs like testicles, pancreas, and heart. Grylls said that humans “need more organs,” a claim that has been questioned by nutritional professionals. 

What has Bear Grylls said about veganism?

Grylls did advocate for plant-based eating for most of his career, but he has regularly denounced veganism since his u-turn back to animal products. 

In an interview with GQ magazine in July 2022, Grylls claimed that a plant-based diet gave him kidney stones. “I was a massive advocate of the vegan lifestyle for years, and wrote a book on it, but my health tanked on it,” he said. “When I got COVID a couple of years ago, I doubled down on what I thought was healthy—raw juice, vegetables—and got mega-sore kidneys, almost kidney stones.”

He added that the “more research” he’s done, he’s noticed that “raw vegetables are really not good for you.”

In December 2022, Grylls justified his meat-heavy diet on the grounds that a vegan broccoli “can’t defend itself.”

Speaking to Louis Theroux on the BBC, Grylls claimed to eat steak “twice a day.” He also said he didn’t eat “a lot of vegetables,” adding: “I always think if you’re in nature, you’re a broccoli growing in the ground, how do you defend yourself? You haven’t got claws, you have all these things that don’t want you to eat it. Defence chemicals.”

Was Bear Grylls really vegan?

Grylls receives a great deal of publicity for his anti-vegan rhetoric. Whether he actually followed the lifestyle, however, is questionable. The vegan cookbook that he refers to in the GQ and PA interviews was likely Fuel for Life, which he co-wrote with a nutritionist. While the book advocates for a dairy, wheat, and sugar-free lifestyle, it does contain meat recipes. He also states in the book that he ate what he calls “honest meat” (which he defines as non-factory farmed and unprocessed), alongside his mostly plant-based diet. 

Veganism refers to a philosophy that seeks to exclude all forms of animal cruelty and exploitation from one’s life as much as possible. As well as not eating animal products, vegans will usually avoid wearing animal-derived materials, and avoid zoos, aquariums, and other venues where animals are used for entertainment. 

While Grylls did appear to eat a mostly plant-based diet, he has never made any public assertion that he followed the lifestyle completely.

The post What Diet Does Bear Grylls Follow, And Was He Really Vegan? appeared first on Plant Based News.

The actor, known for starring in movies like Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes, invested an undisclosed amount into the biotech company via his financing company, FootPrint Coalition. Downey Jr. is thought to follow a plant-based diet. He reportedly cut out animal products over health and environmental concerns. 

Chunk Foods says it’s on a “mission to make delicious, nutritious, plant-based whole cuts that are kind to the environment, and accessible to all.” It currently just offers beef, but it plans to release pork, lamb, and poultry in the future. 

Its steak is available in a number of restaurants in New York City, including The Butcher’s Daughter, Coletta, and Anixi. It’s also set to be rolled out to more venues across the US later this year. 

Chunk Foods

The company uses solid state technology to create its products. While traditional vegan meats tend to use protein isolates, Chunk Foods makes use of soy flour and food-grade microorganisms. Its ingredients combine soy and wheat, and the products are fortified with B12 and iron. 

On its website, it says that its technology “combines novelty and tradition.” It goes on to claim that it enables creation of “any texture, nutritional profile, and appearance with minimal waste.”

Chunk Foods CEO Amos Golan said in a statement: “The unique thing is our ability to control the micro-texture within the whole cut, to the point where we can control the direction of the fibers, the thickness of the fibers, the thickness of the cut, the size of the cut, the color, almost any lever you can pull to change the character of the final product.”

The company doesn’t use binders or gums, and it also states that products are “minimally processed.”

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The Humane League and law firm Advocates For Animals are taking the government to court over the modern broilers (those raised for meat), who have been selectively bred to grow around 400 percent faster than they naturally would. Campaigners say that breeding chickens in this way goes against animal welfare laws. 

Packham, who was at court for a separate case, joined poet and writer Benjamin Zephaniah and TV personality Lucy Watson in holding banners outside the court. They chanted “justice for chickens” as they urged the government to end the use of these “Frankenchickens.”

Opening the case for the Humane League, Edward Brown KC said: “These breeding practices have increased meat yield, and allowed producers to significantly reduce cost, at the expense of substantial welfare detriment.”

He went on to highlight welfare issues, including musculoskeletal and cardiovascular disorders such as leg weakness, ascite (buildup of fluid in the abdomen), breast muscle diseases, as well as higher mortality rates.

He said that these were all “exacerbated as a result of the high-density intensive conditions in which the animals are kept.”

Are Frankenchickens illegal?

Campaigners claim that the use of Frankenchickens in farming is illegal. Despite this, they make up around 90 percent of the more than one billion chickens killed for food each year in the UK. 

The Welfare of Farmed Animals Regulations 2007 (WOFAR) states: “Animals may only be kept for farming purposes if it can reasonably be expected, on the basis of their genotype or phenotype, that they can be kept without any detrimental effect on their health or welfare.”

According to Brown, Frankenchickens go against this guideline. He cited an RSPCA report, which stated: “fast-growing breeds cannot be kept without detrimental effects to their health and welfare.”

The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the defendant in the case. It argues that it has no policy which condones or permits the use of Frankenchickens.

What’s the alternative?

Many campaigners argue that we shouldn’t farm chickens at all, but there are also alternatives to Frankenchickens that some say are a more ethical alternative. In the Netherlands, for example, it’s thought that 100 percent of broiler chickens are a slower growing breed. 

The hearing judgment will be released at a later date, and The Humane Society is hoping it will lead mark the beginning of the end for fast-growing chickens. 

“The future of billions of animals hangs in the balance. I hope that fast-growing Frankenchickens, who are born and die in grim factories across the country, get the help they desperately deserve,” Sean Gifford, Managing Director of The Humane League UK, said in a statement.

“Fast growing chickens are trapped in their own bodies and are victimized by constant pain and illness. We want a future where animals are treated with compassion and respect. That is a future where Frankenchickens no longer exist.”

The post ‘Justice For Chickens’: Chris Packham Joins Protest Against UK ‘Frankenchickens’ appeared first on Plant Based News.

The UK-based reality TV star, who is best known for starring in ITV’s The Only Way Is Essex, recently posted an Instagram video promoting the brand. 

“Hi honeys, as you know I’m on the beginning of my vegan journey,” she says to camera while wearing a VFC apron. “Like most huns, I’m quite partial to a cheeky nugget or two. And now I can indulge in a healthy and delicious spicy way that’s 100 percent vegan too.” 

She rounds off the video by saying “I will never eat chicken again. Save the planet, guys. Stop killing animals. You know it makes sense.”

Collins isn’t thought to be vegan yet, but she revealed in March of this year that she had ditched meat and adopted a vegetarian diet. “Guys so happy to tell you I’m meat-free I just can’t stand the cruelty to animals and I’m raising my vibration,” she told her Instagram followers.

“How could I eat meat when I’m such an activist for animals?,” she went on to say. 

The rise of VFC

Veganuary founder Matthew Glover and chef Adam Lyons founded VFC in 2020. VFC is an acronym for “vegan fried chick*n,” a play on the popular fast food restaurant. 

Since its launch, it has become a hugely popular vegan meat substitute among many plant-based eaters. It recently received a £6 million investment to boost its UK and international expansion.

Reaching new audiences

VFC has a large following on Instagram, and this collaboration with Collins is its latest move to reach new audiences and spread the vegan message. 

“Our partnership with Gemma has got VFC in front of her audience of 2.2 million followers and has been huge in raising awareness of veganism and our product, sparing more animals’ lives,” VFC Head of Marketing, Alison Reilly, told Plant Based News. 

“Our mission is to spare as many chickens as possible from the cruelty of the animal agriculture industry through great-tasting and convenient vegan alternatives – to do this we need to get more meat-eaters and flexitarians trying VFC, loving it and choosing it over animal-based chicken.”

Reilly added that the brand is looking at further partnerships with Gemma, including reviews and social media content. “We love having Gemma on board,” they said. “We can’t wait to collaborate with her again and get more people trying vegan alternatives!”

The post ‘Stop Killing Animals’ – Gemma Collins Teams Up With Vegan Chicken Brand VFC appeared first on Plant Based News.

The campaign sees Plaza sardonically claiming to have invented a new plant-based milk made from wood. However, as the advert progresses, she makes it clear that the drink is neither real, nor milk. 

“Is Wood Milk real?” she asks before answering her own question. “Absolutely not, only real milk is real,” seemingly poking fun at the range of plant milks that are now freely available worldwide. To drive the message home, the advert ends with the words “Is your milk real?” on the screen.

The satire-filled campaign was created by the Milk Processor Education Programme (MilkPEP), a marketing firm paid by Big Dairy. The same company came up with the original “Got Milk?” strapline in the 1990s and is now trying to revive the fading popularity of animal dairy with younger consumers.

In a strange twist, MilkPEP has expanded the wood milk “gag” to include social media accounts for the spoof company. Plus, a real website and merchandise such as t-shirts have been created. In the footer, a statement reiterates that the product is fake and that “only dairy milk is real milk.”

It also confirms that the whole thing has been paid for by “America’s Milk Companies.”

Despite affording Plaza the opportunity to play into her recognizable sarcastic trope, the wood milk campaign has sparked criticism. Indeed, the backlash is being leveled not only by Plaza’s own fanbase but also plant-based activists.

Plaza’s milk promotion proves unpopular

Plaza reportedly turned the comments off on a sponsored Instagram post after legions of fans questioned her participation in the pro-dairy commercial. However, followers then left negative comments on unrelated posts where the comments sections are still active.

On other platforms, some are accusing her of being a “dairy propagandist” and generally confirming that milk’s popularity is waning. 

Joining Plaza’s fans in condemning the commercial are plant-based eaters and activists. Animal rights organization PETA has left no doubt about its stance on the campaign, calling Plaza’s involvement “disappointing.” 

Earthling Ed on Big Dairy’s hypocrisy

Vegan activist Ed Winters (AKA Earthling Ed) took to his YouTube channel to dissect the commercial. In it, he condemns Plaza for being complicit in environmental hypocrisy.

In a scathing video entitled Aubrey Plaza destroys veganism (sarcastically), Winter addresses what he calls the “bewildering shambles” that is a pro-dairy advert being released during Earth Week. He qualifies this by explaining that animal agriculture is a major driver of the climate crisis. 

He goes on to unravel deeper hypocrisy within the campaign that centers around Big Dairy’s pledge to plant 10,000 trees, not cut them down to make milk. 

Explaining that the dairy sector is a major deforestation motivator, Winters likens the act of planting 10,000 trees to somebody setting a house on fire and then offering the owner a watering can to try to extinguish the flames.

Alt-dairy ads cause controversy too

MilkPEP is not alone in being questioned about the decision to press go on a dairy-related campaign. 

Earlier this year, Switch4Good unveiled a series of billboards designed to parody Got Milk’s original imagery of celebrities with cow milk mustaches. In the place of popular media figures stood notorious serial killers sporting milk mustaches above the words “9 out of 10 serial killers grew up drinking milk.”

Some observers were quick to condemn the ads as disrespectful to victims’ families and harmful to the plant-based cause.

The post ‘Is Your Milk Real?’ – Aubrey Plaza Under Fire For Anti-Vegan Dairy Ad appeared first on Plant Based News.

The actor and activist is using her platform to highlight the plight of colony chickens. Moreover, she is issuing a direct challenge to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

“How many times must the British public voice its horror at the way laying hens are treated before the Government acts?” she asked. “I dare the Prime Minister to watch this footage and claim his Government takes animal welfare seriously.”

Capturing hen cruelty on camera

Shot by activist-led charity Open Cages, the video seen by Lumley shows unhealthy, wounded, and visibly distressed caged hens. The animals are located at Carr Farm in East Yorkshire in the UK. Hens are clearly seen in overcrowded “colony cages” with the corpses of dead birds scattered at their feet.

Visiting Carr Farm three times between November 2022 and February 2023, activists installed hidden cameras to capture “excessive animal cruelty.” The charity claims that birds are routinely denied natural light, fresh air, and space to move freely.

According to the Daily Mail the footage has been described as “worryingly normal” by veterinary expert Andrew Knight. He went on to state that egg production methods are vastly different from what the British public assumes. 

Carr Farm was audited on behalf of the British Egg Industry Council soon after the undercover footage was released. The report stated that there is no food safety risk and that the majority of birds were “fit and healthy.”

The owners of Carr Farm claim that they are operating within the law and keeping their hens within an “enriched colony system.” This differs from battery farming only in the sense that birds have slightly more space to move about. However, cages are still stacked on top of each other to maximize profitability and birds are just as unable to participate in natural behaviors as they are in battery cages, leading to extreme distress and death.

As a result of the marginal differences between battery and colony egg production, many consider them to be equally guilty of inflicting harm and distress on non-human animals. Subsequently, activists are calling for both to be banned.

The government’s failure to protect caged hens

Open Cages’ chief executive Connor Jackson has been quick to express his disgust at the government’s lack of meaningful action in terms of cage bans.

“I’m furious at the Government for breaking yet another promise for animals,” he said. “Our footage proves that there are no happy hens in cages. These poor birds are forced to endure horrendous, unnatural conditions and that’s why all major supermarkets are phasing them out.”

The UK banned traditional battery cages in 2012, but did not prohibit the use of “enriched cages.” The term applies to slightly larger wire spaces that can include perches and other items deemed essential for a hen’s wellbeing, though these are not always installed. 

Despite other European countries – including Austria, Germany, and Switzerland – banning cages for hens, the UK has yet to follow suit. This, despite ongoing public support for such a move.

The post Joanna Lumley ‘Dares’ Rishi Sunak To Watch Footage Of UK Caged Hens appeared first on Plant Based News.

Found in the Nolita neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, the restaurant follows a successful pop-up trial in UrbanSpace, on Park Avenue. 

For the grand opening on April 17, Neat Burger offered free burgers to the first 100 people that came to the restaurant. The chain claims that consumers were queued up in their hundreds to celebrate the location’s launch.

“We can’t get over the plant-powered energy of today,” Neat Burger posted on its Instagram page. “SO MANY (literally hundreds!) of you came to celebrate our grand opening.”

What‘s on the US menu?

For its inaugural fixed US location, Neat Burger veganized a selection of “all-American classics” while still offering its signature sandwiches. As such, diners can choose from hot dogs, tater tots, stacked burgers, chick’n sandwiches, and more.

For traditionalists, Grilled Cheez and Patty Melt sandwiches are available. Finally, everything can be washed down with a fully loaded vegan shake.

Anybody that missed out on a gratis burger can still eat for free as part of the Secret Sauce Society. A loyalty system that earns discounts every time a purchase is made, the “society” gifts a free burger on sign-up.

The rise of the Neat Burger chain

The UK-founded chain – which is also backed by Leonardo DiCaprio – has opened a total of 10 permanent locations since its inception in 2019. Eight are in the UK, Dubai plays host to another, and New York makes 10. The chain is reportedly looking to open 30 more, with Italy and the Middle East thought to be target regions.

Underpinning the ambitious growth plans is a Series B fundraising round, completed in 2022, to the tune of $100 million.

“The response to Neat Burger since we opened has been incredible,” said Hamilton, who adopted a plant-based diet in 2017, in a previous press statement. “I’m really proud of the boundaries we have been able to push in this space, and the plans for expansion are really exciting.”

Neat Burger Nolita (New York) can be found at 25 Cleveland Place, and is open from 10:30am until 10pm Monday to Sunday.

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