College campus-Veganism?

[wildr0se2]

College campus sucks at being educated about veganism…?

So my college campus’s dining hall usually has plant-based desserts in addition to regular. Today, I noticed that the signage said there was “vegan pumpkin blondies”, yet it was marked vegetarian and in the ingredients, milk is used. This is so bizarre to me as I’ve eaten them before and never noticed milk in the ingredients unless I just overlooked them?

On top of that, the CampusDish app my college uses marked their General Tso sauce as vegan, yet when I looked at Minor’s Food Service’s website (I think that’s the brand they use) they mark it as vegetarian but the ingredients don’t look like they have animal products? I’m so confused. I’ve trusted my dining hall when it came to claiming whether foods were vegetarian or vegan and now I feel worried I accidentally consumed animal products. Do I need to be more thorough next time?

Update: I told one of the dining hall staff and he said it’s most likely almond milk and that the way the guy typed it can be confusing and he’ll let their supervisor know.

 

[Emma JC]

good for you for being on top of things - it is much less stressful when you are sure that what you are eating is vegan

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com

 

[Lou]

As I've said before, try not to sweat the small stuff.
don't worry, be happy

 

[wildr0se2]

As I've said before, try not to sweat the small stuff.
don't worry, be happy

I’m always afraid of being bad at veganism but I know perfection isn’t the goal I do want to ask: if a food is deemed vegan, is it also cruelty free?

Edit: now I’m hung up because I bought vegan Hershey bars and Reddit claims Hershey buys their cocoa from child slavery based providers…worried im not vegan

 

[Lou]

I’m always afraid of being bad at veganism but I know perfection isn’t the goal I do want to ask: if a food is deemed vegan, is it also cruelty free?

I think it has to be but I suppose there must be an exception.

but you hit on another point that has to do with cosmetics. A cosmetic that does not contain any animal components may be tested on animals, so it's not cruelty free.

I googled and I was going to post a PETA link but the AI stated it succinctly,

Cruelty-free means a product was not tested on animals, but it may still contain animal-derived ingredients, while vegan means a product contains no animal products or by-products at all. Therefore, a product can be cruelty-free but not vegan (e.g., a product with beeswax that wasn't tested on animals), and a product can be vegan but not cruelty-free (e.g., a vegan product that was tested on animals). To be sure a product is both, look for labels and certifications that explicitly state both standards.

 

[wildr0se2]

I think it has to be but I suppose there must be an exception.

but you hit on another point that has to do with cosmetics. A cosmetic that does not contain any animal components may be tested on animals, so it's not cruelty free.

I googled and I was going to post a PETA link but the AI stated it succinctly,

Cruelty-free means a product was not tested on animals, but it may still contain animal-derived ingredients, while vegan means a product contains no animal products or by-products at all. Therefore, a product can be cruelty-free but not vegan (e.g., a product with beeswax that wasn't tested on animals), and a product can be vegan but not cruelty-free (e.g., a vegan product that was tested on animals). To be sure a product is both, look for labels and certifications that explicitly state both standards.

So does this have to do less with food products (minus dyes, additives, etc) and more with cosmetics then?

 

[Lou]

an example of a

So does this have to do less with food products (minus dyes, additives, etc) and more with cosmetics then?

yes.

 

[silva]

I thought companies that were animal free, but still had the mandatory testing for overseas distribution couldn't be labeled as vegan?

 

[wildr0se2]

I thought companies that were animal free, but still had the mandatory testing for overseas distribution couldn't be labeled as vegan?

Is this within the U.S? And does this apply to non overseas distribution as well?

 

[Lou]

I thought companies that were animal free, but still had the mandatory testing for overseas distribution couldn't be labeled as vegan?

if we are talking about non-food, like cosmetics, you can be animal free but not cruelty free. I'm thinking that to be vegan you have to be both.

are you referring to companies that sell to Asia? The EU has stricter standards for cruelty free than the US. I feel like American vegans might no buy cosmetics that are made for the Asian markets. Not sure if they would not buy stuff that is cruelty free but made by a company that sells non cruelty free products elsewhere.

I mean that's sort of like not buying soy milk from companies that also sell dairy milk. or to take it to the extreme, not buying vegetables from a grocery store because they also sell meat.

 

[silva]

Is this within the U.S? And does this apply to non overseas distribution as well?

It's been a while since I've looked that up, but Lou has defined it well.
I'm seeing far more personal care items-hair products, cosmetics, soaps-labeled vegan. Hopefully gets peoples attention

 

[Lou]

Oh how about a weird little exception. Impossible foods uses a GMO yeast in its food. And they did test it on animals to get FDA approval. So we have can have a vegan food that is not cruelty free.

 

[wildr0se2]

Oh how about a weird little exception. Impossible foods uses a GMO yeast in its food. And they did test it on animals to get FDA approval. So we have can have a vegan food that is not cruelty free.

I heard about that. Do they still do that? And do vegans still eat them?

 

[Lou]

I heard about that. Do they still do that?

They only had to do it once in order to get FDA approval

And do vegans still eat them?

I still do. I don't have to so if I was given a good reason to stop I would.

I just looked it up and less than 200 rats were used in the FDA required animal test. The gray area for. me is that I am aware that a lot of the things I eat has been at one time or another tested on animals.

The other thing that I'm aware of is products like Impossible burgers have positive effects, like reducing green house gases, and reducing the demand for real meat. Not saying that there aren't other ways to achieve those goal but every little bit helps. So why not.

 

[insomniac]

Almond milk? Hell, no. Milk on a vegan label means someone didn't understand the word "vegan" and until staff are educated it will continue.
I hope you follow this up again and point out anything labelled Vegan must be free of all dairy / butter / cream / honey / eggs.

It is a big health risk because both dairy and eggs - even in tiny amounts - can trigger life-threatening allergies.

 

[Lou]

Almond milk? Hell, no. Milk on a vegan label means someone didn't understand the word "vegan" and until staff are educated it will continue.
I hope you follow this up again and point out anything labelled Vegan must be free of all dairy / butter / cream / honey / eggs.

It is a big health risk because both dairy and eggs - even in tiny amounts - can trigger life-threatening allergies.

What are you talking about? Where did almond milk come into this conversation.
almond milk does not contain any dairy.

 

[insomniac]

What are you talking about? Where did almond milk come into this conversation.
almond milk does not contain any dairy.

in the Update at the bottom of the initial post

 

[insomniac]

This might help.... allow yourself to feel vegan joy because EVERY single day you save animals. Even when it's not easy.

Some people do not know what vegan even means - I've been asked if it's the new word for vegetarian or if I want the gluten-free menu, and with cakes I often double-check there is no honey.

Some ways to make it easier to avoid being given/sold non-vegan stuff include:
- Ask staff if they can double-check something for you
- Ask for the allergen list (eggs and dairy in different forms will be listed if there is one)
- Ask what brand something is eg which brand vegan cheese, which brand of "plant milk" if they can't tell me I never eat it
-Never accept browned cheese no matter what they tell you- no vegan cheese browns in the oven
- Ask for the ingredients list
- if they are reluctant maybe because it is busy, point out that eggs and dairy products cause life-threatening allergies in some people (I just ignore them if they ask if I have an allergy or I say accident cross-contamination is ok for me)

 

[insomniac]

Know that you are not alone. You did nothing wrong, and recognizing now is much better than avoiding thinking about it, because it will help you going forward.

There's been a number of times when people assured me of things that were not true - particularly as a vegetarian - including once a "vegetarian dish of the day" and the "vegetarian Christmas dinner". It is harder when it is a friend catering for you, or family, but over time you will be much more able to know how to avoid it. A few people lie to save face (or if it's not a business they lie because they have anti-vegan views and a total lack of respect for others but there aren't many like that).

Sometimes you might be tricked into eating something with a non-vegan ingredient - it has happened to me a number of times. It is never pleasant and it might feel better to be angry with them (instead of feeling down).

Having another person misrepresent something as vegan gives you an opportunity to go back and ask for the manager or to educate the person - you don't have to (activism with others isn't essential) - but it can feel good to do. If somewhere denies the problem or makes excuses you can decide if you want to avoid it, or even look for someone else to take it up with (dairy is especially serious), or let others know that the place isn't always honest about what is in their food. Non-vegans may not like the idea of not knowing what they are actually eating.

But you don't need to do any of these things, it will depend on if you feel strong enough or how you feel emotionally. Perhaps it is something you might do another time in the future? If you are happy that they said almond milk then keep to that (I wouldn't be, because it who on earth would think "milk" in an ingredient meant nut milk - nuts being an allergen).

Being vegan in itself is an achievement in such a non-vegan world.

I'm not sure there is really such a thing as being a "good" or "bad" vegan, but it is the animal eaters that have caused this feeling. They are the ones who caused the problem. Of it had been a vegan place it would never have happened.