Daiya company bought by pharmaceutical company, upsetting some

[Skylark]

http://veganstrategist.org/2017/07/31/vegans-shouldnt-boycott-daiya-cheese/

So, it happened about a year ago, but I just found out. The friend who tipped me off to the news of Daiya’s sale to a pharmaceutical company was vowing never to buy any Daiya products again. Since she is a raw vegan, it was pretty moot for her anyway. I don’t like many Daiya products, but the thought process of who I boycott and why is worth examining.

I read the link above expecting to disagree with it and move on to the next opinion piece. But so far I have to say the writer persuaded me.

 

[Andy_T]

I find this position makes some sense:

Daiya, Animal Testing, and the Meaning of “Vegan” – Animal Rights The Abolitionist Approach

It is no different from saying that a package of frozen broccoli isn’t vegan because it is made by a company that also makes meat/dairy/egg products. It is no different from saying that the vegetables you just bought at the farm market are not vegan because the farmer is not a vegan and will use the money you paid to buy animal products she will consume. There is no difference between animal testing and any other form of animal exploitation. It’s all morally unjustifiable. But it is not relevant to whether a product contains animals or animal ingredients. And that is the only thing that determines whether a particular thing is suitable for a vegan to eat.

 

[shyvas]

I found the following article to be an interesting read.I n my opinon the author states two main arguments, ; being bought by a very large company means it will be easier to promote the product to more consumers. Thus more people will turn to plant based products.

The owners of Daiya may consider investing the money into another plant based company and thus multiply the existing vegan product firms. Apparently the owners have received a lot of backlash for selling it to a pharmaceutical company that does animal testing.

I may add that I'm not a fan of Daiya cheese and find the European plant bases cheeses are far tastier. However, they certainly have a sense of style as far as packaging is concerning and an excellent website.

Why vegans shouldn't boycott Daiya cheese - The Vegan Strategist

 

[PTree15]

I did stop buying Daiya as a knee-jerk reaction to this acquisition, but the writer makes a good point about nonvegan ownership of so many vegan products. That said, I'm buying Aldi's Earth Grown vegan cheese these days because it's much cheaper and is pretty good flavor-wise. I do miss the Daiya pepperjack blocks and the cheddar slices, but I'm in savings mode right now, so cheaper is winning out. If the Aldi cheese was wretched, I just wouldn't buy it.

 

[shyvas]

I did stop buying Daiya as a knee-jerk reaction to this acquisition, but the writer makes a good point about nonvegan ownership of so many vegan products. That said, I'm buying Aldi's Earth Grown vegan cheese these days because it's much cheaper and is pretty good flavor-wise. I do miss the Daiya pepperjack blocks and the cheddar slices, but I'm in savings mode right now, so cheaper is winning out. If the Aldi cheese was wretched, I just wouldn't buy it.

None of the branches of Aldi stocked the vegan cheese so I didn't get around to tasting them. Vegan cheeses are very expensive in the US compared to the UK.
It's good to know that the discount stores are expanding their vegan options.

 

[PTree15]

None of the branches of Aldi stocked the vegan cheese so I didn't get around to tasting them. Vegan cheeses are very expensive in the US compared to the UK.
It's good to know that the discount stores are expanding their vegan options.

Yes, I was so happy to see this at Aldi. And this vegan cheese tastes much better than the one from Trader Joe's.

 

[silva]

Yes, I was so happy to see this at Aldi. And this vegan cheese tastes much better than the one from Trader Joe's.

It does! I really just use a little for texture. Have you tried Aldi vegan creme cheese? The first two containers I bought were really good- I used in sauces, on potatoes- the third was all starchy tasting!

 

[shyvas]

Yes, I was so happy to see this at Aldi. And this vegan cheese tastes much better than the one from Trader Joe's.

It's such a shame that none of the Aldi stores that I shopped at in CA, had a selection of vegan cheeses.

 

[PTree15]

It does! I really just use a little for texture. Have you tried Aldi vegan creme cheese? The first two containers I bought were really good- I used in sauces, on potatoes- the third was all starchy tasting!

I have not tried the cream cheese. I was never a huge fan in my pre-vegan days, but hey, maybe I will give it a shot. That's weird that the third one was all starchy-tasting. I like the texture of the vegan cheese as well. A little goes a long way.