Vegan Labeling in Britain's Supermarkets Could Become a Reality
We’ve all been there. In a supermarket, trying to decipher if a given product has any animal products in it-even when the product logically should be vegan. Ingredient lists can be suspiciously long, and of course many animal products are not always easily identifiable-especially for those who are newer to plant-based eating.
Animal Aid UK is looking to rectify this situation with their “Mark It Vegan” campaign, which focuses on major supermarkets. With a 360% rise in Britain’s vegan population since 2006, mandatory vegan labeling could become a reality-for convenience as well as to help customers avoid mistakes. Animal Aid UK states:
“Currently, only three major food retailers-Sainsbury’s, the Co-op and Marks & Spencer-widely label their vegan-friendly own-brand products. The rest do so either sporadically or not at all. This often leaves vegans with no choice but to go through the entire ingredients list of each product to check whether it is suitable, which is not only laborious, but also runs the risk of mistakes being made.”
The organization states that the goal of the “Mark It Vegan” campaign is to have every one of the remaining seven major supermarkets clearly label all of their store-brand products if they are vegan, by having ‘suitable for vegans’ printed directly on the packaging, or by using a clear symbol. Animal Aid UK is advocating for these adjustments to be made within the next 12 months, to ensure that there is enough time for companies to adopt the changes.
Visit the Animal Aid UK website in order to find ways to get involved with this campaign.
Photo Credit: www.mealangels.com
