Organizations including The Vegan Society, Plant-Based Health Professionals UK (PBHP UK), and Feedback Global wrote to the ministers for health, energy, and the environment calling for an end to the “Let’s Eat Balanced” campaign. The letter was also signed by environmental and health experts including Packham and NHS doctor Amir Khan.

Taking to Instagram last week, Packham described Let’s Eat Balanced, run by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) as “dangerous propaganda.” The campaign encourages British people to eat more meat and dairy. It runs through January to coincide with Veganuary.

Read more: Campaigners Call for An End To Meat Advertising In The UK

Let’s Eat Balanced “flies in the face of the government’s own public health and sustainability goals,” the letter states. “Instead of promoting meat, the Government should use similar publicity campaigns to drive up the consumption of fruit, vegetables and whole foods and communicate the health and sustainability benefits of plant-based whole foods to the public.”

Representing animal farming interests

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A post shared by Chris Packham (@chrisgpackham2)

AHDB is an “arm’s length” public body, funded through its members. Since the departure of the potato and fruit and vegetable sectors, AHDB members farm animals, oilseeds, and cereals. More than half of cereals grown in the UK are used as animal feed and biofuel. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) oversees AHDB activities and appoints its board. The letter points out that contrary to its name, AHDB “is now effectively a body solely promoting the interests of the animal farming sector.”

Read more: Health Professionals Urge Government To Withdraw Meat Ads

The government’s own advisory Climate Change Committee has recommended a reduction in British meat consumption of 20 percent by 2030 and 35 percent by 2050. This is necessary to help the UK meet its legally binding emissions reduction targets. Prime Minister Keir Starmer made these targets even more ambitious at the last UN Climate Summit.

“The Government must make people aware of the recommendations to limit meat and dairy consumption and enable a just transition to profitable and sustainable agriculture in the UK,” the letter states. “Such strategies have already been implemented by other governments, including the Danish government in 2023, and the UK must follow suit.”

Not aligned with health advice

Let’s Eat Balanced makes several assertions about the apparent benefits of eating meat and dairy, including providing vitamin B12 (which can easily be supplemented on a plant-based diet). But it does not warn of the risks associated with a diet high in animal products.

“Evidence is abundant that high quantities of red and processed meat increase the risk of coronary heart disease, some forms of cancer and type 2 diabetes,” says the letter. It warns that while government dietary guidelines, the Eatwell Guide, recommend eating no more than 70g per day of red and processed meat, only 29 percent of people are aware of this.

More than a million health professionals are represented by organizations that signed the letter. As well as PBHP UK, these include the Doctors Association UK and the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change.

Read more: Veganuary Participants More Likely To Become Disgusted By Meat, Study Finds

This article was written by Claire Hamlett on the PBN Website.

Read more: Why Is This Fruit Going Viral On TikTok?

Simon Beun, one half of the popular vegan Instagram account @fitshortie, has taste-tested a variety of fascinating fruits from around the world. Alongside his partner, Tina Stoklosa, he has been traveling to different countries, trying the planet’s most incredible fruits and documenting their experiences on Instagram. Here are his top 12 picks from Costa Rica.

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A post shared by Simon & Tina | Fruit & Vegan Travel (@fitshortie)

1. Soursop

Also known as graviola, soursop smells like pineapple and is both sour and sweet. With a spiky green exterior, the flesh inside is white and creamy in texture. Soursop is also low in calories and rich in fiber and vitamin C.

2. Cupuaçu

This fruit is actually the national fruit of Brazil, which is the world’s biggest producer of Cupuaçu. “Can you imagine a slimy pineapple, sour, a little bit sweet, and very refreshing,” Simon describes it in the Instagram post. It’s often used in desserts or pressed into a juice. Its seeds contain a nutrient-rich fat that is turned into cooking oil and used for beauty treatments.

3. Chocolate Sapote

Chocolate sapote, also called black sapote, is like a low-sugar brownie in fruit form. It has a dark chocolate coloring and a creamy texture. Chocolate sapote is rich in vitmains and potassium, too.

4. Rollinia

This spiky yellow fruit is a native to Brazil but popular throughout Central and South America. Simon describes it as like eating a thick apple sauce, with lemon-infused apple sauce taste. Indeed, it is known for its exceptional taste, often likened to lemon meringue pie, and slimy texture.

Read more: The 9 Healthiest Fruits, According To Nutritionists

5. Cacao

You wouldn’t guess just by looking at it, but this is the fruit that chocolate is made from. Shaped a bit like a rugby ball, the tough skin is red or yellow in color. Inside the flesh is whitish and has a sweet, slightly sour fruity taste. The seeds are what become chocolate, but they can also be eaten raw if you like the intensity and bitterness of very dark chocolate.

6. Banana Passionfruit

This passionfruit gets its name from being long and yellow on the outside. The pulp within is orange in color and, according to Simon, it tastes like tropical punch. The seeds can be eaten but are bitter in flavor.

7. Mocambo

Mocambo is also known as white cacao as its a cousin on the cacao fruit. The hard, craggy shell of the mocambo contains a huge amount of fruit which forms in segments. Inside the segments are seeds surrounded by pulp. These seeds are edible and packed with protein.

8. Pink banana

There are more than 1,000 varieties of bananas, but most of us only eat one type, the yellow Cavendish banana. This pink variety has a starchier texture and contains many larger seeds than what you would be used to.

9. Safou

This small fruit looks like an elongated plum and is also known as butter pear. This is because of its fatty, buttery flesh. Native to Africa, it has ben cultivated in other parts of the world with suitably tropical climates. Simon describes it as having the consistency of mashed potatoes with a slightly sour flavor.

10. Cassabanana

This large fruit resembles a marrow, and is in fact a gourd, though its skin is red. The flesh is orange and very juicy and peppered with black seeds. It has the taste of a melon and is very sweet.

11. Sapote Colombia

Sapote Colombia is another kind of sapote fruit. It’s brown skin contains orange flesh with a large core of pulp. Its flavor is like a melon with a hint of orange.

12. Borojo

This round fruit can be pulled apart, revealing a very sticky brown flesh. According to Simon, it is hard to eat because of its gluey texture and inedible hard seeds. He says it has a strong smell similar to tamarind and tastes how burnt plastic smells. So, this may be one to avoid…

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

This article was written by Claire Hamlett on the PBN Website.

Read more: Cillian Murphy Discusses His Decision To Go Plant-Based

In a post on Instagram, where Smith has 2.4 million followers, he wrote: “The fans at the Con have been amazing but Liverpool itself is just magical! I mean, look at the exquisite (Vegan!) cake @thenortherntartstreats made for me! That’s just Liverpool lovely!” 

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Manchester-based bakery The Northern Tart made Smith and collaborator Jay Mewes a stoned marijuana leaf-shaped cake with the caption (in icing) “rollin fatties smokin blunts.” It’s a line from a song sang in his and Mewes’ 2001 comedy Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

The Northern Tart told Plant Based News that the cake was vanilla, dark chocolate and dark cherry flavored. The company used agar-agar in place of gelatin, and the result was an “amazingly moist, light, and bouncy” cake.

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Smith’s veganism

Smith went vegan in 2018 at the urging of his daughter Harley Quinn after he had a near-fatal heart attack. He credits cutting animal products from his diet with the rapid weight loss that doctors told him he needed to protect his heart.

On an episode of Joe Rogan’s podcast, he described how his lab tests returned “fantastic” results after only one month eating plant-based. He also discussed his favorite vegan restaurants, including Crossroads Kitchen in LA, in which Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker is an investor.

Read more: Pamela Anderson To Release Plant-Based Cookbook

In 2019, Smith and Harley Quinn presented an award to an animal rights activist at Mercy For Animals’ 20th Anniversary Gala. There he told Variety that he receives a lot of anti-vegan hostility on social media. “Whenever I post something about being vegan, they get pretty upset and say ‘I’m going to eat four times as much meat’ and I’m like, ‘See you in hell.’” He added that he doesn’t tell people what to eat, but merely responds “to questions about why I look the way I look suddenly.”

“[Y]ou have to be very careful about how you couch it because some people feel like I’ve had so much taken away, now you are going to take away my meat,” he said. “Do what you want. I took away my meat to save my life.”

Read more: Nicki Minaj Launches Range Of Barbie Pink Vegan Sneakers

This article was written by Claire Hamlett on the PBN Website.

Paid for by the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), the satirical ad claims that “dairy deniers all over America are subjecting them to milk shaming.”

The marketing campaign comes with the slogan “Ok2Milk.” In the advert, Queen Latifah narrates a series of scenarios where people have supposedly been shamed for their decision to drink milk.

The ad follows the pattern of similar celebrity endorsements for dairy. Earlier this year, Aubrey Plaza’s Wood Milk advert – which made fun of plant-based milks – was widely criticized.

Queen Latifah promotes milk

In Queen Latifah’s advert, we hear the story of a man whose date apparently left a restaurant when he ordered milk.

This is followed by a baseball mom upset to be judged by the other moms for handing out choco milk. Finally, a man running for city council describes how he was smeared in the press for chugging milk at a frat party in his college days.

“So next time you’re about to shame someone for drinking milk, think about them,” Queen Latifah advises.

Big Dairy trying to remain relevant

The campaign to paint dairy drinkers as victims comes amid a turning tide in consumer beliefs. Surveys have shown that more and more US consumers are choosing plant-based milks. Younger consumers are more likely to avoid dairy milk due to ethical and environmental concerns. Dairy milk consumption is down 20 percent among Gen Z compared to the national average.

Faced with the falling popularity of dairy and rise of plant-based milks, MilkPEP seems to be trying to reach a younger consumer base through celebrity endorsements.

Queen Latifah – whose real name is Dana Elaine Owens – is a Grammy and Emmy award-winning musician and actress. She has a large social media following, with more than 7.5 million Instagram followers.

Winston Binch, chief brand and experience officer for GALE, the creative agency commissioned by MilkPEP to create the advert, explained that Queen Latifah was the “perfect fit,” according to online publication Muse by Clio. He added that MilkPEP was committed to featuring only women in their marketing. 

Dairy dollars keep coming

The dairy lobby has long been prepared to spend big to ensure continued sales. Collectively, the dairy industry donated a reported $5.1 million to members of congress during the 2020 election cycle.

Federal subsidies and advertising have long promoted dairy as a necessary part of Americans’ diet for decades. This is despite research showing the negative health risks related to dairy, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.

The latest series of high-profile celebrity adverts appears to be the newest way the dairy lobby is trying to retain its influence. As with the Wood Milk advert, the Milk Shaming campaign comes with a website and hotline. “If you’ve been a victim of milk shaming, call the number on your screen,” Queen Latifah says.

Is milk shaming real?

In the FAQs section of the website, MilkPep defines “milk shaming” as a “ridiculous reaction to someone enjoying a beloved drink.”

It adds: “92% of American households consume dairy milk, yet milk drinkers are being made to feel embarrassed, shamed and disgraced simply for their loving some dairy milk! That may seem weird or silly, but sadly it’s actually true.”

The true victims of dairy farming

Behind the glitzy front of celebrity sponsorships, the production of milk has long been criticized for its cruelty. 

In order to produce milk, each cow must first give birth. Their calf will be taken from them within just a few hours, and cows will often bellow and cry out for their young for days afterwards. If the calf is female, they will likely be raised for dairy. If they are male, they may be killed or sold to the veal industry.

Cows have been selectively bred to produce far more milk than they naturally would, which takes a huge toll on their bodies. Conditions like lameness and mastitis are common on dairy farms. When they stop producing enough milk, cows will be sent to the slaughterhouse.

Plant-based milk alternatives skip the suffering

For consumers looking to avoid the harmful impacts of dairy milk, a wide range of plant-based alternatives exist. From oat and pea, to soy and potato, there are dozens of vegan milk varieties.

More like this:

• Humans ‘Milked’ Outside Tate Modern in Dairy Protest
• Vegan Cheese: What Is It, What’s It Made Of, And Where Can You Buy It?
• Flora Removes Dairy From ‘Buttery’ Spread, Making Entire Range Vegan

This article was written by Daniel Clark on the PBN Website.

The vegan musician frequently uses her platform to educate fans about the benefits, both personal and planetary, of plant-based eating. 

Now, Eilish has taken her campaign one step further by endorsing the month-long challenge that asks people to try plant-based eating for 31 days. In her story, she shared a Veganuary-branded black and white image of herself. Accompanying the picture was the quote: “By replacing meat consumption with plant-based foods, together, we can give the Earth a fighting chance.”

Registration for Veganuary 2023 sign-ups opened on December 18, 2022, with Eilish’s story being posted a week later.

Eilish’s climate activism

Promoting Veganuary is just the latest way that Eilish has used her celebrity status to educate about the climate crisis.

As part of her Happier Than Ever tour in 2022, Eilish played six shows at the O2 Arena in London. On the days of her performances, no animal products were served anywhere in the venue. Additionally, a climate awareness exhibition was hosted, called Overheated Live. 

Concertgoers were encouraged to attend the climate event, which included activist speakers and key information about how a switch to a plant-based food system would benefit the environment. 

Plant Based News co-founder Robbie Lockie hosted a panel at the event, which focused on the importance of evolving our food system. They spoke with Support + Feed founder Maggie Baird (who is also Eilish’s mom), as well as Isaias Hernandez, the founder of Queer Brown Vegan.

More recently, Eilish also lent her support to the Climate-Friendly School Food Program campaign, launched by Friends of the Earth. 

A milestone for Veganuary

Veganuary was first launched in 2014, and has since then soared in popularity.

Last year saw 629,000 participants take part, and 2023 is set to be its biggest yet. The charity recently announced that one person is signing up every 2.4 seconds. 

Alongside Eilish, a slew of high-profile promoters have endorsed Veganuary, including Joaquin Phoenix, Sir Paul McCartney, and Alicia Silverstone.

It’s not too late to sign up – take the Veganuary challenge here.

This article was written by Amy Buxton on the PBN Website.

The star, best known for his role as Stefan in The Vampire Diaries, made the request in an Instagram post dedicated to Earth Day.

Paul Wesley

He told his 10.9 million followers: “There are many posts going around today encouraging all sorts of recycling and environmental conservation. 

“While I entirely agree with these calls to action, most importantly I want to encourage you all to be kind to all of our earth’s creatures. 

“A plant-based diet is hands down THE single biggest way to reduce your impact on this earth. 

“I encourage you all to try to reduce your dependence on animal products. Not only will we be saving the planet, but we’ll also be saving many animals from the unnecessary suffering that is a sad reality of today’s industrialized food system.”

Wesley then added: “80 billion animals are slaughtered every year [and] meat production is estimated to double by 2050. How will we feed 160 billion animals per year? By clearing forests. 

“But, we have already cleared 50 percent of the world’s forests. And trees are natural carbon-capturing devices. Every day needs to be earth day.”

Factory farming

However, this isn’t the first time Wesley has used his platform to advocate for veganism.

Last year, the celeb slammed factory farming – dubbing it as ‘one of the most important issues of our time’. 

He described the practice as the ’cause of numerous diseases’ as well as ‘the greatest contributor to climate change. Wesley then added: “Join me and go vegan in 2021.”

You can follow Paul Wesley on Instagram here

This article was written by Liam Gilliver on the PBN Website.

Ramsay, who regularly takes to TikTok to mock at-home-chefs and vegans, made the announcement in a vegan cooking tutorial. The viral video garnered one million views in less than a day.

Vegan steak

‘Hi guys it’s Gordon. I’ve got a confession. After three decades of cooking, hundreds and hundreds and thousands of hours behind the stove… I’m turning vegan’, he said via his Instagram.

It shows him char an aubergine, adding oil and seasoning before basting it in a red wine and vegan butter jus.

At the end of the video, Ramsay jokes that he’s only turning vegan ‘for lunch, only’.

Upon sharing the recipe, he says ‘you won’t believe this juicy steak is vegan’.

‘For lunch only’

Gordon Ramsay’s recipe

The recipe calls for a rub made from cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and peppercorns, and extensive roasting in the oven.

Ramsay garnishes it with shiitake mushrooms and creamy garlic mash, as well as a caramelized Veggie Demi Glaze.

For additional flavor, age the aubergine overnight with a sprinkling of the rub and drizzling of jus, he recommends.

Social media reaction

Upon posting the video to his TikTok, Ramsay wrote ‘That Vegan Teacher where are yo- oh wait’. This is a nod to the banning of viral vegan TikToker, That Vegan Teacher.

On Instagram, the reaction was positive with many praising the chef on making ‘a start’. One user wrote: ‘For lunch is cool, step by step’, whilst another claimed veganism is in fact ‘more than just a diet’.

‘If you want Gordon to be vegan show him why he is against abusing animals’, another added.

The chef has made moves towards accepting plant-based diets over the past few years, by adding vegan options in his restaurants. He’s openly accepted the rise in popularity and said in the past that the food industry ‘must adapt’.

This article was written by Emily Baker on the PBN Website.