Chocolate for carnivores

This is one of the most bizarre pieces of news I’ve heard for a while. Masterfoods are starting to put animal products into their chocolate bars. No longer will Mars, Twix, Bounty, Maltesers and the rest be suitable for vegetarians or ethical meat eaters. Why not? They’re adding rennet to their chocolate. Why on Earth would they do this? Sure, it might save a little money on whey production but it’s surely obvious that it’s a step backwards in ethics.

Update (21 May): The decision has been reversed, apparently, and Mars-brand chocolates will now be OK again. I can’t find an official page for this news, but it was reported on Radio 4 this weekend.

The response from Masterfoods when questioned is also truly stunning.

“If the customer is an extremely strict vegetarian, then we are sorry the products are no longer suitable, but a less strict vegetarian should enjoy our chocolate,” said Paul Goalby, corporate affairs manager for Masterfoods.

“Extremely strict”? A vegetarian is someone who doesn’t eat meat or any other pieces of an animal. What is a “less strict vegetarian”? Someone who’s happy to eat a little meat, just not too much? Or someone who’s happy to eat meat as long as they don’t know about it?

Now, I’m not a vegetarian. But I am someone who takes seriously the ethical provenance of the meat I do eat. And we can be pretty darned sure that this rennet will be lowest-common-denominator animal product and not ethically sourced. So now I won’t be able to eat Masterfoods products produced after the 1st of May this year with a clear conscience.

Will you?

pax et bonum

(PS I’ve filled in the Masterfoods comment form and let them know my opinion. If you have an opinion, why not let them know?)

Article posted at 10:24am on 15 May 2007
Category: General, Links, Food, Life

And another change (and I’m afraid I think more serious) – Mars Bars are no longer gluten-free. (While I totally respect people’s right to choose whether or not to eat meat, all the media attention on the animal content has made no mention of the fact that they will now be downright dangerous for some people’s health.)

Anne () (URL)
5:03pm on 16 May 2007

Hmm. Nasty. Another reason to use that comment form, perhaps?

pax et bonum

[John] () (URL)
6:24pm on 16 May 2007