Category: video

Beyond meat: The end of food as we know it?

We should not feed plants to animals for meat, cheese, milk & eggs … we should use plants to actually make them!

The Giuseppe program from Chile’s Not Company (NotCo) are replicating animal ingredients, but entirely based on plants.

A group of Chilean scientists are on a mission to change the way that we make food and reduce the impact of animal faming on the environment in the process . The researchers have set up a company that uses artificial intelligence to find a way to replicate animal-based products like milk, yoghurt, cheese and mayonnaise, using plant based ingredients.

Listen to this exciting report 18mins40″ in to this Science in Action program from BBC World Service and read more:meet-the-worlds-smartest-food-scientist-guiseppe.

Talk to Al Jazeera – Beyond meat: The end of food as we know it?

Published on Feb 6, 2016

With the latest breakthroughs in artificial intelligence a whole new concept of food may soon radically change what we eat. And at the same time, some experts believe, it could reduce global warming.
No longer based on animal ingredients, this is a food entirely based on plants – although it looks and tastes like the classic food based on ingredients derived from animals.

This is not a new idea, it has been around for about 10 years.

But the breakthrough has been delayed, perhaps one of the reasons is that many consumers still prefer locally produced food, they want to trust the supply chain, and not simply depend on big manufacturers.

However, a group of young scientists in Chile are working on alternatives for a sustainable and meatless future.

Commercial engineer Matias Muchnick and Harvard research associate Karim Pichara are two of the founders of the Not Company.Together with biochemist Isidora Silva they are developing new plant-based food and are determined to bring it to people in their local market.

Part of what motivates them is what they consider to be the biggest drawback of classic animal farming: It requires massive amounts of land and it affects global warming.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, livestock contributes both directly and indirectly to climate change through the emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.

Livestock is also a major driver of deforestation, desertification, as well as the release of carbon from cultivated soils. Overall the livestock sector is contributing 2.7 billion tonnes of CO2 emission according to the UN.

“When you get behind the scenes of the food industry, you don’t like what you see. There is a lot of things that we should be knowing… but we are blindsided by a whole industry that is making it really hard for us to see what we are really eating,” says Matias Muchnick.

The main scientist of the Not Company team is a computer, an artificial intelligence algorithm programmed to become the smartest food scientist in the world.

It uses deep learning parameters to understand food at a molecular level, helping the team to deliver tasty and affordable nutrition while using less water, less land, less energy, and without the need to cultivate harmful bio systems like animals.

It’s a complicated process but it’s designed to understand human perception of taste and texture which allows it to suggest clever recipes for sustainable and tasty plant-based foods. And it even understands the availability and use of resources for every single plant in the company’s database.

“We want people to eat better, but without even knowing, that’s the main objective of the Not Company,” Muchnick says.

But does the new model of food production really work? Will it be popular among consumers? What does it mean for the future of food? Are we at the tipping point of a food revolution?

The team behind the Not Company talks to Al Jazeera to discuss their work, their goals and their vision for the future of the food industry.

 

Milks of Human Kindness

Milk of Human KindnessFor over 30 years Veggies of Nottingham have been working to promote compassionate catering. In all those years we have never used calves milk, nor any other animal products. In 1984 this was unheard of, but now customers rarely ask “do you have normal milk” – Plant Milk Is Normal.

The choice is no longer soya milk or calves milk. With Oat, Hemp, Coconut, Rice, Soya, Spelt, Almond, Hazelnut, Flax and many more plant milks widely available, why would any one choose to cause suffering to cows and their calves.

With the support of Granovita (soya milk), Koko (coconut milk) Good Hemp (hemp milk) and others, Veggies continues to bring these many choices to vegans and non-vegans alike.

Different milks may be preferred for different purposes. Some are better to make smoothies or ice-cream, for cooking, on cereals, or for use in tea & coffee.

Experiment. Enjoy them all!

non-dairy milks

This non-dairy milk spotter chart is from the Stop the Cull facebook page. For a discussion of many more choices and preferences visit the Stop the Cull site.

See also the Vegan’s Guide to Non-Dairy Milks

The dairy industry is pressing for the killing of 70% badgers in cull zones, but what else can farmers do to ‘protect’ their cows? When they have killed ‘their’ cows at an unnaturally young age (when their milk production falls), they could grow almonds, hazelnuts, oats or hemp instead. The efficiencies of growing food for direct human consumption might free up land for wildlife, and even for ex-dairy cattle to live out their lives in retirement.

Tips for successful use of plant milks

These days people understand that soya milk may separate in coffee – they rarely complain, but they do seek the solution.

The factors behind soy milk separating are acidity and temperature.

The solution: the optimal temperature to brew coffee if about 93 °C – not boiling.
If your milk separates simply add more milk, allow coffee to cool or make it less strong. Some milks settle, so it is always worth giving a quick shake before use.

 

Advice for going dairy-free is available from the Animal Aid website.

Read the facts about milk production and consumption, human health, animal welfare and factory farmed cows at www.milkmyths.org.uk

 

Ethical Consumer ratings for non-dairy milk

 

Vegan Milk ethical score chartThis table shows ratings calculated on 28/08/2018 based on the Ethical shopping guide to Soya & Non-Dairy Milk. This is a product guide from Ethical Consumer, the UK’s leading alternative consumer organisation. (The big 7 supermarkets all fall off the bottom of the table!)

Groupe Danone, who own the Alpro, Provamel, Soya Soleil and White Wave brands (as at June 2017), is a French company with a  “26% share of the worldwide Fresh Dairy Products market”

Best Buys

As at 28th August 2018, the ‘live scores’ available to Ethical Consumer subscribers indicated that the best buys for plant milk are: Lucy Bee fair trade coconut milk, Plamil and The Bridge; followed by Good Hemp, EcoMil , Sunrise & Oatly).

For more discussion of individual companies, policies & milk choices see our Product Info for Non-dairy Milk.

Plant Milk Sampling with Veggies

Print & distribute the flier

Plant Milk Flier
Plant Milk Flier

Print & distribute the flier

Comments:

Johnny: “To support unhealthy industrially farmed milk full of puss the centre of nottingham was blocked off with barriers, goodness knows how the elderly& physically disabled coped. No wonder cows get TB, if you want to help stop badger culls avoid most milk, please.”

TomClements: “The Milk Race”. What a joke. Trying to propagandize milk as some sort of health-giving food, despite the world’s healthiest societies being entirely dairy-free and supported by largely plant-based food. Dairy only does us, the environment and the animals that produce it massive amounts of harm. It’s a vile industry that wields far too much power over people and governments.


Plamil : Plantmilk Pioneers

Arthur Ling formed Plamil to market The Milk of Human Kindness in 1965!


Shortlink to this page http://www.veggies.org.uk/?p=4074


Just Do It

In 1987 Veggies fought off libel action by McDonalds, who then went after the McLibel Two. The ensuing 313 day epic trial and ultimate total victory in the European Court of Human Rights was documented in the film ‘McLibel’, directed by Franny Armstrong.

Franny went on to direct the Climate Change blockbuster ‘Age of Stupid’, which Veggies was pleased to support as part of the Nottingham Not Stupid team that brought the film to Nottingham.

In producing ‘McLibel’, Franny’s Spanner Films invented a new concept of ‘Crowd Funding’, whereby hundreds of ordinary people made an affordable investment in the film.

Now the Crowd Funding concept is (hopefully) bringing a new kick-ass activist film to the screens:

It’s called Just Do It and it’s going to be a feature film about climate change activists, it’s going to be funny and inspiring. Who knows you might even spot Veggies at the now infamous G20 demonstrations in London or at the Great Climate Swoop at Nottm’s Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station.

They’re making it totally independently (ie no big backers) and planning to give it to us for free. But money doesn’t grow on trees, so they need our help.

The producers, all climate activists themselves, are seeking crowd funding and Lush are doubling donations. Having benefited from Lush support ourselves we have sent a small donation from the Samosas for Social Change fund, but others are encouraged to go over to their website, check it out, and make a donation.

If you want to see why Lush are matching your generosity, watch of Veggies supporter, Andrew Butler, Campaigns Manager at Lush, speaking at the launch of the fund.

http://www.just-do-it.org.uk

http://www.facebook.com/jdi.thefilm

http://www.twitter.com/justdoitfilm

Find more campaigns and charities on our Lush Charity Pot exhibition a-lush-plan-for-glasters and on Veggies Networking Directory.

Veggies Climate Change Campaigns

Go Vegan logo


March for Farmed Animals

Farmed Animals Banner

Veggies Banner

In an amazing show of solidarity and compassion many hundreds marched across the west end of London on Saturday 2nd October, to highlight the plight of farmed animals.

The rally was independently organised by grass roots campaigners, “Animal Rights Coalition”, supported by Animal Aid, Viva!, Veggies Catering Campaign and many other groups.

October 2nd, World Farm Animals Day, honors the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, an outspoken advocate of non-violence towards animals.

This is the first time that we have held a march for farmed animals in London, and it was a lively day, in solidarity of the millions of animals killed for meat, dairy and eggs, every day.

Speech by Richard Deboo

“Did you know that in the UK alone, around 1000 million animals are killed for meat, dairy and eggs every year? And, that number does not include the fish that are trawled out of the water in their tonnes. None of this is necessary – we do not need to consume animal products.”

Andrew and JulietAnimal Aid Director, Andrew Tyler, spoke of the negative human health and environmental impacts of animal farming but declared: ‘My own argument against meat, milk, eggs, fish and all other animal products arises from my knowledge of the vile cruelty that is integral to these animal product industries. I have seen it for myself during numerous visits to farms, markets and slaughterhouses.” [video] More at Animal Aid’s rally report.

In Viva!’s media release, founder and director, Juliet Gellatley, said: “Viva!, together with many supporters, will be at the forefront of the event, calling for a move away from the reliance on livestock farming, for the sake of animals, people and the environment. It is unbelievable in this day and age that such barbaric and outdated practices, under which animals suffer, are allowed to continue.”

In her speech at the rally, she added: “If one person is unkind to an animal it is considered cruelty, but when a lot of people are unkind to animals, especially in the name of profit, the cruelty is condoned and, once large sums of money are involved, will be defended to the last by otherwise intelligent people”. [video]

march for farmed animals

March for Farmed Animals by Mario Mitsis

Pretty Veggies from video by Lextorite (at 3:00)

Congratulations and much respect to the organising team.

Other reports:

National March for Farmed Animals
London, October 2nd, 2010
By Shari Black Velvet

Saturday October 2nd saw the National March for Farmed Animals take place in London.

Speeches kicked off at approximately 12.30 and saw Juliet Gellatley of VIVA! give the first, before Andrew Tyler of Animal Aid, Richard Deboo, Louise Wallis, the former president of the Vegan Society and Kevin White, founder of Midlands Vegan Campaigns, who has just been awarded Veggie Achiever Of The Year.

The march itself began around 1.30 and saw animal lovers from around the UK walk up the busy Regent Street, down through Cockspur Street, down Whitehall, along Embankment, finally into Horse Guards Avenue, carrying placards, banners and leaflets, spreading the word to the general public about the cruelty that happens to farmed animals.

At every McDonalds or Steakhouse the marchers stopped to focus on that location for a few minutes, letting them know that they’re far from pleased at the companies for making a living out of the slaughter of animals, chanting ‘Stop the Slaughter, Meat is Murder’. Although what started out as a sunny day eventually saw rain drizzle, it couldn’t dampen the marchers’ passion.

PatMartinAfter the two hour long march, a few more speeches took place including one from Chrissy Leyland, one of the founding members of Pogo Cafe, one of our fave vegan cafes (in London), Marion Eaton of F.R.I.E.N.D. Animal Rescue and Patrick of Veggies (vegan catering campaign).

The afternoon concluded with a couple of numbers by Mártin the Livewire, vegan hip-hop / rapper.


Full report and photo gallery by Shari Black Velvet at Save-A-Scream website.

Images also from photo reports by: Rastislav Kolesar and Mario Mitsis

Videos of the march by Lextorite and by VeganDave001

The March for Farmed Animals was organised by individual activists, just like you and I.
Can you help with a donation?

March For Farmed Animals: www.farmedanimals.org.uk

Want more?

Watch Global Warming: MEAT THE TRUTH (full length • widescreen • 4 subtitle languages)


Killing Fields for Cheap Meat

Killing Fields: The True Cost of Cheap Meat

Much of the cheap meat and dairy produce sold in supermarkets is only made possible as a result of serious human rights abuses and environmental damage in one of Latin America’s most impoverished countries. This film, by the Ecologist Film Unit, documents the experiences of some of those caught up in Paraguay’s growing conflict over soy farming.



Notes:

  • Up to 97% of soy is used as animal feed.
  • Practically all non-organically raised farmed animals, producing meat, eggs and dairy, are fed genetically mutated (GM) animal feed.
  • Ethically sourced soya for direct human consumption rather than wasteful livestock farming, can help the transition to a sustainable vegan diet.
  • The organic soya used for Veggies products is sourced from France.

See also:

British meat and dairy is destroying rainforests
Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent
Daily Telegraph, 20 July 2010
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/agriculture/7900486/British-meat-and-dairy-is-destroying-rainforests.html

“More than one million tonnes of soy is imported every year to feed animals in the pig, poultry and dairy sectors with 98 per cent of this coming from South America – where studies have linked the expanding number of soy plantations to deforestation in the Amazon rainforest – as well as the grassland regions of the Brazilian Cerrado, the Atlantic forest and the Chacos region.

“The UK could cut its dependency on imported soy in half by encouraging farmers to switch to home-grown alternative protein crops like oilseed rape meal, lupin, sunflower, linseed, beans and peas.”

– Veggies says: “this dependency could be cut far more if home-grown alternative protein crops were used for direct human consumption, rather than for the second population explosion of farmed animals.”

For more information see the Movement for Compassionate Living.

For more videos follow the links at http://www.gmwatch.eu/gm-videos/26-gm-in-latin-america/11733-killing-fields


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