Should the law mandate vegan meals

[lucylocket61]

I suggest that they do indeed judge non vegan choices. I have a problem with the terminology they use regularly. An oft used term is 'I am vegan for ethical reasons' suggesting that non vegans are unethical or even immoral. This is sometimes accompanied by pseudo science and almost always comes with an emotional argument. Take this emotional element out of the equation and what is left?

my pet hate is the terming of milk as a "hormonal secretion" Its that one-up-manship and sneering tone I dislike.

I dont mind who chooses to be vegan. I respect their choice. A couple of people I know are vegans. I just want the same respect for my choices, and my health needs.

 

[There is no Spoon]

I think you will find it is not so simple as this. Premises chosen to serve vegan food will need to be adapted to give a separate prep and storage area to prevent cross contamination.

This is a practice already in place for other options such as gluten-free, kosher and halal, so the question is not can we? Clearly we already do; it's should we extend this right to Vegans because they demand it?

I would argue no.
But life is more complicated that that if you want to argue that plenty of people bring packed lunches to school because they don't like school dinners why should being vegan be any different? You get into the murky area that children can't always look after themselves. Similarly for the hospital bound.

So in conclusion I am 100% against this "legal right" but give the vote I vote yes to vegans meals being made available in public sector menus.


(OK people I went out on a limb there and used a semi-colon don't use them often may not have used it right don't judge me!)

 

[AtkinsMo]

Vegans are misinformed and uneducated. That’s okay, lots of us are, but when their misinformed, uneducated choices impact on me, because they are adopted as public policy, that is a different thing again. I don’t expect others to follow my ‘meat / fish / eggs’ form the basis of every meal principal. You can eat what you want, but don’t impose your dietary preferences on me - and especially when they are totally unproven!

 

[Deleted member 308541]

This is a practice already in place for other options such as gluten-free, kosher and halal, so the question is not can we?

Kosher and Halal foods are required for religious reasons, veganism is not a registered religion last time I looked.

 

[Resurgam]

When making a vegan dish for a party I did wash everything over and prepared it first, then set it aside carefully whilst I got on with the other dishes - but I would have thought that such simple precautions would have been sufficient.
It would not have been sufficient or proper for the high level of kosher law - not even my use of metal bowls and utensils, and hot settings on the dishwasher can clean sufficiently for something which is more spiritual than physical - and it does seem that vegan is being treated as a similar requirement - something which cannot be achieved by a Human agency but needs a sanctum sanctorum in which to remain pure and inviolate.

 

[Guzzler]

my pet hate is the terming of milk as a "hormonal secretion" Its that one-up-manship and sneering tone I dislike.

I dont mind who chooses to be vegan. I respect their choice. A couple of people I know are vegans. I just want the same respect for my choices, and my health needs.

Agreed. Once saw the term 'moo-cus' used in an argument, well, it wasn't an argument it was used by someone who genuinely thought that eggs were unborn chicks and whose neck must have ached being that her head was held so far back all the time so she could look down her nose at everyone around her.

 

[Brunneria]

The whole thing will go terribly pearshaped when the tiny minority of vegan-raised school children fail to eat the vegan options offered.

I was brought up in a house with a mother who ran a strict no sugar, no grains, no dairy, no nice stuff, regime.
All it taught me was to rebel the moment I was out of her sight!
None of my friends had a clue about the vile packed lunches I was given (e.g raw sliced cabbage doused in tinned sardine oil, with a single sardine balanced on top). The food was tipped into the bin at the school gates 2 seconds after I was out of her sight. I went hungry rather than look weird (or eat stinky unrefrigerated fish in public). Actually, I would rather have died than let my mother’s insanity out of the bag.

I suspect that vegan kids make huge efforts to blend in too.

 

[There is no Spoon]

Kosher and Halal foods are required for religious reasons, veganism is not a registered religion last time I looked.

Buddhists "Monks" in China and south east Asia are vegans that's a religious reason. "Last time I looked."

But that's ok I was not making a distinction about religious choice and dietary restrictions more about excuses used to deny somebody something because you don't agree with there choice.

In case I wasn't clear. I'm against that.

 

[Deleted member 308541]

I prefer to get my insides around a good roast such as this, than eat the vegan rubbish.

 

[Oldvatr]

Kosher and Halal foods are required for religious reasons, veganism is not a registered religion last time I looked.

Watch this space and read their lips.

 

[Deleted member 308541]

Watch this space and read their lips.

Might be a bit hard, as they will be salivating at the thought of a plate full of medium rare slices of beef.

 

[LittleGreyCat]

I see no reason why schools, hospitals etc. should not have a vegan option on their menu.

As already stated most commercial food outlets do this.

Strongly encouraged, yes. Legally forced to provide it (even if there are no vegans about) is perhaps pushing it a bit. How about being legally forced to provide an Atkins option on all menus? I would sympathise with requiring a vegetarian option as I assume that vegetarians and vegans can share much of their foodstuffs.

It certainly isn't taking anything away from non-vegans. There is no suggestion that meat and dairy should be banned.

I did a quick search and there are wildly different figures for the percentage of vegetarians in the UK - some above 10%.

 

[Oldvatr]

Might be a bit hard, as they will be salivating at the thought of a plate full of medium rare slices of beef.

Oh dear hormone secretions getting in the way again.

 

[Grant_Vicat]

I prefer to get my insides around a good roast such as this, than eat the vegan rubbish.

Maybe we should be quoting our right to have THIS in school and hospital? Oh.... I've just bankrupted the UK!

 

[Deleted member 308541]

Maybe we should be quoting our right to have THIS in school and hospital? Oh.... I've just bankrupted the UK!

It would certainly be better than the boiled to death cabbage etc. that was served up when I had school dinners.

I cannot remember what hospital food was like in the 1950's, it must have been alright I would have memories if it was not.

 

[Oldvatr]

Vegans are misinformed and uneducated. That’s okay, lots of us are, but when their misinformed, uneducated choices impact on me, because they are adopted as public policy, that is a different thing again. I don’t expect others to follow my ‘meat / fish / eggs’ form the basis of every meal principal. You can eat what you want, but don’t impose your dietary preferences on me - and especially when they are totally unproven!

Vegans are very well informed and fully educated by Forks over Knives and their gurus with glossy videos. They are also now fully informed on the latest evidence based research that proves what the gurus say. It is being discussed at the highest echelons of government and the EU, so must be right. Eating animals is wrong. Lets cull the lot and then there will be no more misery and mistreatment of these poor defenceless creatures. Nasty humans deserve to starve in agony (luv PETA)

 

[Grant_Vicat]

It would certainly be better than the boiled to death cabbage etc. that was served up when I had school dinners.

I cannot remember what hospital food was like in the 1950's, it must have been alright I would have memories if it was not.

In the 1960s in the UK the hospitals regularly served either watery poached smoked haddock or steamed cod, both with overcooked cabbage.
Now, I am a lover of fish and cabbage........

 

[Scott-C]

I've no views on the matter either way, but, purely for info/reference, the BBC article in the OP seems to be based on this public petition before the Scottish Parliament Petitions Committee:

http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/cateringforeveryone

If you click through the link to the Official Report for 6/12/18, there's a verbatim transcript of what was discussed that day, including oral evidence from the petitioners, which gives a clearer idea of what the petition is about and what the committee made of it. They ended up agreeing to write to various bodies to see how they handled the practicalities of catering for vegans.

http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=11837

I don't pay much attention to the Petitions Committee - it's mainly a conduit for people who write in green ink and BLOCK CAPITALS, the committee gathers a bit of evidence, makes some enquiries, and makes a few noises which might eventually once in a blue moon in a tiny fraction of cases have a little bit of impact on SG policy.

 

[Deleted member 308541]

In the 1960s in the UK the hospitals regularly served either watery poached smoked haddock or steamed cod, both with overcooked cabbage.
Now, I am a lover of fish and cabbage........

I was in hospital here in 1970 and every Friday was the same menu, steamed mullet, mashed spuds, chokoe and white sauce.

I used to get Jimmy Ah Wah's chinese takeaway food brought in that day.

 

[Guzzler]

I've no views on the matter either way, but, purely for info/reference, the BBC article in the OP seems to be based on this public petition before the Scottish Parliament Petitions Committee:

http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/cateringforeveryone

If you click through the link to the Official Report for 6/12/18, there's a verbatim transcript of what was discussed that day, including oral evidence from the petitioners, which gives a clearer idea of what the petition is about and what the committee made of it. They ended up agreeing to write to various bodies to see how they handled the practicalities of catering for vegans.

http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=11837

I don't pay much attention to the Petitions Committee - it's mainly a conduit for people who write in green ink and BLOCK CAPITALS, the committee gathers a bit of evidence, makes some enquiries, and makes a few noises which might eventually once in a blue moon in a tiny fraction of cases have a little bit of impact on SG policy.

... which gets publicity.