By BBC NEWS
Mars starts using animal products Some of the UK’s best-selling chocolate bars, such as Mars and Twix, will no longer be suitable for vegetarians.
Also affecting brands such as Snickers and Maltesers, owner Masterfoods said it had started to use animal product rennet to make its chocolate products.
Masterfoods said the change was due to it switching the sourcing of its ingredients and the admission was a “principled decision” on its part.
The Vegetarian Society said the company’s move was “incomprehensible”.
‘Extremely disappointed’
Masterfoods said it had started using rennet from 1 May and non-affected products had a “best before date” up to 1 October.
Masterfoods’ decision to use non-vegetarian whey is a backward step Vegetarian Society
Rennet, a chemical sourced from calves’ stomachs, is used in the production of whey.
It will now also be found in Bounty, Minstrels and Milky Way products, and the ice cream versions of all Masterfoods’ bars.
“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.
The Vegetarian Society said it was “extremely disappointed”.
“At a time when more and more consumers are concerned about the provenance of their food, Masterfoods’ decision to use non-vegetarian whey is a backward step,” it said in a statement.
“Mars products are very popular with young people and many will be shocked to discover that their manufacture now relies on the extraction of rennet from the stomach lining of young calves,” it added.
Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/business/6653175.stm
Published: 2007/05/14 09:23:28 GMT
© BBC MMVII
Hare Krsna
PAMHO. AGTSP.
All Krsna conscious chocolate lovers – please take a note of this and act accordingly.
Hari Bol
Anyone serious about spiritual life should be following the four regulative principles. For initiated devotees in ISKCON there is no question. Srila Prabhupada’s instructions are clear when he says that cocoa and chocolate are not to be taken as they are intoxicants. So why even consider eating chocolate?
Besides – most chocolate bars available in the UK have never been vegetarian by ISKCON standards anyway. They contain egg white! In the UK, vegetarian does not mean free of egg products!
Dandavats to you Gopaldeva dasa. I am not sure what references you are using for your statement. If you would really like to know the truth about Srila Prabhupada’s view on chocolate you might want to ask Bala Gopal Dasi who is married to Dhananjaya Das. They run the MVT restaurant in Vrindavan. Bala Gopal Dasi told me of how Srila Prabhupada used to come to Bhaktivedanta Manor in the 70’s and ask her to make chocolate sandesh for the deities and bring him the Maha. If she could verify that for all of us I think that should allay your concerns.
Sorry, I should have given the reference:
Letter to: Surasrestha, Los Angeles 14 June, 1972
“So far attending pujas at the houses of the Hindus there we can go and hold our kirtana but we should not take prasadam there. We can accept raw materials and take them to our temple but we should not accept any prasadam prepared by them. However, if they insist then we can take fruits and milk and offer them to Krishna. Cocoa and chocolate are not to be taken as they are intoxicants.”
dasa saw this story on the BBC News website and thought you should see it
Mars bars get veggie status back!
Mars abandons plans to use animal products in its chocolate bars, apologising to “upset” vegetarians.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6673549.stm
Dasa
Thanks for the info, but most people in the west consider a veggie diet to include eggs!!
So even if we disregard Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, we can’t ignore one of the four regulative principles “No meat, fish, or EGGS!” So one must be very careful when honouring karmi food that’s so called “suitable for vegetarians”.
Hare Krsna
PAMHO. AGTSP.
Regarding comment#5:
How about other chocolate companies? Have they stopped using Rennet?
All scientific evidence proves that chocolate alters consciousness – caffeine or not, rennet or not and it is addictive. chocolate.org says chocolate is a “psychoactive food”
Out Acharya had spoken “No chocolate”.
IMHO, one should give up this frivolous food addiction if one wants spritual advancement. I personally gave up 20 years of tea driniking habit.
Hari Bol
I have a simple home recept for those who want to eat chocolate no matter what:
mix well (blend) equal parts of:
– honey,
– coco powder or carrob,
– non-salty batter
(you can add wall nuts or other nuts for the extra taste)
then put into deep freezer for a while
This is REALLY enjoy-able prep, much more excieting tasting than commercial chocolates of any brand.
Hare Krishna!
www.remembermayapur.com