Food and beverages

ah · Guest

Pete ‹(•¿•)› wrote:

David · Guest

12 April 2007

http://www.buav.org/news/2007/2007_04_12_illegal_drugs.html

UK Universities spend £10m testing illegal drugs on animals

BUAV report reveals taxpayers' fund cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis
tests on animals

Millions of pounds of taxpayers' money has been used to fund animal
testing of banned substances at UK universities in the last ten years,
a new report from leading campaigning group the BUAV reveals.

The report - Creatures of Habit, by BUAV scientist Dr Katy Taylor -
shows UK universities have repeatedly won licenses from the Home
Office to spend public money giving often lethal doses of crystal
meth, cocaine, cannabis, speed and ecstasy to animals to test effects
already well documented in human studies.

The BUAV's research uncovered that at least £1.6m of taxpayers' money
has been spent by scientists conducting illegal drug studies such as
addicting rats to cocaine at Cambridge University.

In another study at Cambridge, paid for by taxpayers' via the
Government funded Medical Research Council, rats were driven mad
through enforced isolation so scientists could then test the effects
of speed (amphetamine) on their ability to carry out simple tasks.

A separate set of studies at Cambridge saw researchers conducting
frivolous tests including giving a combined lethal dose of crystal
meth (full name methamphetamine) and loud music from the composer Bach
and the pop group The Prodigy to see if it would induce death.

Meanwhile, the report reveals that Birmingham University gave rats
cannabis to see if it increased their hunger - an outcome already
well-documented in human evidence and commonly known among students as
'the munchies'.Our estimates show this experiment could have cost the
university up to £100,000 to carry out based on average costs of such
studies.

The report also reveals that similarly unnecessary and expensive tests
have been funded and licenced at Liverpool, Nottingham, Aberdeen and
Leicester's De Montfort universities, in which animals have been
subjected to a range of bizarre activities such as burying marbles and
swimming in vats of milk under the influence of mind-bending drugs.

Very few of the UK studies detailed in the report have ever been
'cited' by other researchers - meaning most were a complete waste of
time from a scientific point of view, in addition to a waste of
taxpayers' money and a cause of pain and death to animals.

The testing of legal 'recreational' drug products alcohol and tobacco
are banned in the UK alongside other products deemed 'non-essential'
such as cosmetics.

BUAV chief executive Michelle Thew said:

"I think people will be appalled that public money is being used to
fund such
unnecessary and cruel animal tests. Surely public funds would be
better spent on relevant, ethical human volunteer research, improving
drug rehabilitation centres and supporting families dealing with drug
abuse?

"The BUAV is calling on the Government to put an end to this entirely
unnecessary animal suffering and divert funding where it is sorely
needed."

NOTES TO EDITOR

The report is based on a full review of papers on animal research into
banned substances published in scientific journals since 1997.
Full copies of the report and images are available on request from the
BUAV press office - details below.
The BUAV obtained information on public funding of illegal drug
experiments at Cambridge University (£1.6m) under the Freedom of
Information Act from the Medical Research Council (MRC). The total
£10m figure is based on the average cost of such experiments based on
information from the MRC and the total number of relevant UK published
research papers since 1997.
Testing of illegal drugs on animals has occurred at the following
universities over the last ten years according to journal papers
(those in bold feature in the BUAV's report):
Cambridge, De Montfort University, Liverpool, Nottingham, Aberdeen,
Birmingham, Cardiff, Kings College London, Leicester, Bradford, St
Andrews, Imperial College London, York, Sheffield, Reading, Dundee,
Sussex, Glasgow, Paisley, Strathclyde, Oxford, Swansea, Durham,
Hertfordshire.
The BUAV has been campaigning for over 100 years to achieve a world
where nobody wants or believes we need to experiment on animals. We
are committed to achieving our aims through reliable and reasoned
evidence-based debate. We are proudly non-violent and respect the
quality of life for all - animals and people.
For more information contact:

Media Manager Mary-Louise Harding on 020 7619 6978
Out of hours mobile: 07850 510 955
mary-louise.harding@buav.org

www.buav.org

BUAV Today
The British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) is one of
the world's leading anti-vivisection campaigning organisations. The
BUAV's vision is to create a world in which no one wants or believes
we need to experiment on animals. To achieve this we are dedicated to
using all peaceful means possible to raise awareness, expose the
reality of animal experimentation and create meaningful changes in
policy while defending the rights of animals and the wellbeing of
people. Through public campaigning, hard-hitting undercover
investigations, media activities, political lobbying, promotion of
cruelty-free products, legal and scientific expertise and quality
educational and information materials, the BUAV aims to spread its
campaign message to as wide and diverse an audience as possible.

David · Guest

Mice Sing and Rats Laugh

http://tinyurl.com/2l89m4
Researchers at Washington State University in the USA describe a
series of observations of laboratory rats and mice and report that
they emit ultrasonic vocalisations, sounds that include laughter,
singing and screaming, which are above our hearing range (above
20kHz).

They found that rats emit high frequency calls (22 kHz) in unpleasant
situations such as when they were being subjected to an electric
shocks, being startled or being bullied by other rats. It could be
assumed that this might represent a shout or a scream.

However, they emit even higher frequency ‘chirps’ (50kHz) when being
tickled and when playing, suggesting that these calls are associated
with feeling good. Some people have suggested that this might even
represent laughter. When rats are being tickled by familiar handlers
they emit these laughter calls, however, when they are handled by
strange people they emit the lower – scream like calls, demonstrating
just how sensitive these animals are.

The researchers also listened to mice in a range of situations, and
found evidence of ‘singing’. When male mice encounter female mice they
'sing' complex vocalisations between 30-110kHz – far above our hearing
range. Female mice produce similar high frequency calls when they are
searching for their pups or when in groups. The researchers found that
mice in impoverished 'standard cages' do not show these complex
vocalisations.

Perhaps because we cannot hear when these animals are feeling happy or
being hurt that it makes it easier to use them in painful experiments.
If the researchers could hear them screaming (and laughing) perhaps
they would be less enthusiastic about keeping them in small cages and
causing them harm.

Reference: Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal
Science 2007; 46; 28-34.

David · Guest

UK Non-animal Research Can Lead the Way
http://www.buav.org/medicalresearch/sciencenews/Alternatives.html
In two pieces of news this week, the UK has shown that it can lead the
way in medical research that does not involve animals and may even
replace them.

Researchers in the Cancer Genome Project, some of whom are based in
Cambridge, UK, have this week published evidence of over 100 cancer
causing genes1. They did this by extracting the DNA from human tumours
donated from human cancer patients and analysing their genes, not
through harmful animal tests. Their findings will help us to
understand what causes cancer and which drugs might help treat it. The
Cancer Genome Project has identified 350 cancer causing genes so far
in a large collaborative project across the word. This particular
study looked at over 200 different human cancers including breast,
lung, colorectal, ovarian and leukaemia and gave the researchers some
surprising results2.

Swedish stem cell company Cellartis has struck a deal with Scotland’s
ITI Life Sciences and the University of Glasgow to develop an
automated process for the production of human stem cells for
pharmaceutical research3. The collaboration will involve the use of
ethically sourced human embryonic stem cells (hES), which means that
they come from an already existing batch of cells in a laboratory.
Stem cells have the potential to develop into every cell type in the
body and the project will develop ways of encouraging these cells to
do this on a large scale. Currently human cell lines are limited in
number so this project has the potential to help solve this crisis.
Large quantities of these cells can then be used to help researchers
test drugs for safety and efficacy and in so doing, reduce the number
of animals and their tissues used in medical research. Unfortunately
progress in stem cell research also leads to temptations for animal
researchers to use more animals, for example by testing novel stem
cell therapies in animals. Although heavily hyped, this form of
therapy is still highly experimental and dangerous. Recently
Parkinsonian-type rats were injected with human stem cells: it didn’t
cure them and in fact many developed aggressive cancer4. The same
effects may, of course, very well not be seen in humans. So the area
of stem cell research has the potential to both decrease and increase
animal research – for the sake of human and animal lives, we hope it
is the former.

The BUAV welcomes this progress and urges UK research groups and
funding bodies to lead the way with more ‘humane’ collaborations.

References

1. http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,2028984,00.html
2. Nature (2007) 446; 153-8

3.
http://www.itilifesciences.com/defaultpage131cd0.aspx?pageID=734&rlID=545

4. Stem Cells. 2006 Jun;24(6):1433-40

David · Guest

New Study Exposes Failure of Chimp Research

http://www.buav.org/medicalresearch/sciencenews/Chimpstudy.html
A new paper examining the outcome of research using chimpanzees has
revealed that many studies are simply never reported or referred to
again - and of those which appear to have some link with the
development of human treatments, the role of the chimp studies is
marginal at best and often completely irrelevant.

The authors studied nearly 100 randomly-selected papers on harmful
chimpanzee research published between 1995 and 2004 and then analysed
how often and in what context they were referred to in other research.
They found that in nearly 50% of cases, no subsequent references to
the research was made, effectively meaning that there was no outcome
of any kind arising from the work. Just 15% of the chimp papers were
cited in later papers describing effective medical interventions in
humans but even in these cases, the chimp research was found to be not
significant and in some cases even inconsistent with other primate or
human research. The authors concluded that there was an "absence of
any chimpanzee study demonstrating an essential contribution, or, in
most cases, even a significant contribution of any kind, towards the
development of the described human treatment." If research conducted
on our closest relatives is not considered useful to other researchers
then what does this say about research on other, less relevant
animals?

Great Apes such as chimpanzees are not used in the European Union and
the UK Government has stated they will not approve any applications to
experiment upon them. However, these exceptionally intelligent,
sociable and complex animals are still used extensively in the US and
some other countries despite the enormous impact on their welfare.
Worryingly, their use is not yet legally prohibited in the European
Union and some scientists in the UK have expressed the view that they
would not rule out undertaking research on them in the future.

See
http://tinyurl.com/2k4r2b

David · Guest

Boycotts list

http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/boycotts/boycotts_list.htm
This is a list of current boycotts, focusing on those affecting
consumers in the UK. Ethical Consumer would like to stress that
inclusion in this list does not constitute an endorsement of a
particular boycott. The boycotts are called by the campaign groups
listed as contacts and reported by Ethical Consumer. Where possible
this site contains direct links to the companies in question to make
registering your disapproval even easier. We aim to keep this page as
up-to-date as possible, but if you see any out-of-date boycott
information please email us. Although this list is updated regularly,
for the most up-to-date information on the status of any of these
boycotts please get in touch with the listed contact.
Alternatives to boycotted companies are provided in Ethical Consumer
magazine
http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/magazine/subscription.htm
or on the new Ethiscore website.
http://www.ethiscore.org/

Take a look at our Boycott Bush site for the main corporate donors to
the Republican party.

3 Mobile
for being on Free Burma UK's list of companies with investments in
Burma. Contact Burma Campaign UK for a full list or ring 020 7324 4710

Aeroplanes
Aviation is the fastest-growing source of climate change causing
greenhouse gas emissions.
Contact Flight Pledge Union or send an email

Adidas
for using kangaroo skin to make some types of football boots.
Contact Viva tel 0117 944 1000

Asda and Wal-Mart
for being on Ethical Consumer's list of top donors to the Republican
Party. See BoycottBush for more information.

Bacardi
for continuing to use its Cuban origins in its marketing despite being
active in anti-Cuba lobby groups in the US.
Contact: Rock around the Blockade on 020 7837 1688

Body Shop
Since L'Oreal (26% owned by Nestlé) bought out the Body Shop earlier
in the year, campaigns have brought together concerns about animal
testing, relations with the Majority World, human rights,
discrimination in the UK and the environment.
Contact: Boycott Body Shop or 01452 539 916
Naturewatch (01242 252 871) have a long-standing boycott of L'Oreal
due to animal testing, and have extended this to cover the Body Shop.

Botswana
for forcing the Gana and Bwi Bushmen out of their land in the Central
Kalahari Game Reserve
Contact: Survival International on 020 7687 8700

British Heart Foundation
for conducting animal testing in order to find out about a human
condition. The boycott is called by PETA whose British Heartless
Foundation website contains a list of health charities which do not
test on animals.
Contact: PETA on 020 7357 9229

Burma
is ruled by one of the world's most brutal regimes and has used forced
labour to prepare the country for tourism. Burma Campaign UK has a
list of companies operating in Burma.
Contact: Burma Campaign UK, 28 Charles Square, London N1 6HT,
Tel: 020 7324 4710 or email

Canada
for the government-subsidised slaughter of nearly one million seals
over the last three years. Campaigners are also calling for a boycott
of Canadian fish and seafood, as exports to the UK earn five times
more for Canada than the landed seal hunt in Newfoundland.
Contact: Respect for Animals www.boycott-canada.com 0115 952 5440
Humane Society of the USA www.hsus.org/ace/19076
International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) www.ifaw.org 020 7587
6700

Caterpillar
for selling bulldozers to Israel in full knowledge that they will be
armoured and used to destroy Palestinian homes, infrastructure and
agriculture in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. These abuses are
detailed in War on Want's alternative company report on Caterpillar.
Contact: War on Want, Fenner Brockway House, 37-39 Great Guildford
Street London SE1 OES
Tel: 0845 193 1952

ChevronTexaco
For dumping billions of gallons of toxic waste in the Ecuadorian
Amazon and failing to clean it up.
Contact: www.chevrontoxico.com

China
for its continued human rights abuses and for its occupation of Tibet
Contact: Boycottmadeinchina, email usa@boycottmadeinchina.org

Coca-Cola
for its repression of trade union activity in Colombia and its
depletion of groundwater resources in India.
Contact: Colombia Solidarity Campaign, UK arm of campaign on 07743
743041 or email.
Websites: Colombia's Food and Drink Workers' Union SinalTrainal, who
called the boycott on 22nd July 2003, Killer Coke, and Coke Watch
In India, Coca Cola has caused severe water shortages, polluted
groundwater and soil around its bottling plant, distributed its toxic
waste as "fertiliser" to local farmers and sold drinks with extremely
high levels of pesticides.
Website: India Resource Centre

Colgate-Palmolive
as part of a boycott of the products of companies which still test on
animals. The focus of the boycott is the testing of household goods
and their ingredients.
Website: BUAV on 0207 700 4888

Daewoo International Corporation
for involvement in the development of gas projects off the coast of
Arakan State in Western Burma. Contact SCHWE Gas Movement

DHL
for being on Free Burma UK's list of companies with investments in
Burma. Contact Burma Campaign UK for a full list or ring 020 7324 4710

De Beers
for supporting the Botswanan government’s efforts to forcibly remove
Bushmen from their ancestral lands to resettlement camps.
Contact Survival International on 020 7687 8700

Dolce & Gabbana
for using a chimpanzee in an advert.
Contact: Animal Defenders International on 020 8846 9777.

Donna Karan
to hold the clothing company accountable for sweatshop conditions in
its suppliers' factories. The Ain't I A Woman campaign is sponsored by
National Mobilisation Against Sweatshops and the Chinese Staff and
Workers Association.

Esso
for doing more than any other company to sabotage international action
on climate change, and for being a top donor to George W. Bush. Find
out why you should Boycott Bush or contact Greenpeace at 020 7865
8100.
Website: www.stopesso.com

Gecko's Adventures
for being on Free Burma UK's list of companies offering tours to
Burma. Contact Burma Campaign UK for a full list or ring 020 7324 4710

Iams (owned by Procter & Gamble)
for unnecessary animal testing. It is estimated Procter & Gambles is
responsible for the deaths of 50,000 animals each year.
Contact: Uncaged Campaigns, 9 Bailey Lane, Sheffield S1 4EG tel: 0114
272 2220, info@uncaged.co.uk
See also Procter & Gamble.

Israel
following 'decades of refusal to abide by UN resolutions,
International Humanitarian law and the Fourth Geneva Convention.'
Click here to find out more about the boycott of Israeli products.
Film-makers, musicians, performers and academics have also added their
voices, and are calling on their colleagues not to visit, exhibit or
perform in Israel.
Websites: Boycott Israeli Goods or Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Box
BM PSA, London WC1N 3XX tel: 020 7700 6192. See the Palestinian
Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel and the
British Committee for Universities of Palestine (BRICUP) for
information on cultural boycotts. BRICUP can be contacted on 0207 712
1709 and info@bricup.org.uk

Japan
due to whale hunting for "scientific" reasons in a protected whale
sactuary around Antartica. This year, Japan may also start hunting
endangered humpback whales. See Boycott Japan for more information.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) on 020 7587 6708 is
also campaigning for the conservation and protection of whales and
co-ordinates letter writing campaigns to the Icelandic, Norwegion and
Japanese governments.

Joseph Ltd

for selling coats and other products made from animal fur.for selling
boots made from rabbit fur. Contact the Campaign Against the Fur Trade
Tel: 0845 330 7955

Junckers
due to selling Indonesian merbau flooring despite confirming that it
is of unknown source. Without guarantees of the wood?s origin, it?s
likely that merbau wood flooring could have come from Indonesia?s last
remaining rainforests.
Contact Environmental Investigation Agency for more information or
ring 020 7324 4710.

Kahrs
due to selling Indonesian merbau flooring despite confirming that it
is of unknown source. Without guarantees of the wood?s origin, it?s
likely that merbau wood flooring could have come from Indonesia?s last
remaining rainforests.
Contact Environmental Investigation Agency for more information or
ring 020 7324 4710.

Kurt Geiger
for selling boots made from rabbit fur. Contact the Campaign Against
the Fur Trade Tel: 0845 330 7955

Let's Go
for being on the Free Burma UK's list of companies publishing travel
guide books with information on travel in Burma. Strong evidence
exists that tourist facilities, roads and other constructino
programmes in Burma have used forced labour and involved severe human
rights abuses.
Contact Burma Campaign UK for a full list or ring 020 7324 4710.

Liberty Apparel
to hold the clothing company accountable for sweatshop conditions in
its suppliers' factories. The Ain't I A Woman campaign is sponsored by
National Mobilisation Against Sweatshops and the Chinese Staff and
Workers Association.

Lonely Planet Guides
for being on the Free Burma UK's list of companies publishing travel
guide books with information on travel in Burma. Strong evidence
exists that tourist facilities, roads and other constructino
programmes in Burma have used forced labour and involved severe human
rights abuses.
Contact Burma Campaign UK for a full list (tel: 020 7324 4710)
or Tourism Concern on 020 7753 3330 or email
info@tourismconcern.org.uk

L'Oreal
Naturewatch has a long-standing boycott of L'Oreal due to its
continued use of animal testing for cosmetics. The French
multinational uses ingredients that have been tested on animals,
despite public statements to the contrary. It has also been criticised
for lobbying against an EU ban on animal testing for cosmetics.
Contact: Naturewatch on 01242 252 871

Lucozade (owned by GlaxoSmithKline)
for being on Ethical Consumer's list of top donors to the Republican
Party. See BoycottBush for more information.

Maxwell House (owned by Altria)
for being on Ethical Consumer's list of top donors to the Republican
Party. See BoycottBush for more information.

MBNA
for being on Ethical Consumer's list of top donors to the Republican
Party. See BoycottBush for more information.

Microsoft
for being on Ethical Consumer's list of top donors to the Republican
Party. See BoycottBush for more information.

Nestlé
for its irresponsible marketing of baby milk formula which infringes
the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes.
Contact: Baby Milk Action, 23 St Andrews St, Cambridge CB2 3AX, 01223
464420

Pakistan International Airlines
The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) have launched a
consumer boycott of PIA, acting on behalf of eight trade unions to
pressurise the Pakistani government to stop the victimisation of
aviation workers. For more information contact ITF +44(0)20 7940 9260.

Peugeot
for moving production from the UK to France and low-wage Slovakia.
Contact Amicus and T&G unions for more information or ring 020 7611
2500

Procter and Gamble
for its continued use of animal testing for cosmetics, household
products and pet food. Brands made by P&G include Always, Ariel, Bold,
Camay, Clearasil, Crest, Daz, Dreft, Fairy, Flash, Head and Shoulders,
Insignia, Milton, Napisan, Oil of Ulay, Old Spice, Pampers, Sinex,
Tide, Viakal, Vidal Sassoon, Vortex and Zest.
Contact: BUAV, 16a Crane Grove, London N7 8LB (0207 700 4888)
and: Uncaged Campaigns, 9 Bailey Lane, Sheffield S1 4EG
tel: 0114 272 2220, info@uncaged.co.uk

Reckitt Benckiser
as part of a boycott of products of companies which still test
household goods and their ingredients on animals.
Contact: BUAV on 0207 700 4888

Rolls-Royce
for being on Free Burma UK's list of companies with investments in
Burma. Contact Burma Campaign UK for a full list or ring 020 7324 4710

SC Johnson
as part of a boycott of products of companies which still test
household goods and their ingredients on animals.
Contact: BUAV on 0207 700 4888

Shell
until the peoples of the Ogoni region in Nigeria receive a fair share
of profits from oil extraction, and are able to live in better
environmental conditions.
Contact: MOSOP-UK (Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People),
Suite 3-4, Albion Place, Galena Rd, Hammersmith, London W6 0LT, 020
8563 8614

Starbucks
because for every cup of coffee that it sells, farmers in
coffee-growing countries such as Ethiopia earn about 2p. It has also
been accused by the Industrial Workers of the World union of
'retaliatory firing' of four union organisers in the US
Contact US Organic Consumer's Association for information on the
campaign for fairer terms for Ethiopian coffee farmers. More
information on how to support the union can be found on by visiting
the National Lawyers Guild website or telephoning (001) 212 679 5100.

Singapore Airlines
in protest against threats of government repression during the World
Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meeting. The
Singapore Government had issued a warning that it was prepared to cane
or imprison protestors who committed "violent crimes" during the
meeting meetings, but Friends of the Earth International argued that
it was very difficult to identify violent offenders in crowds.

Superdrug
for being on Free Burma UK's list of companies with investments in
Burma. The connection is via Superdrug's parent company Cheung Kong
Holdings.
Contact Burma Campaign UK for a full list or ring 020 7324 4710

Suzuki
for being on Free Burma UK's list of companies with investments in
Burma.
Contact Burma Campaign UK for a full list or ring 020 7324 4710

Tarkett
due to refusing to provide evidence to prove the legal source of their
merbau flooring. Without guarantees of the wood?s origin, it?s likely
that merbau wood flooring could have come from Indonesia?s last
remaining rainforests.
Contact Environmental Investigation Agency for more information or
ring 020 7324 4710.

Tesco
due to its escalating use of Radio Frequency identification. The tiy
computer chips embedded in products or packaging allow monitoring of
items which consumers normally consider private, like clothing,
wallets and backpacks. Contact CASPIAN (Consumers Against Supermarket
Privacy Invasion and Numbering)
also due to the sale of live turtles, tortoises and frogs in their
Chinese stores. China currently has no animal welfare laws. Contact
Care for the Wild International Tel. 01306 627900

Unilever
as part of a boycott of the products of companies which still test on
animals. The focus of the boycott is on the testing of household
products and their ingredients.
Contact: BUAV on 0207 700 4888

David · Guest

There’s no life in Mars – again

by Sally Williams, Western Mail

MARS yesterday abandoned its plan to use animal products in chocolate,
apologising to vegetarians who organised a campaign against the
change.

The confectionery giant announced last week it was changing the whey
used in some chocolate and ice cream from a vegetarian source to one
with traces of rennet, an animal enzyme.

The Vegetarian Society protested on behalf of three million
vegetarians in the UK and asked people to “express their concern” to
Masterfoods, which produces the Mars, Snickers, Maltesers and Galaxy
brands affected by the change.

Within a week of the decision being announced, more than 6,000 people
had called and emailed the company, which usually receives 500
comments per week.

Forty MPs also signed a petition “to voice their disquiet”, said Mars
UK.

Story continues

ADVERTISEMENT

Fiona Dawson, managing director of the Mars snack business in the UK,
said yesterday, “The consumer is our boss and we had lots of feedback
from consumers who were unhappy about the change.

“It became very clear, very quickly that we had made a mistake, for
which I am sorry.

“There are three million vegetarians in the UK and not only did we
disappoint them but we upset a lot of the consumers.

“We have listened to their views and have decided to reverse our
decision.”

The company, which had said admitting that it could not guarantee all
products as suitable for vegetarians was a “principled decision”, said
it will begin changing its recipe back immediately for the
best-selling four brands and, at a later date, for Minstrels.

Ms Dawson added, “We made the original decision in order to broaden
our supply base to ensure the availability of our supply, but we
underestimated the impact this would have.

“I personally commit to make sure that the products we changed will be
suitable for vegetarians again in the near future.”

Dr Annette Pinner, chief executive of the Vegetarian Society,
confirmed that a Masterfoods representative had contacted contact her
and the society was pleased that the company recognises the importance
of integrity to all their customers, especially vegetarians.

She said, “We cannot endorse any planned actions by the company until
we receive detailed assurances about the ingredients and processes
involved in production.

“But we are delighted that Mars UK has been honest enough to mark the
beginning of National Vegetarian Week by admitting that it made a
mistake.”

The society also invited the company to seek vegetarian approval
through its accreditation scheme.

Alison Pringle, 35, a mother of four from Guilsfield, Powys, who has
been a vegetarian for 20 years, welcomed the U-turn.

She said, “The kids who are also vegetarian were a bit baffled that
the company would want to put an animal product in chocolate.

“They were perplexed to think they would suddenly have to stop eating
Mars bars, even though they eat no more of them than any other
chocolate bars.

“I wonder if it was some kind of publicity stunt by Mars to raise the
profile of the product ... a bit like when Heinz were going to stop
making salad cream and sales went up.”

Mrs Pringle said although she tries not to make a fuss about what her
children eat, she keeps an eye on what the food she buys contains.

She said, “It can be a minefield. For example, if you look as some
types of cheese and onion crisps that you would think would be
vegetarian they often contain rennet.

“Whereas smokey bacon crisps are usually vegetarian – despite their
name.

“Some wines contain finings derived from fish, and gelatin can be
included in a lot of things.

“But animal products in cheese is less of a problem than it used to be
years ago.

“I am not hugely strict but my mother became a vegetarian from a very
young age and I talked to her about it and came around to thinking
that it is a kinder, more sustainable way of living.”

Animal additives
Common animal products for vegetarians to look out for:

Rennin (rennet) is a coagulating enzyme obtained from a young animal’s
stomach, usually a calf’s stomach, that is used to curdle milk in
foods such as cheese.

Carmine (carmine, cochineal, or carminic acid) is a red colouring made
from a ground-up insect, used in bottled juices, coloured pasta, some
sweets, frozen pops, and “natural” cosmetics.

Casein (caseinate) is a milk protein that coagulates with the addition
of rennin and is the foundation of cheese. It is also used in
adhesives, paints, and plastics.

Gelatin protein from bones, cartilage, tendons, and skin of animals,
can be found in marshmallows, yoghurt, frosted cereals and desserts.

David · Guest

UK: Vegetarian anger sparks Mars chocolate U-turn
21 May 2007 | Source: just-food.com

Mars UK has reversed its decision to use animal extract in the
production of a range of confectionery products after a flood of
complaints from campaigners.

The company, formerly known as Masterfoods, performed the U-turn amid
anger from vegetarians that rennet, an animal enzyme, was to be used
in products including Mars, Snickers and Maltesers.

Mars UK said last week it would change the source of whey used in its
chocolate products in the UK from a vegetarian-friendly variety to
rennet. The company received over 6,000 complaints on the issue, while
some 40 MPs had also signed a petition against the move.

Fiona Dawson, managing director of the Mars snackfood business in the
UK, said yesterday (20 May): "It became very clear, very quickly that
we had made a mistake, for which I am sorry. There are three million
vegetarians in the UK and not only did we disappoint them but we upset
lots of other consumers."

Dawson added: "We have listened to their views and have decided to
reverse our decision. All those people who have enjoyed our products
in the past will soon be able to enjoy them once again."

Mars UK said it would change its recipes immediately to get back to
using the vegetarian-friendly whey.

David · Guest

Mars backs down but vegetarians left baffled

Paul Lewis
Monday May 21, 2007
The Guardian

The company behind some of Britain's top-selling chocolate bars has
admitted many of its well known brands will remain unsuitable for
vegetarians, despite reversing a decision to use animal extracts in
its products.
While Mars UK has backflipped over the use of animal extracts in some
of its chocolate confectionery - including Mars and Snickers bars -
ingredients used in its other products, such as Twix, Bounty,
Celebrations, Topic and Milky Way, will not be changed, meaning they
will continue to be unsuitable for vegetarians.

A week-long campaign by vegetarians prompted Mars UK to admit it had
become "very clear, very quickly" that it had been a mistake to change
the variety of whey used in Mars, Snickers, Maltesers and Galaxy bars
from a vegetarian source to one with traces of rennet, an animal
enzyme which is taken from the stomachs of calves.
But with hundreds of thousands of chocolate bars containing the new
ingredients already thought to be on the shelves and the company
ruling out a recall, Mars has had to admit it cannot tell vegetarian
consumers exactly when its bars will be safe to eat.

"The position is highly confused," said Annette Pinner, chief
executive of the Vegetarian Society, who has been in talks with Mars
UK over the weekend. "We need to know what's going to be vegetarian -
and when it's going to be vegetarian."

While welcoming the U-turn, she added: "We really want clarity. That's
what is important so that people know Mars can be trusted."

Mars UK began using animal products in chocolates produced at its
factory in Slough, Berkshire, on May 1.

Within a week of the decision being announced, more than 6,000 people
had called and emailed the multinational's switchboard, which usually
receives 500 comments a week. More than 40 MPs also signed a petition
to voice their disapproval.

With uncertainty over which of the country's most popular chocolate
bars vegetarians can actually eat, the advice from the company last
night appeared far from simple.

Bars produced in the UK which are stamped with a "best before" date
after October 1 2007 may contain animal rennet. But the company could
not say precisely which best-before dates will contain animal
extracts.

Customers unsure about the vegetarian suitability of any given bar are
advised to call the company's consumer care telephone number, and will
receive a refund if they are unsatisfied with their product, the
company said.

In an advert taken out in several national newspapers today, Mars UK's
managing director, Fiona Dawson, apologises to consumers. "We made a
mistake," she says in a signed open letter. "We apologise. The
customer is our boss. Therefore we listen to you and your feedback."

Promising "a selection of your favourite brands" to be made suitable
for vegetarians in the "near future", she adds: "We will keep you
informed of our progress against this commitment - expect to hear from
us soon."

She told the Guardian the decision to revert to vegetarian-friendly
whey for a selection of lines had been customer-led, but indicated
there had not been a boycott.

"There's been no impact on sales - this has been about getting
feedback from people who love our product," she said.

David · Guest

Masterfoods and the vegetarianisation of food

http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/printNewsBis.asp?id=76676

21/05/2007- Masterfoods' U-turn over its plan to reformulate its
famous confectionery brands using animal-derived whey sets a precedent
that will prevent any other food manufacturer from flying in the face
of the trend towards vegetarianisation of our food.

A vicious battle raged between Masterfoods and a small, but vocal,
army of vegetarians when the maker of Mars, Maltesers, Snickers and
Galaxy bars decided to use rennet, animal-derived whey (taken from
calves' stomachs) instead of the more costly vegetarian whey from
plant sources.

The decision, based on the desire to shave a few digits off the
company's costs, sparked huge debate played out in columns of
mainstream newspapers.

Faced with a reported 6,000 letters from furious chocoholics, Mars
realised its misjudgement and yesterday executed an impressive
about-face. The company issued a lengthy apology to its customers and
vowed to keep its products meat-free.

But why the furore in the first place? Surely a manufacturer is
entitled to tweak the odd recipe?

Well yes. If it wants to alienate a slice of its consumer base, then
on its own bottom-line be it. But one gets the feeling that
Masterfoods did not factor in the 3m UK vegetarians who would no
longer spend their pocket money on its wares, when analysing the cost
benefits of substituting rennet for vegetarian whey.

And in the light of the embarrassing conclusion to the affair, other
food manufacturers are highly unlikely to try the same tactic.

For a start, it was problematic that Masterfoods' decision was
financially motivated. In general large companies still struggle with
the image as megalithic money-bags, and consumers are unlikely to
swallow the idea that they are being fed something they do not want
simply to line their pockets.

It might have been a different story had Masterfoods' reformulation
been based on maintaining or improving the taste of the product.

In 2005 Cadbury Trebor Bassett resisted pressure from The Vegetarian
Society to reformulate Jelly Babies using vegetarian gelatine. The
company said it had investigated gelatine alternatives and was unable
to replicate the texture.

It was able to stick to its guns because it is more acceptable for a
company to refuse to reformulate using vegetarian ingredients than it
is for them take away a vegetarian treat-food.

Secondly, how on earth would a company communicate its intention to
take a product from vegetarian to non-vegetarian?

As Masterfoods discovered, decisions like these have to be handled
with the utmost delicacy so as not to blow up into a public relations
disaster and have long-lasting effects on the brand.

It could not exactly have come out with an advertising campaign
featuring cute little calves being slaughtered. But anything short of
full disclosure makes for criticism of acting in an underhand way and
trying to dupe the consumer.

Masterfoods' approach was something between the two. It did not keep
completely schtum but sent discreet letters to retailers informing
them of the reformulation. However the content of these letter has not
been made public, and it was only when The Vegetarian Society was
informed about them that the campaign kicked off.

So are we heading for a future where the only products that are not
suitable for vegetarians are those that contain meat in its familiar
form, pictured on the packaging and included in the product name?

Probably not. There are still some ingredients, particularly those
with nutritional properties, that cannot be sourced from plant matter.
What is more, most vegetarians are aware there are certain foods they
should avoid - like jelly sweets, for instance. If they are unsure, it
is to them to look at the ingredients list.

But there is no denying that there is a general shift towards making
foods suitable for more consumer groups - not only vegetarians but
also people who adhere to kosher or halal diets, and allergy
sufferers.

On ingredients side of the industry, considerable R&D is devoted to
coming up with vegetarian alternatives to animal ingredients. For
instance, both BASF and DSM have vitamin and nutrient ranges that are
suitable for a broad range of diet preferences.

Last year Dutch potato starch group Avebe created a new subsidiary
called Solanic, offering vegetable proteins said to overcome
functional barriers that have led some companies to plump for animal
proteins in the past.

The sense behind such strategies increases with every animal-related
food scare. Even those who aren't strictly speaking vegetarian are
more and more sensitive about the source of the food they eat.

At the finished product end, the vegetarian lobby is a powerful one.

The Vegetarian Society has collaborated with the Food Standards Agency
on a set of guidelines for vegetarian and vegan products, which were
released last April.
These guidelines are not legally enforceable however, but are designed
to improve labelling by providing criteria, help manufacturers avoid
common mistakes, and help enforcement agencies identify misleading
labelling that contravenes the 1990 Food Safety Act or the 1968 Trade
Descriptions Act.

Ideally The Vegetarian Society would like to see a set of legal
definitions governing what foods can be construed as vegetarian and
what not.

It is not there yet, but one day it might be - and then the situation
will become clearer, both for vegetarians and for companies who cater
to them and every other dietary peccadillo out there. In the meantime,
unless they relish the thought of vegetarians braying for their blood,
companies are advised to leave vegetarians' treat foods well alone.

David · Guest

Statement on Current Vegetarian Status

At Mars UK we recently changed the source of some of the whey which is
used in some of our chocolate products. We have received lots of
feedback that this decision has made it difficult for some of you,
especially those of you who are vegetarians, to continue to enjoy our
products.

We made a mistake. We apologise.

The consumer is our boss. Therefore we listen to you and your
feedback.

As a company we value openness, honesty and diversity and we believe
that anybody should be able to choose freely from our range of
chocolate brands.

But being sorry isn’t enough. Therefore we commit to you today, that
we at Mars UK will ensure that a selection of your favourite brands –
Mars bars, Snickers bars, Galaxy and Maltesers, will be suitable for
vegetarians in the near future. To this effect we are starting to
change our manufacturing process today.

We will keep you informed of our progress against this commitment
through regular updates on this website.

Please accept our apology and keep talking to us, via

our careline - 0845 0450042
our simple freepost address – Freepost, Masterfoods, Consumer Care
our website - www.masterfoodsconsumercare.co.uk
our email address – fionadawson@mars.co.uk

Q1. What are you announcing?
A1. We have recently changed the source of some of the whey which is
used in our chocolate products made in the UK from a vegetarian
friendly variety to one which contains traces of traditional rennet
from animal sources. We have received lots of feedback from consumers
and reversed this decision.

Q2. Are you reverting to vegetarian recipes for all of those products
that were subject to the ingredient change?
A2. Yes, this announcement means that favourite products - Mars bars,
Snickers bars, Galaxy, and Maltesers will once again be suitable for
vegetarians.

Q3. You make lots of other brands – what about the suitability of
them?
A3. Other products will also be suitable for vegetarians including
Minstrels, Revels, and Ripple. However, Twix, Bounty and Celebrations
will continue not to be suitable for vegetarians.

Q4. I’m a vegetarian – which products can I eat / should I avoid?
A4. Currently we cannot guarantee that our products contain vegetarian
rennet. However, we are starting to change our manufacturing process
with immediate effect. We want to get our vegetarian products on the
shelves as soon as possible. During this process of changing the
recipes we will provide updates on this consumer care website, on a
regular basis. If you are not sure about the suitability of our
products please call us on 0845 0450042.

Q5. Why did you decide to change the ingredients in the first place?
A5. We made the change to broaden our supply base in order to ensure
we could continue to provide our consumers with products of consistent
quality in the future.

Q6. Will you now consult with consumers on any future changes to
products?
A6. Yes. This change was a mistake and we are sorry that we may have
prevented consumers from enjoying the products they’ve always enjoyed.

MARS®, SNICKERS®, MILKY WAY®, MALTESERS®, GALAXY®, TWIX®,
CELEBRATIONS®, M&Ms®, SKITTLES®, STARBURST®, TOPIC®, BOUNTY®, REVELS®,
MAGIC STARS®, MINSTRELS®, MARS® DELIGHT™, FUN SIZE®, UNCLE BEN’S®,
DOLMIO®, BOUNCE®, CHAPPIE®, TRILL®, THOMAS®, FROLIC®, KATKINS®,
PERFECT FIT®, CATSAN®, CESAR®, KITEKAT®, PAL®, PEDIGREE®, SHEBA®,
WHISKAS®, MYPETSTOP® are all trademarks of Mars, Incorporated and its
affiliates.

Sandy · Guest

[ Print article using a 'typewriter' font (like Courier) 472 words ]

Life is Wonderful
-----------------

by Anton Chekhov
1885

Life is quite an unpleasant business, but it is not so very hard to make
it wonderful. For which purpose it is not enough that you should win
200,000 roubles in a lottery, or receive the order of the White Eagle,
or marry a beautiful woman -- all these blessings are transitory and are
liable to become a habit. But to feel continuously happy, even in
moments of distress and sorrow, the following is needed:

(a) To be satisfied with your present state; and

(b) To rejoice in the knowledge that things might have been much worse.

When your matches suddenly go off in your pocket, rejoice and offer
thanks to heaven that your pocket is not a gunpowder magazine.

When your relations come to pay you a visit during your holiday in
the country, don't turn pale, but exclaim triumphantly: "How very lucky
it is not the police!"

If you get a splinter in your finger, rejoice that it is not in your
eye.

If your wife and sister-in-law practises scales on the piano, don't
lose your temper, but be grateful for the joy that you are listening to
music, and not to the howling of jackals, or to a cat's concert.

Rejoice that you are not a tram-horse, nor a Koch bacillus, nor a
trichina, nor a pig, nor an ass, nor a bear lead by a gipsy, nor a bug.

Rejoice that at the moment you are not a prisoner in the dock; that
you are not interviewing your creditors, and that you have not to
arrange the question of fees with Turba, the editor.

If you can live in a place not so remote as Siberia, can't you feel
pleased at the idea, that by mere chance you might have been deported
there?

If you have pain in one tooth, rejoice that it is not all your teeth
that are aching.

Rejoice that you can afford not to read the 'Daily Citizen'; that
you have not to drive a sewage cart, nor to be married to three women
simultaneously.

If you are removed to a police cell, jump for joy that it is not the
fiery gehenna that you have been taken to.

If you are flogged with a birch rod, kick your legs in rapture, and
exclaim: "How very happy I am that it is not nettles I am being flogged
with!"

If your wife has been unfaithful to you, rejoice that she has
betrayed merely yourself, and not your country.

[* This piece appeared in the original in No. 17 of the humorous paper
'Oskolki' in 1885, when Chekhov, then only twenty-five, was being paid
literally in farthings for his contributions. 'Life is Wonderful' has
not been included in Chekhov's collected works. *]

from
"Plays and Stories by Anton Tchekhov"
translated by S.S. Koteliansky
pages 354-355
Everyman Library #941
J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd, London
1937

Knut J Bjuland · Guest

Fox hunting in the British old fashion way is crulities to Animal. The
fox is riped pieces to pieces by the dogs. In other part of Europe there
is still "fox hunts" but they to not chase living fox but a man made
track. It could be done in UK as well. If you would hunt a fox you
should us a rifle to shot the fox and kill it.

John wrote:

buddenbrooks · Guest

Large Game Hunting in Russia
a.. Brown Bear Hunting
b.. Asiatic Black Bear Hunts
c.. Wolf Hunting
d.. Lynx Hunting
e.. Moose Hunting
f.. Maral / Izubr Stag Hunts
g.. Red Deer Hunting
h.. Musk Deer Hunting
i.. Siberian Roe Deer Hunts
j.. Ibex Hunting
k.. Caucasian Tur Hunting
l.. Caucasian Chamois Hunting
m.. Marco Polo Argali Sheep Hunts
n.. Snow Sheep Hunting
o.. Wild Boar Hunting

"Knut J Bjuland" <knutjbj@nospam.online.no> wrote in message
news:7-CdnZi3GuuknMvbRVnzvAA@telenor.com...

ah · Guest

Phil Kyle wrote: