Treat a special child in your life to a week of vegan camp and support The VRG at the same time by purchasing at The VRG’s Online Charity Auction!

Start bidding here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/251976988071

Vegan Camp (VeganCamp.org) has been providing the optimal camps for vegan and vegetarian children for close to a quarter of a century. This summer, there are four overnight camp options from which to choose (while space permits) – the Explorers’ Experience for kids who love to be on the go, hiking, trekking, exploring, etc. – the Amusement Park Paradise for kids who love amusement parks with roller coasters and water slides – the Cyclers’ Safari for kids who would love doing some bicycling each day as well as swimming and other engaging activities – and the Recreational Respite for kids who would love a more relaxed environment, enjoying the campsite with a vast array of sports, swimming, crafts, etc.

Each camp is limited to a maximum of eight children and supervised and guided by two mature, responsible, adult, positive role-model counselors. Campers have come from far and wide to attend these totally vegan camps. The camps are based in the Los Angeles area, but campers have even flown in from as far as Virginia, New York, Israel, Korea, and Russia! Before bidding, feel free to contact Vegan Camp ([email protected]) to discuss possible plans for your child attending Vegan Camp this summer. Each of the camps has somewhat of a different theme and activities, but all of the camps have a bounty of totally vegan foods, loads of vegan snacks, special vegan marshmallow roasting, smores, and other such evenings, and so much more.

100% of proceeds will be donated to The Vegetarian Resource Group. Thank you so much for your support.

According to CBS News, Taco Bell will be removing carmine from its red tortilla strips.

See: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/taco-bell-pizza-hut-booting-artificial-ingredients/

For more information on quick service chains, see: http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

The contents of this postings, our website, and our other publications,
including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal
medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified
health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient
information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure
about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and
mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgement about whether a
product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or
confirmation on your own.

Cowspiracy is a feature length environmental documentary that uncovers the destructive nature of animal agriculture. Animal agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation, water consumption and pollution, is responsible for more greenhouse gases than the transportation industry, and is a primary driver of rainforest destruction, species extinction, habitat loss, topsoil erosion, ocean “dead zones,” and many other environmental ills. For a limited time, The Vegetarian Resource Group will send you a free copy of this video ($19.95 value) when you join VRG!

Don’t forget, this offer expires June 7th, 2015.

To join go to: vrg.org/donate, pay $25 for one year (includes Vegetarian Journal subscription), and in the comments section mention that you would like the free Cowspiracy video.

Wanna get-away, vegan-style? Why not check out the veggie-friendly accommodations included in The Vegetarian Resource Group’s Online Charity Auction? We are offering stays in beautiful Bed & Breakfasts in amazing destinations such as:

New Paltz, NY – Hungry Ghost Guest House
Portland, OR – Cherokee Rose Inn
Freeland, WA – Someday Farm Vegan B&B
Big Pine Keys, Florida Keys – Deer Run B&B
Eugene, OR – Velo

Start bidding here: http://www.ebay.com/usr/thevegetarianresourcegroup

100% of proceeds will be donated to The Vegetarian Resource Group. Thank you so much for your support.

This cookbook is written by a private chef and serves up over 100 recipes using almond milk. The recipes are vegan and would be useful to anyone who is lactose intolerant. Nutritional analyses are included, as well as some basic recipes to prepare your own almond milk at home in case you don’t have access to commercially produced almond milk. Keep in mind that if you make your own almond milk at home, it will not be fortified.

Here are some of the recipes included in this book: Chocolate-Tangerine Smoothie, Cappuccino, Blueberry-Buckwheat Pancakes, Cream of Tomato Soup, Ranch Dressing, Linguine with Olive Sauce, Vegetable Pot Pie, Creamed Greens, Ethiopian-Style Yams, Cinnamon-Cardamom Rolls, Pumpkin Pie, Mocha Sauce, Chocolate-Orange Truffles, Caramelized Figs with Almond Cream, and Chocolate-Almond Ice Cream.

The Almond Milk Cookbook, (ISBN 978-1-57067-326-9) is a 156-page book. It is published by Book Publishing Company and you can purchase this book from The Vegetarian Resource Group at: http://www.vrg.org/catalog or from your local bookstore.

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

An Australian vegetarian planning an upcoming visit to the United States emailed The VRG in April 2015 about whether gelatin, rennet and carmine must be labeled on food packages. Various sources that she had consulted left her with questions so she turned to us for clarification.

Gelatin

A common gelling agent and thickener, gelatin is derived from the bones and skins of cows, pigs, or fish.When used as a food or beverage ingredient gelatin must appear on a food package’s label. Source (bovine, porcine or fish) does not have to be specified.

When used as an incidental additive or as a processing aid in insignificant amounts gelatin is exempt from food labeling requirements. This is the case when gelatin is used as a clarifying agent in wine, beer or juice or used as a carrier in juice or soft drinks (FDA, VRG 1, VRG 2).

Carmine

A red-to-purple coloring pigment obtained from dried bodies of the female insect Coccus cacti, carmine (or cochineal) must be labeled in a packaged food or beverage product because it is a potential allergen (FDA).

Rennet

An enzyme used in cheese production, rennet must be declared on a food label. It may appear simply as “enzymes.” Source (animal, plant or microbial) does not have to be stated (FDA).

Note

The information provided above applies only to labeling of pre-packaged food and beverage products. In 2014, the FDA issued labeling requirements pertaining to restaurant foods which will go in effect on December 1, 2015. Nothing is stated about ingredient labeling of foods served at restaurants or at similar establishments (FDA).

According to this FDA document patrons may request information about restaurant food on an individual basis. Whenever there’s doubt about a specific food ingredient, we recommend that you visit the restaurant website or call and ask to speak to a manager.

The contents of this posting, our website and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgement about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group research, donate at:
http://www.vrg.org/member/donate_buttons.php

You can now get weekend passes to The Seed Experience 2015, an amazing plant-based food and lifestyle expo and conference in Brooklyn, NY on June 20th & 21st, at The VRG’s Online Charity Auction! Hurry, bids start at half price!

The Seed Experience will be held at the Brooklyn Expo Center (72 Noble St. Brooklyn, NY 11222).

Start bidding at: http://www.ebay.com/usr/thevegetarianresourcegroup

100% of proceeds will be donated to The Vegetarian Resource Group. Thank you so much for your support.

The Seed Experience is a plant-based food and lifestyle expo and conference. The expo will have over 100 exhibitors. Attendees will snack on delicious plant-based foods from many of NYC’s best local artesian merchants and restaurants, learn from top chefs at cooking demonstrations, discover new eco-friendly and cruelty-free products and services, and check out award-winning films. Plus, get inspired as renowned speakers, animal rights activists, champion athletes, doctors, and chefs share stories about how going plant-based changed their lives. You find everything you need, and more, for living a healthy, compassionate and eco-friendly lifestyle.

For more information, see: www.TheSeed.nyc

To inform consumers that dark chocolate products may contain milk even if not intentionally added, many chocolate manufacturers print “advisory” messages on the label. There’s quite a variety of advisory messages, such as:

“may contain milk”
“may contain dairy”
“may contain traces of milk”
“made on equipment shared with milk”
“processed in a plant that processes dairy”
“manufactured in a facility that uses milk”

FDA tested nearly 100 dark chocolate bars, including some vegan selections, for the presence of milk.

For an interesting read see:
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm433555.htm?source=govdelivery&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Chef Nancy Berkoff offers some quick and easy snack ideas in the recent issue of Vegetarian Journal. She says, “Treat each snack as a mini-meal. Snack foods should be both fun and healthy. That means that all the snack food you eat should “count.” Ask yourself if the snack foods you select have decent amounts of vitamins, minerals, fiber and fluid, and limited amounts of calories from fat (especially saturated fat), sodium, and artificial colors, flavors and preservatives.”

To see the complete article, go to: http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2015issue2/2015_issue2_cooking_tips.php
To subscribe to Vegetarian Journal, visit: http://www.vrg.org/catalog/

The Vegetarian Resource Group recently received information about the following study:

Welcome to the Healthy Aging Research Study

Presented as a cooperative project of Benedictine University & Fairleigh Dickinson University

If you are between the ages of 45 and 80, please click
on the following links to complete the survey:

MEN: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/healthyman
WOMEN: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/healthywoman

The goal of our research study is to investigate how an individual’s dietary (vegan, vegetarian, omnivore) and lifestyle choices affect wellness, including hormonal/sexual functioning throughout the middle and later years.

Your responses to this study are entirely anonymous and will only take approximately 25 minutes to complete.

Thank you for volunteering to participate in our study!