A food fight in Australia

Reader Snoggeramus e-mailed me from Australia with the link to an article in the Brisbane Times.

Vegan Australia has taken aim at updated Australian dietary guidelines due for release in the second half of 2012, claiming they reinforce the abuse of animals that are killed for consumption.

It’s disappointed they don’t consider the way food is sourced or its impact on the environment.

“We reject the assumption that meat be the default option for sourcing protein,” the group said in a joint submission with the Vegan Society of NSW to the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) review of the draft guidelines.

. . .

Vegan Australia says the guidelines “discriminate” against vegans and fail to consider alternative diets “that promote compassion and put an end to the unnecessary suffering and killing of animals for food consumption”.

There’s more at the link.

What amused Snoggeramus (and I, once I’d followed his link) wasn’t so much the article, as the comments from readers! There’s a full-scale verbal war going on between vegans and vegetarians on one side, and meat-eaters and -lovers on the other. The humor seems to be all on the latter side! Here’s a selection from the over 200 comments posted so far.

• From reader ‘mighty deceaser’: “These so-called vegans are try-hards. There are only a very few of us who are true vegans – those of us who have reached level 6 veganism – where we don’t eat anything that casts a shadow.”
• ‘Saxivore’: “Fair point, I prefer to get around such dilemmas by ensuring that the veal I eat has been weaned on soy milk.”
• ‘Bryce’: “I am going to use this article to wipe my chin with after I finish this massive, medium rare steak I am about to tuck into. What’s next, suggesting lions take up mung beans?”
• ‘Red Pony’: “Reckon they’re just fishing for trouble? I hate to mince words but they are showing rare courage – well done, to the lot of them!”
• ‘Fairy’: “You wouldn’t say that if you’d witnessed, firsthand, a lettuce ripped screaming from the ground, its terrified friends looking on helplessly.”
• ‘Evolved Omnivore’: “Bacon is proof that God exists and laughs at vegetarians!”
• ‘JoBlo’: “I prefer grassfed vegans, better omega 6 to 3 ratios.”
• ‘Gordon’: “Meat eaters…….Give peas a chance.”
• ‘PJL’: “Do you have any idea [of] the work involved in eating vegan and getting all the protein and nutrients you need? The original hunter gatherers weren’t vegan for a very good reason. If they were they would have starved. It really is a first world fad.”

I had a good laugh reading them all. I’ll keep an eye on that article to see whether any other gems float to the surface.

Thanks, Snoggeramus! Keep them coming!

Peter