ASDA - cochineal products labeled veggie

mumof3girls

thats err err err

trace-j

Trollydolly wrote:

Cant trading standards do anything? Isnt it false advertising?

Damn right- give them a call about it.

Loadsabob

Debt_Free_Chick wrote:

I think part of the problem is that "Vegetarian" means different things to different people. Some just mean "no meat", others mean "no meat, no fish", others mean "no animal products at all". Wine, for example, often includes a fish by-product (issinglass) - yet many who claim to be vegetarian will happily consume wine. There is no formal or legal definition of "vegetarian" but if you want to avoid all animal products, then I think you can only rely on the Approved by the Vegetarian Society label.

It's annoying that "vegetarian" means different things to different people, as it makes sense to me that anything that involves the killing of a creature is not vegetarian, it may just be "meat free"...but as you say, not everyone thinks like that.

However, the most formal definition we have in this country is that of the Vegetarian Society. It's pretty clear, but a lot of people choose to adapt it to their own dietary choices: "A vegetarian does not eat any meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish or crustacea, or slaughter by-products such as gelatine or animal fats."

Interestingly, Asda's website points people TO the Vegetarian Society for more information about vegetarian products! Asda's own definition stops short of mentioning cochineal, but it gets down to the detail of E numbers and whey...so really I think they've just made an ill-informed mistake and are too pig-headed to admit it.

To be honest, it's the least of the reasons why I won't shop in Asda...but that's off the point!

Asda's website states:

ASDA ensures that any product defined as suitable for vegetarians contains:
NO animal flesh (meat, fowl, fish or shellfish)
NO meat or bone stock (in soups, sauces or other dishes)
NO animal fats (suet, lard, dripping) or ordinary white cooking fats or margarine (some may contain fish oil)
NO gelatin, aspic, block or jelly crystals. Agar-agar is an acceptable alternative
NO other products with ingredients which involve the killing of animals or fish
An ASDA product is developed as being suitable for Vegetarians wherever possible. For example, we use a vegetarian E471 and E481 in most if not all ASDA foods now. Where it will make a product suitable for vegetarians we also use a vegetarian margarine, cheese and whey.

The links above display a list of current ASDA products which are suitable for vegetarians. However, in order to maintain standards of quality ASDA are constantly reviewing their range and occasionally recipe changes do occur. We therefore suggest that you check the ingredients list printed on our packaging.

On occasion larger/smaller pack sizes can be obtained from different sources or produced in different factories. It is therefore very important to check each size and not to assume that if one is ok for your diet they will all be. Some products mentioned may only be available in selected stores.

For further information you may like to contact:

The Vegetarian Society
Parkdale, Denham Road, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 4QG.
Tel. 0161 928 0793

£$&*"($£&(

This Asda statement is typical of those who are clueless of simple biology. It says "animals or fish". As if they are different. Fish aren't plants therefore they are animals. Besides bacteria and viruses and some somewhat indeterminate species (and perhaps fungi which are a bit confusing) there are only two forms of life - plants and animals. Fish are animals, birds are animals, insects are animals. Vegetarians do not use products derived from dead animals. In fact claiming your a vegetatrian and saying you eat fish, or something containing cochineal, is total nonsense. It's just as valid to say your a vegetarian but you eat beef.

Debt_Free_Chick

Loadsabob wrote:

It's annoying that "vegetarian" means different things to different people, as it makes sense to me that anything that involves the killing of a creature is not vegetarian, it may just be "meat free"...but as you say, not everyone thinks like that.

However, the most formal definition we have in this country is that of the Vegetarian Society. It's pretty clear, but a lot of people choose to adapt it to their own dietary choices: "A vegetarian does not eat any meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish or crustacea, or slaughter by-products such as gelatine or animal fats."

That's my view too. But, as you say, there are so many people who claim to be "vegetarian" and then tell you how they eat fish! If you try to suggest that they are not vegetarian, some get very cross :mad:

To be honest, it's the least of the reasons why I won't shop in Asda...but that's off the point!

I can't stand the place either

lellie

my friend dan is veggie but has to eat fish due to health worries.. He's rediculously anemic amongst other things and despite taking lots of iron supplements and things the only thing that actually helps is eating fish :S it's not really out of choice - more neccessity.

nickinoo

lellie wrote:

my friend dan is veggie but has to eat fish due to health worries.. He's rediculously anemic amongst other things and despite taking lots of iron supplements and things the only thing that actually helps is eating fish :S it's not really out of choice - more neccessity.

That a shame about your friend Lellie but he's not veggie IMHO.

nickinoo

gibby wrote:

asda are selling food labeled suitable for vegetarians but they include crushed beetles and their juice.

On calling them they told me they thought crushed beetles were suitable and they would not be changing their labeling or policy


Is this breaking an food labeling law???


G

Can you please list the offending products? I did a big shop in ASDA last week & I'm worried that I may be eating crushed beetles. I usually trust the suitable for vegetarians label-not so sure I will now.

catsonic

i think the easiest thing for me is to just stop eating! lol

i now feel abit iky thinking about eating crushed up beetles!!

what other weird and wonderful things do they put in our food? ermmmmmm nooo dont tell me!! i really dont need to know!! lol

soolin

lellie wrote:

my friend dan is veggie but has to eat fish due to health worries.. He's rediculously anemic amongst other things and despite taking lots of iron supplements and things the only thing that actually helps is eating fish :S it's not really out of choice - more neccessity.

I agree with nickinoo, whilst being sympathetic to vegetarianism your friend is not actually a vegetarian.

I've got loads of friends who claim to be veggie but eat the strangest things, like fish, or jelly babies I even have one friend who occasionally eats a bacon sandwich as it doesn't really count!

I'm not a veggie but can appreciate the problems of trying to remain veggie when the food labelling is poor. I cannot eat gluten and have enough problems with poor labelling for that.

Soo