Veggie victory in Masterfoods battle

Sunday, May 20th, 2007

Thanks to the ever-delightful MsDemmie for letting me know about the BBC’s latest news article on the Masterfoods’ decision to start using animal rennet in chocolate produces such as Mars, Maltesters, Snickers, Galaxy and Bounty. In short, we won! The company will revert back to using vegetarian rennet with immediate effect, though questions remain that need answering.

I first wrote about this major gaff and offence on Masterfoods’ part a very short time ago.

The biggest question now is, how will vegetarian and other consumers be able to tell the difference between the non-veggie-friendly bars and the veggie-friendly bars? If Masterfoods starts using a V symbol where valid to do so, it would make life a lot easier whenever we get the urge to indulge in something sweet.

Will the animal rennet-containing bars be withdrawn from sale? We have already have many people reporting that they have inadvertently bought affected bars, only finding out afterwards—my partner among them. Yet I was told when I called the company to complain that the veggie-unfriendly variants would not be available in the shops yet, that the ones we see in the supermarkets and corner shops right now are all okay to eat.

This proved to be untrue. Contaminated chocolate is in the supply chain right now.

It’s fair enough to ask what further action and advice Masterfoods intends to give to people who wish or need to avoid eating the products of slaughter? It’s not only offensive for a vegetarian to discover she or he has inadvertently consumed animal products, but for many religious people it can be a complete disaster.

Mars said it became ‘very clear, very quickly’ that it had made a mistake. More than 6,000 people (well done, everyone!) bombarded the company with phone and e-mail complaints. Forty MPs signed a petition to voice their opposition as well, less than want to pass an Act of Parliament to keep all their juicy secrets out of the public eye—but hey, we can’t have everything. Not on the same day at least.

The managing director of Mars UK, Fiona Dawson, said the company had listened to customers and decided to reverse its decision. It sounds like they’ve put the insensitive and insulting Paul Goalby out to pasture, or sent him for communications training.

So when is it going to be safe for us to go back in the sweet shop?

Currently listening to: Julie Fowlis – Mar A Tha Mo Chridhe – Ged a Sheòl Mi Air M’ Aineol