VRG-NEWS: The Vegetarian Resource Group Newsletter
Volume 19, Issue 12

December 2015

By Shani Stewart

CONTENTS

  1. GIVING TUESDAY
  2. WELCOME MEGAN MISHOU AS THE NEW VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR FOR VRG
  3. VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP RESEARCH AND NEWS: QUINOA AND VEGGIES RECIPE, VEGAN HOSPITAL FOOD, SCHOOL LUNCHES, WHERE TO BUY VEGAN BOOTS, AND MORE
  4. A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR AMAZING VRG VOLUNTEERS
  5. THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP OFFERS TWO $5,000 SCHOLARSHIPS PLUS ONE $10,000 SCHOLARSHIP TO HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS
  6. AMAZON SMILE -- BUY THROUGH AMAZON AND SUPPORT VRG
  7. POTATO CHIPS' WATER FOOTPRINT
  8. STEARIC ACID IN LIFE SAVERS® MINTS DERIVED FROM TALLOW, LARD
  9. GREAT SAGE BENEFIT DAY
  10. DISCOUNTS ON VEGAN LUCACHIARA ITEMS
  11. SUGAR IN COMPANION FOODS MEAT SUBSTITUTES FROM TAIWAN SUGAR CORPORATION
  12. THANK YOU FOR HELP WITH CHECKING TRANSLATION TO PORTUGUESE
  13. FOOD DELIVERY COMPANY QUESTION
  14. WORLDWIDE CONFERENCES and EVENTS
  15. BECOME A MONTHLY DONOR FOR VRG
  16. ABOUT THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP
  17. ABOUT VRG NEWS

1) GIVING TUESDAY

December 1st is Giving Tuesday - Please Consider Supporting The Vegetarian Resource Group!

December 1st each year is known as Giving Tuesday, a day set aside to donate to non-profit organizations doing good work all year long. The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) would greatly appreciate your support. Visit: www.vrg.org/donate

Here are some of the ways your donation will be used throughout the year to come:

  • $25 Sponsors sending Vegetarian Journal for a year to a Vegetarian or Animal Rights Group located overseas in a poor country.
  • $50 Would go towards reprinting copies of Vegan Diets in a Nutshell. See: [ http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/vegan.htm ]
  • $100 The cost to send a box of vegan literature to a student vegetarian/animal rights/environmental organization for outreach on their campus.
  • $200 Allows VRG to send Vegetarian Journal for a year to 20 high school students applying to the Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship.
  • $300 To print VRG Banners to use at outreach tables throughout the USA.
  • $500 Will enable us to give runner-up scholarships to high school seniors who promote veganism
  • $1,000 So we can reprint our Spanish coloring book. See: El Arco Iris Vegetariano [ https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2010issue4/2010_issue4_back_cover.php ]

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2) WELCOME MEGAN MISHOU AS THE NEW VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR FOR VRG

We are pleased to announce a new addition at The Vegetarian Resource Group HQ. Megan Mishou has been a vegetarian for more than half of her life. She spontaneously went vegan more than two years ago on World Day for Farmed Animals (WDFA) and has never looked back. Megan's goal has always been to spend her days working to make a difference for animals and the environment. She has found that opportunity here as the Volunteer Coordinator for The VRG, and we're happy to have her along on our educational mission.

Would you like to volunteer with the VRG? Please contact Megan directly at [email protected] or call (410)-366-8343 to find out how you can help!

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3) VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP RESEARCH AND NEWS: QUINOA AND VEGGIES RECIPE, VEGAN HOSPITAL FOOD, SCHOOL LUNCHES, WHERE TO BUY VEGAN BOOTS, AND MORE

QUINOA AND VEGGIES RECIPE
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/02/quinoa-and-veggies-recipe/ ]
CELEBRATE NATIONAL SANDWICH DAY WITH THESE EASY VEGAN RECIPES
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/03/celebrate-national-sandwich-day-with-these- easy-vegan-recipes/ ]
VEGAN HOSPITAL FOOD
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/04/vegan-hospital-food/ ]
25% DISCOUNT ON LUCACHIARA NON-LEATHER SHOES HANDBAGS WALLETS AND PASSPORT
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/04/25-discount-on-lucachiara-non-leather-shoes- handbags-wallets-and-passport-cases/ ]
SCHOOL LUNCHES
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/05/school-lunches/ ]
WHERE TO BUY VEGAN BOOTS
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/05/where-to-buy-vegan-boots/ ]
TWO BOOTS IS CELEBRATING WORLD VEGAN MONTH WITH SEVERAL VEGAN PIZZA OPTIONS
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/06/two-boots-is-celebrating-world-vegan-month-with-several-vegan-pizza-options/ ]
VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP 2015 VIDEO CONTEST WINNER
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/06/vegetarian-resource-group-2015-video-contest-winner-2/ ]
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR VEGAN THANKSGIVING RECIPES OR A LIST OF VEGAN THANKSGIVING
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/09/are-you-looking-for-vegan-thanksgiving-recipes-or-a-list-of-vegan-thanksgiving-events/ ]
VEGAN ALTERNATIVES TO TURKEY
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/11/vegan-alternatives-to-turkey/ ]
PLEASE DONATE TO THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP THROUGH THE COMBINED FEDERAL CAMPAIGN CFC
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/12/please-donate-to-the-vegetarian-resource-group-through-the-combined-federal-campaign-cfc-2/ ]
CREATIVE VEGAN STUFFING TO PREPARE FOR THANKSGIVING
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/13/creative-vegan-stuffing-to-prepare-for-thanksgiving/ ]
VEGAN SHOES BOOTS AND MORE FOR CHILDREN
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/16/vegan-shoes-boots-and-more-for-children/ ]
SUPPORT THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP BECOME A MONTHLY DONOR
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/17/support-the-vegetarian-resource-group-become-a-monthly-donor-4/ ]
WE'VE ADDED MORE OPTIONS TO OUR LIST OF VEGAN THANKSGIVING EVENTS
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/17/weve-added-more-options-to-our-list-of-vegan-thanksgiving-events/ ]
STEARIC ACID IN LIFE SAVERS MINTS DERIVED FROM TALLOW LARD
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/18/stearic-acid-in-life-savers-mints-derived-from-tallow-lard/ ]
VEGAN PRE-THANKSGIVING POTLUCK IN BALTIMORE MARYLAND SUNDAY NOVEMBER 22, 2015 AT 5PM
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/19/vegan-pre-thanksgiving-potluck-in-baltimore-maryland-sunday-november-22-2015-at-5-pm/ ]
VEGANO ITALIANO TOURS REVEAL RARELY SEEN ITALY IN 2015
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/19/vegano-italiano-tours-reveal-rarely-seen-italy-in-2016/ ]
MORE VEGAN RESTAURANTS ADDED TO THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUPS ONLINE GUIDE TO VEGAN VEGETARIAN RESTAURANTS IN THE USA
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/20/more-vegan-restaurants-added-to-the-vegetarian-resource-groups-online-guide-to-veganvegetarian-restaurants-in-the-usa-2/ ]

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4) A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR AMAZING VRG VOLUNTEERS

  • Laura McGuiness
  • Shani Stewart
  • Reed Mangels
  • Carole Hamlin
  • Hana Takemoto

Special thanks to Colin Hickey-Schiappa and David Milner for converting articles into HTML for www.vrg.org

Another very special thank you to the following for their help at our 34th annual Pre-Thanksgiving Vegan Potluck:

  • Our co-sponsors and friends at Baltimore Vegan Drinks, Rissa and Nat.
  • Hana Takemoto
  • Matt Baker
  • Sam Stahler
  • Mark Rifkin
  • Cindy Blum

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5) THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP OFFERS TWO $5,000 SCHOLARSHIPS PLUS ONE $10,000 SCHOLARSHIP TO HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS

Due to the generosity of an anonymous donor, The Vegetarian Resource Group each year will award $20,000 in college scholarship money to graduating U.S. high school students who have promoted vegetarianism/veganism in their schools and/or communities. Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or fowl. Vegans are vegetarians who do not use other animal products such as dairy or eggs.

One award of $10,000 and two awards of $5,000 will be given. Entries may only be sent by students graduating from high school in spring 2016. Deadline is February 20, 2016. We will accept applications postmarked on or before February 20, 2016. Early submission is encouraged.

Applicants will be judged on having shown compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful world through a vegetarian/vegan diet and lifestyle. Payment will be made to the student's college (U.S. based only). Winners of the scholarships give permission to release their names to the media. Applications and essays become property of The Vegetarian Resource Group. We may ask finalists for more information. Scholarship winners are contacted by e-mail or telephone. Please look at your e-mail.

To apply, go to [ http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm ]

If you would like to donate to additional scholarships or internships, go to www.vrg.org/donate

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6) AMAZON SMILE -- BUY THROUGH AMAZON AND SUPPORT VRG

To do your holiday shopping and support The Vegetarian Resource Group at the same time, go to [ http://smile.amazon.com/ch/52-1279034 ]

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7) POTATO CHIPS' WATER FOOTPRINT

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

The VRG received an email inquiry from a European reader about the amount of water needed to produce one bag of potato chips listed in our Save Our Water the Vegetarian Way brochure:
http://www.vrg.org/environment/water_brochure.php ]

Water Footprints and Virtual Water

In the brochure we cited data from page 42 Table 4.2 of a UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education document authored by Chapagain and Hoekstra (referred to herein as "Report 16") giving global averages of the virtual water content of selected foods: [ http://waterfootprint.org/media/downloads/Report16Vol1.pdf ]

The "water footprint" of an individual, business or nation as described in the Introduction (p. 11) of Report 16 is defined as "the total volume of freshwater that is used to produce the goods and services consumed by the individual, business or nation...consists of two parts: use of domestic water resources and use of water outside the borders of the country...includes both the water withdrawn from surface and groundwater and the use of soil water (in agricultural production)."

"Virtual water" in the Summary to Report 16 (p. 9) is defined as "the volume of water required to produce a commodity or service."

A Potato Industry Employee's Perspective: Water Footprint of Potato Chips The inquirer told us that he had been in the European potato industry for several years responsible for approximately 300,000 t (approx. 661.4 million pounds) of potatoes used for chips annually in a few countries. He thought that the value (185 L = 48.9 gal.) given in our brochure's table for water needed to produce one 200 g (7 oz.) bag of potato chips was too low.

He suggested that the water usage involved in producing a bag of potato chips from start to finish is significantly higher and should include the water involved in all of the following steps:

  • potato seed production (fresh seed used every year);
  • fertilizer and pesticide production;
  • water loss from outgrade potatoes not meeting all quality specifications and thereby discarded from production lines (on farms: 10-20% and in the chip plants: 3-5%);
  • storage from October to June where there is an ongoing water need to humidify and regulate temperature and ventilation;
  • potato (and thereby water) losses when in long-term storage due to inadequate conditions (8-50% of crop);
  • transporting, washing and processing potatoes during chip production;
  • producing, processing and transporting vegetable oils including palm oil used in the final product;
  • packaging materials manufacture;
  • transportation from chip plant to distributors and on to retailers.

Our reader told us:

My opinion is based on my experience in the potato industry. I also cite Pimentel's work which states it takes 500 L of water to grow one kilogram of potatoes. By comparison your brochure states it's only half of that." [ http://www.kysq.org/docs/Pimentel97.pdf ] (p. 100)

He related to us a farming scenario when he was an agricultural manager during a drought year:

Can you imagine irrigation equipment working 24/7 on one farm which pumped approximately 5,000 cubic meters (approx.1.3 million gallons) of water per hour onto fields by 8 pumping stations from two rivers and four wells?

...The total area of the farm was more than 6,000 ha (hectare) (23.2 square miles)...potatoes grew on 1,000 ha (3.9 sq. mi.)...The irrigation system was used for vegetables (1/3) and potatoes (2/3)...The biggest unit there was a center pivot supplying 140 ha (0.54 sq. mi.) with a capacity of 600+ cubic meters (158,500+ gallons) of water per hr. used for potatoes only.

Since the irrigation was needed under drought conditions The VRG asked if the system operated during years with normal rainfall. We were informed:

In a "normal" year the irrigation system would work 30-50% below the drought year rate but it depended on the soil type and quality; potato variety; climate at a particular farm location; and weather conditions (rainfall and temperature) in a given year.

In a follow up discussion, The VRG learned more about the complexities involved in calculating water footprints for potato chips:

The paradox with potatoes is that the water supplied to fields and later in the factory is the same water that is removed: potatoes retain 78- 81% of water but potato chips, only 2.5-3%. In other words from a single one-ton (2,205 lbs.) capacity chip production line the amount of water which must be removed from potatoes exceeds 2.2 t of steam per hour (4,850 lbs. of steam per hour = 9.7 gallons of water per minute).

What happens to the removed water?

I witnessed the water just going up in the air; you could see plenty of steam above every chip factory. I raised the subject of wasted energy and water many years ago, but there was no intention to change anything as there was no external pressure at all.

Another aspect of potato chip manufacture came to light during our discussion. The potato industry manager stated:

...In chips there is 30-35% fat from the oil the chips were fried in during processing. So if we add all water used in the supply chain for all ingredients including the vegetable oil...such as local sunflower or canola oil and imported palm oil...the water usage will be much higher than calculated by the authors you cite in your brochure.

Although VRG's research in October 2015 showed that palm oil is not listed as an ingredient in the top ten potato chip brands sold in the US, palm oil is used in some potato chips sold in Europe. We learned that:

Palm oil is used in potato chips in some European countries...it may be used as part of a blend of sunflower and palm oils or used alone...I recently saw a bag of chips in the supermarket that contained only palm oil...In other cases the proportion of palm oil is going down from year to year but it is still in usage.

I saw a report showing that European Union countries imported 1,400 tons of palm oil in 2014...The interesting fact is that a large European sunflower and canola oil producer imports palm oil regularly.

Here is a link to a European chip company stating that it uses palm oil in its products:
http://www.lorenz-snackworld.com/sustainability/farming/palmoil ]

Interested readers may learn more about palm oil production and harvest as well as efforts to find alternatives here:
http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-09-19/yes-palm-oil-destructive-scientists-are-creating-compelling-alternatives ]

American Potato Chip Consumption

Recent United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) data place annual US potato chip consumption at 17 lbs. per person: [ http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/vegetables-pulses/potatoes.aspx ]

To calculate how much raw commodity it takes to produce this quantity of chips The VRG used the potato manager's estimate of 0.8 kg (800 g or 1.76 lbs.) of raw potatoes needed to make one 200 g (0.44 lb. or 7 oz.) bag of potato chips. We used 322 million for the US population as of October 2015. [ http://www.census.gov/popclock/ ]

Based on these estimated values, total annual chip consumption in the US is approximately 5.5 billion lbs. of potato chips. To make this amount of potato chips approximately 21.9 billion lbs. of raw potatoes are used.

Are Chapagain's and Hoekstra's Values Accurate?

We pointed out in our response to the reader that Chapagain and Hoekstra had indicated several sources of error in their report. Use of global averages (Values could be significantly more or less in different areas depending on many factors such as climate variability and agricultural practices.) See Summary and p. 41 Table 4.1 for examples. Excluded water needed for processing (p. 38 of Report 16)

Many simplifying assumptions (p. 26 of Report 16) when calculating the water footprint of processed products (e.g., potato chips) derived from primary raw commodities (e.g., potatoes):

  • water needed to produce only one raw commodity used to calculate water footprint for each processed product
  • raw commodity produced domestically using only domestic resources
  • no mention of water footprints of packaging materials and their processing as well as water needed to run production lines in factories

Chapagain and Hoekstra have expressed concerns over some of their assumptions and choice of certain data sets while discussing their work's shortcomings (pgs. 70-71 of Report 16). These include: using crop water requirements (not actual water used by crops) as a basis excluding irrigation losses focusing only on quantitative use of water resources (disregarding impacts of human activities on water quality such as agricultural pollution due to pesticides and fertilizers)

In line with observations made here concerning Chapagain's and Hoekstra's work, a September 2015 article published at Bakeryandsnacks.com reiterates the main points:
http://www.bakeryandsnacks.com/Manufacturers/Chip-brand-sustainability-level-has-a-long-way-to-go-Rank-a-Brand/?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=16-Sep-2015&c=yazB%2FDHFv2UpQjNc84mPIg%3D%3D&p2 ]

See also: [ http://rankabrand.org/chips-crisps ]

Conclusion

Despite the limitations and qualifying assumptions to all water footprint calculations discussed above, Chapagain and Hoekstra have produced a vast body of knowledge about water footprints serving as a basis for future refinement by researchers just as Chapagain and Hoekstra also continue to develop ways to calculate water footprints more accurately.

Post Script: Net-Zero Chips

Some potato chip companies are redesigning their production methods at pilot sites to achieve a "net-zero" snack chip:
http://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2012/pepsi-near-net-zero/ ]

The VRG asked the potato industry manager if European companies are also piloting net-zero technologies and received this reply:

In some parts of Europe companies don't have customers with great environmental awareness and since competition is not a factor, no changes are in process that I know of...

Post Script: Ugly Vegetables

An innovative way for consumers to conserve water used for food production is to purchase the outgrades (i.e., cosmetically blemished fruits and vegetables that are discarded from production lines).

For more information:

Interested consumers may find out more about ugly grocers near them:
http://www.endfoodwaste.org/united-states.html ]

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group research, please donate at www.vrg.org/donate

To join The Vegetarian Resource Group go to
http://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php ]

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8) STEARIC ACID IN LIFE SAVERS® MINTS DERIVED FROM TALLOW, LARD

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

Background

Throughout The Vegetarian Resource Group's recent investigations on calcium and magnesium stearate and stearic acid from May until November 2015, information emerged that was very different from what was known to be true many years ago. Many ingredient manufacturers and suppliers as well as many different types of food companies told us that their food grade stearates and stearic acid were vegetable-derived, mostly coming from palm or coconut oils or corn rather than tallow or lard which was more common twenty or more years ago.

Although a few food grade tallow-derived stearates and stearic acid were located on the market as raw ingredients, they weren't appearing on ingredient labels of foods that we had been researching. A few ingredient company employees who would not divulge their clients' identities told us that customers may purchase food grade products (of plant or animal origin) but use them in non-food items such as personal care products.

In fact one ingredient supplier told us that the only difference between food grade and non-food grade ingredients has to do with where the ingredients are measured out and bagged. Food grade ingredients are handled in cleaner "white rooms" under more rigorous standards and quality controls while non-food grade ingredients are measured out in warehouses.

Google® Images of ingredient labels turned up very few foods listing stearic acid as an ingredient; in fact it took manipulating the search term wording a few times to reveal a handful of stearic acid-containing mints among thousands of labels that we reviewed. One of them was Wrigley's® Life Savers®.

A Wrigley customer service representative told The VRG by email and phone in August 2015 that the Pep O Mint®, Spear O Mint® and Wint O Mint® Life Savers varieties contain stearic acid which "...is an animal-based ingredient."

Wrigley's corporate affairs office confirmed to us by email that their "stearic acid is sourced from both beef and pork."

Taste or Texture Factor?

The VRG contacted Wrigley's corporate affairs office by phone for more information. We received a return phone call and several follow up email responses:

I am following up on your inquiry to Wrigley regarding stearic acid in Life Savers mints...

While most Wrigley products sold in the U.S. do not contain animal-derived ingredients, we do use [animal-derived] stearic acid in Life Savers Spear O Mint, Pep-O-Mint and Wint-O-Green sugar mints, which is included in the ingredient line label. The ingredients in our products are necessary to achieve the right taste and texture. We are continually looking at alternatives to animal-derived ingredients that can deliver the same quality that our consumers love. - On behalf of Wrigley Corporate Affairs

Price Factor?

Possibly price could be the reason why a company would choose tallow or lard as a stearic acid source rather than palm, coconut or corn oil.

So we asked stearic acid suppliers if there was a large difference in price. For example, Acme-Hardesty® provided a price quote on one ton of food grade tallow-derived and one ton of food grade plant oil-derived stearic acid (70% or higher) in flake form:

The pricing on triple-pressed stearic acid tallow- vs. vegetable-based is 0.82 vs 0.89/lb. respectively...

An employee of Silver Fern Chemical® added that the price of animal- and plant-derived stearic acid fluctuates depending on supply and demand; animal-based could be slightly lower in price than plant-based at one time but more expensive at another time. Speaking of powdered stearic acid she said that

...plant-derived is generally higher, but sometimes it's tallow; plant is usually 10 cents per lb. higher.

Wondering if a 7-10 cents/lb. difference for one ingredient could make a significant difference to the profit margin of a large company and if the taste difference would be noticeable The VRG asked for the opinion of a certified food scientist with over ten years of experience in the food industry who stated:

I don't think there would be a significant difference in taste/texture from a plant-based vs. a tallow-based version. But believe it or not, 7 cents extra per pound can be an issue, especially for a major company that mass produces in volume such as Wrigley's.

The other thing to consider is supply chain. There may not be enough available, maybe not enough to sustain growth, maybe minimum production runs are larger, maybe they require a clean-out stage making the ordering lead-time longer. There are a lot of factors involved in supply chain that may be the biggest hurdle.

Bottom line is there is most likely a good substitution available, and if they had consumer interest to make it work - they could probably make it happen I think.

NOTE: By comparison, Wrigley's Altoids Smalls® and Altoids Arctic® contain magnesium stearate. The "stearate" part of this magnesium stearate used in these products is (from a company email to us), sourced from "stearic acid derived from palm oil."

Conclusion

Apart from three Wrigley's Lifesavers flavors it is possible that other products contain animal-derived stearic acid although we find it unlikely based on our research. Look for an upcoming article by VRG on approximately 40 mint brands.

If you discover any other products containing stearic acid derived from animal fat (tallow or lard) please email us at [email protected]. Your information will be an important contribution to The VRG's database on food ingredient source trends.

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 judgment 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 www.vrg.org/donate

To join The Vegetarian Resource Group, go to
http://www.vrg.org/member/cabdacae.php ]

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9) GREAT SAGE BENEFIT DAY

By Hana Takemoto

Great Sage is a vegan restaurant which is part of the Conscious Corner located in Clarksville, Maryland. Conscious Corner is a family of businesses dedicated to promoting healthy and mindful living by focusing on animal welfare, the environment, and community. Great Sage's bold menu features international flavors and organic ingredients with dishes such as their French Onion Burger, Pumpkin Empanadas, and Sage's Famous Carrot Cake. Every Thursday, Great Sage hosts a live music event to feature local musicians in the area. Along with supporting local musicians, Great Sage also supports non-profit organizations by hosting benefit days. On September 27th, 2015, Great Sage hosted a benefit day for The Vegetarian Resource Group to which they donated 10% of proceeds of the day's sales. A fellow volunteer and I handed out our Vegetarian Journal and other literature to anybody who was interested. Several patrons visited our table with inquiries about veganism and vegetarianism, other local restaurants, and about VRG itself. People were particularly interested in the local restaurant guide, and the younger restaurant-goers enjoyed VRG's coloring books. It was a pleasure to represent VRG that day in a welcoming and warm atmosphere at Great Sage. See: [ http://greatsage.com/ ]

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10) DISCOUNTS ON VEGAN LUCACHIARA ITEMS

You can receive a 25% discount on lucachiara non-leather items including: shoes, handbags, wallets, and passport cases.

Readers receive a 25% discount off all items, including sale merchandise. Go to [ http://www.lucachiara.com/ ] Use code VRG25

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11) SUGAR IN COMPANION FOODS MEAT SUBSTITUTES FROM TAIWAN SUGAR CORPORATION

Reader Michael Brown wrote:

Somewhat surprisingly, I just got the following from Companion Foods. [ http://www.evercompanion.com/ ]

It seems that their sugar is vegan! I'm forwarding it to you with hope that other vegans will be helped by it too:

Dear Mr. Brown,

Our sugar is manufactured by Taiwan Sugar Corporation [ http://www.taisugar.com.tw/english/index.aspx ] and according to Taiwan Sugar, their sugar is made from 100% cane sugar and does not use bone char or other additives. Therefore, the sugar is completely safe for vegans and vegetarians.

We hope this message has been helpful to you. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us again any time.

Have a good day,
Emily
Companion Foods Customer Service

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12) THANK YOU FOR HELP WITH CHECKING TRANSLATION TO PORTUGUESE

We (Vegetarian Resource Group) currently have a a volunteer in Brazil translating our Food Ingredient Guide into Portuguese. We greatly thank Hugo Dos Santos, who proofed a beginning version. Here is Hugo's website:
http://www.hugodossantos.com/ ]

If you are fluent in Portuguese and can volunteer to assist with this project, please let us know at [email protected]

Thank you.

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13) FOOD DELIVERY COMPANY QUESTION

We received an inquiry from a reader about a new delivery company:

John J asks

Do you know anything about this food delivery company?
greenbeandelivery.com

Please let us know if you have had experience with them.

Thank you.

Please send responses and information in relation to this inquiry to [email protected].

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14) WORLDWIDE CONFERENCES and EVENTS

Edinburgh Vegan Festival 2016 Dates Announced

The capital of Scotland will host a 2 day vegan event on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th August 2016.

  • Newcastle upon Tyne - Saturday 7th May 2016
  • Sheffield - Saturday 23rd July 2016
  • Edinburgh - Saturday 6-7th August 2016

You can find more information on Edinburgh Vegan Festival on our website veganfestival.co.uk. Bookings for exhibitors are now open along side standard tickets are now on sale. VIP tickets will be on sale soon. Also don'f forget we have two others coming up in May and July in the North of England check them out online.

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15) BECOME A MONTHLY DONOR FOR VRG

The Vegetarian Resource Group greatly appreciates the support given by our monthly donors. You can join our monthly giving group with a minimum gift of just $10 a month by going to [ www.vrg.org/donate ]. You will be part of a network of givers who support our outreach efforts on an ongoing basis. These donations allow us to continue vegan education in a wide variety of venues including schools, doctor and dietitian offices, libraries, various professional conferences, animal rights events, health fairs, environmental festivals, and much more. Thank you for your support! Go to: [ http://www.vrg.org/donate ]

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16) ABOUT THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP

Our health professionals, activists, and educators work with businesses and individuals to bring about healthful changes in your school, workplace, and community. Registered dietitians and physicians aid in the development of nutrition-related publications and answer member and media questions about vegetarian diets. The Vegetarian Resource Group is a non-profit organization. Financial support comes primarily from memberships, donations, bequests, and book sales. The Vegetarian Journal, a print magazine, is a benefit of membership in The VRG. (For more information, please see the Vegetarian Journal online
http://www.vrg.org/journal/ ] )

To sign up for the The Vegetarian Resource Group national email newsletter, please visit: [ http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/ ] We are also on Facebook and Twitter If you would like to make a donation, become a member, volunteer, or find out more about The VRG, contact us at:
The Vegetarian Resource Group
P.O. Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203
Phone: (410) 366-8343
Fax: (410) 366-8804
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: [ http://www.vrg.org/ ]

To donate:
http://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?Action=GC&CID=1565/ ]

Copyright The Vegetarian Resource Group 2015 The contents of this newsletter, 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 own best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

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17) ABOUT VRG NEWS

VRG-NEWS is the e-mail newsletter of The Vegetarian Resource Group. This is an announcement list so subscriber messages are not accepted by the list. If you have a technical question about the list, please contact us at [email protected]. If you have any suggestions, ideas, or corrections to VRG-NEWS, please direct them to [email protected]. Thanks.

If you are a new subscriber, you might enjoy reading past issues of VRG-NEWS online at [ http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/ ]

Please support our outreach and assistance to others Join VRG:
http://www.vrg.org/journal/subscribe.htm ]

Donate: [ https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?Action=GC&CID=1565 ]

Free email news: [ http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/index.htm#subscribe ]

[email protected]http://www.vrg.org ]

The Vegetarian Resource Group / Vegetarian Journal
P.O. Box 1463 / Baltimore MD 21203 US
(410) 366-8343

The VRG is an educational non-profit group providing information on vegetarianism and veganism.

To subscribe to VRG-NEWS, go to
http://www.vrg.org ] or
http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/ ]

To unsubscribe, or otherwise manage your subscription to VRG-NEWS, go to
http://lists.vrg.org/mailman/listinfo/vrg-news_lists.vrg.org ]

(Go the bottom of the page where it says unsubscribe or edit options)

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