Category: Food ethics

While truffles are technically fungi and therefore plant-based, a vegan's decision to consume them is not straightforward. The ethical debate primarily revolves around how these subterranean delicacies are harvested, a process that traditionally involves animal exploitation.

According to a 2011 report from Human Rights Watch, some cashew production in Vietnam involved forced labor at drug rehabilitation centers, raising serious ethical questions. These issues reveal a hidden human cost, prompting many vegans to question if cashews are truly vegan friendly in practice.

According to some studies, many free-range hens may never actually go outside despite having outdoor access, a fact that challenges consumer assumptions about whether free range eggs are humane. This critical examination will delve into the complexities of egg production to provide a clear answer.

The production of foie gras, a specific and controversial type of liver pâté, is banned on animal welfare grounds in many countries. This raises a critical question for many consumers: is liver pate ethical, and what factors determine its morality across different production methods?

With approximately two billion people worldwide already consuming insects as part of their diet, the practice of entomophagy is a growing global trend. This raises a crucial and often debated question for those on a plant-based journey: are vegetarians allowed to eat insects?.

Over 1.8 million beehives are moved across the U.S. every year for crop pollination, bringing up the discussion on why are almonds and avocados not vegan. This practice raises questions about animal exploitation in the vegan community.

According to the Vegetarian Society, a vegetarian is someone who does not eat any meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish, or by-products of slaughter. This means the answer to the question, "can vegetarians have shellfish?" is a definitive no, as shellfish are considered animals. The confusion often arises because some people who follow a plant-based diet do choose to include fish or shellfish, which places them in a different dietary category altogether.

Did you know that most commercially produced grocery store eggs are unfertilized and contain no embryo? This core distinction is key to understanding why many vegetarians, known as ovo-vegetarians, consume eggs, but the same dietary principles prevent them from eating caviar.

According to research, nuts are a cornerstone of many balanced vegan diets due to their nutrients. However, the belief that all nuts are suitable for a vegan lifestyle is a misconception, as some vegans don't eat nuts for reasons that go beyond the plant-based origin of the food itself.

Did you know that a single bee produces only about a twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in its entire lifetime? This precious, labor-intensive food source is precisely what makes honey not vegan, as its commercial harvesting involves extensive bee exploitation.