Tag: Ostroveganism

According to the official definition from The Vegan Society, which was founded in 1944, veganism seeks to exclude all forms of animal exploitation. This makes the question of whether scallops are vegan friendly a straightforward one: as animals, they are not.

According to the Vegan Society, veganism is defined as avoiding 'all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose'. This philosophy is the foundation for why do vegans not eat mussels, considering them to be animals and thus excluding them from a plant-based diet. The debate over whether bivalves like mussels are sentient and can feel pain has led to complex discussions within the vegan community.

A 2021 study on invertebrate sentience noted the ongoing debate regarding bivalves, which raises the central question: can vegans have shellfish? Traditional veganism strictly excludes all animal products, but the lack of a central nervous system in shellfish like oysters has spurred discussion among some.

While the vast majority of vegans abstain from all animal products, a small but notable subset, often called “ostrovegans,” incorporate bivalve mollusks like oysters and mussels into their otherwise plant-based diet. This raises the controversial question: **Why do vegans eat shellfish?** The practice is rooted in ethical debates about sentience and the potential environmental and nutritional advantages of consuming these invertebrates.