from companies that are owned by dairy/meat companies, or companies that suppourt animal testing.



For example Silk soymilk as I understand it is owned by a dairy company.

This is an interesting question. I find it interesting because non-food products owned by non-vegan companies are generally considered not vegan by association: take something like Tom's toothpaste: a lot of people stopped buying it after it was bought by Colgate even though it was (AFAIK) never tested on animals and doesn't have animal ingredients. Most vegans won't buy anything from say, Proctor and Gamble, regardless of whether the product itself was tested on animals or has animal ingredients. But yet something like Silk, which is owned by a dairy company is considered vegan simply because the ingredients are vegan.



Personally I don't buy Silk products because of an intolerance to soy. I don't think it's not vegan to buy Silk products but I prefer to support other vegan companies when I can. That being said I don't buy much processed food anyway (I mostly cook from scratch with whole foods).

I don't tend to run on the activist side so much. I'm more concerned with my choices and how they affect others. In other words, I won't boycott a company because they do some things I dislike. In so many instances you gotta take the good with the bad.

I try to not support veganized companies owned by non-vegan corporations I know to have cruelty issues, and I avoid all companies that use GMOs in their products (when I can).



Boca is so good though. *cries*

Oh my, I'm still just trying to find vegan products. I suppose there will always be one step better I could be doing. It all makes my eyes twirl if I think about it too long. I wish someone would just hand me a preapproved grocery list and I would just go buy the things on it.

I kind of feel like putting money into any vegan product is a good thing. In my opinion it shows that there is a demand for such things and that money can be made, which is what companies are all about. If a large company buys a small vegan company and keeps them vegan then why not support it? If that small company suddenly stops making money, they'll close it down and funnel their funding into something else very likely non-vegan, which isn't doing anyone any good.

Buying a vegan product lets the producers know that there is a demand for that item and may drive down expensive prices. On the other hand it is supporting the companies that profit off of animals. It's just the same as going to a restaurant that offers vegan options along side animal product dishes. You're still supporting them so that they can continue to sell their non-vegan dishes. It's definitely a Catch-22. Personally, I do my best to avoid such companies.



Try making your own milk instead! I've learned to make my own (raw) almond milk and it's awesome.

I buy a lot of my food from supermarkets. They make money from selling meat and dairy products. There's probably some animal testing involved somewhere in their own brand toiletries. Does that count? How about my local organic wholefoods store that also sells dairy products?

This is how I think of it, too.



Vegans shouldn't exist by only supporting 100% vegan companies. For one, it isn't practical - how many of us have a vegan grocery store in our area that meets all our food shopping needs?



Second, convincing non-vegan companies to make more animal-free products available is good for the animals. By helping to drive up demand for such items, vegans show companies that these products will sell, so the companies are more likely to keep supplying these or similar items. And that's a step in the right direction towards a 100% vegan world.



--Fromper

What got me thinking about this was my buying Burger King fries last night.

I think it's a case of doing the best you can - if there is a '100%' vegan product available, try to buy that but if not, buy from the evil multinational and show demand for their vegan product.

I agree, good post.

I have never really thought about this as up til a few months ago I was still trying to find out which products were vegan let alone who owns them.



Although I reached a stumbling block recently... I boycott nestle and have done so for almost 2 years now. But they are the first and only company that now sells soy condensed milk here in NZ..... I have not yet bought any. I have so far managed fine making my own but sometimes I think that maybe I should buy it to show support for vegan products. I haven't given in though mainly because I boycott them for reasons that have nothing to do with my reasons for becoming vegan but rather to do with human rights.

I avoid products with vegan ingredients that contain palm oil or have been made in sweatshops. I also try to avoid Nestlé. Besides that, I will buy from the more ethical companies if I can but I don't worry too much.

I think a very large part of the problem is buying anything that one thinks of as a "product." If you can avoid "products" and corporations to the fullest extent possible, you are probably doing a better service for the animals.



Fake burgers: make your own from beans, vegetables, bulk grains, mix and grind in the food processor, shape into patties, fry.



Fake milks: make your own from nuts, beans, grains.



Fake cheeses: make your own from nuts, seeds



It becomes a habit and a preference after a while.