© Gorilla Lifestyle

Fashion, Design & Beauty

PETA India Reveals Winners of Vegan Fashion Awards 2023

PETA India has announced the winners of its 2023 Vegan Fashion Awards, which recognise brands and designers working to remove animals from the fashion industry. The winners are: Best Vegan Fashion Moment: The Central Leather Research Institute, for developing technology to make vegan leather using mango pulp. Best Vegan Style Icon: Bollywood star Wamiqa Gabbi, for her animal advocacy and leather-free fashion. Best Vegan Sneakers: Gorilla Lifestyle, a vegan streetwear brand targeted at young people. Best Vegan Kids’ Shoes: Aretto, for its leather-free adjustable shoes that can expand up to three sizes as a child grows. The brand has been backed by cricketer Hardik Pandya. Best Vegan Sarees: Swachhata Pukare Foundation, which makes silk-free handloom sarees from fibres extracted from water hyacinths. Best Vegan Personal …

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British plant-based meat brand Squeaky Bean launches its first-ever fish alternatives

Image courtesy of Squeaky Bean

Food & Beverage

PETA UK Names Winners of Vegan Food Awards 2023

Animal rights organisation PETA UK has revealed the winners of its Vegan Food Awards for 2023. This year’s awards feature 21 categories, recognising the following products and companies. Best Vegan Milk: Marks & Spencer Chilled British Oat Drink. This new product by M&S is one of the first plant-based milks to be sold in the same bottles as conventional cow’s milk. Best Vegan Chicken: VFC Chick*n Stompers. VFC previously won this award for its original plant-based chicken range in 2021, and has taken the top spot again with a new option for kids. Best Vegan Burger: THIS Isn’t Beef Burgers. Newly reformulated, these burgers contain 30% less saturated fat than beef and have a much lower carbon footprint. Best Vegan Meat: Redefine Meat Beef Flank. …

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Cashmere goat

© seakitten - stock.adobe.com

Fashion, Design & Beauty

Global Apparal Giant VF Corporation Commits to Cashmere-Free Products

VF Corporation, the parent company of popular fashion brands Timberland, The North Face, Vans, and Jansport, has announced its decision to discontinue the use of cashmere in its products, as announced by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). The company has confirmed that none of its core products across its brand portfolio currently contain goat hair, and there are no plans to introduce new cashmere-containing items. While there may still be items containing cashmere in stores, no new products will be produced using the material.  Phasing out cashmere VF Corporation joins a growing list of fashion industry players, such as Victoria’s Secret, ASOS, Supreme, PINK, Le Château, and others, that have already phased out cashmere from their products. Notably, Victoria’s Secret ceased using …

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studierendenwerk berlin canteen

© studierendenWERK BERLIN

Food Service

PETA Honors 2023’s Most Vegan-Friendly Canteens in Germany

For the seventh time, PETA has surveyed university canteens nationwide on various aspects of veganism. Based on the responses of the 41 participating student unions, awards were given in terms of gastronomic stars, and the most vegan-friendly canteens in 2023 were crowned. The “Mensa Pasteria TU Veggie 2.0 – the vegan cafeteria” has only vegan offers. Around 500 portions of food in the form of 9 to 12 vegan dishes are served daily. In addition to the main dishes, starters, soups, salads with various dressings and desserts are also available. Vegan dishes are also offered in the other canteens of the Studierendenwerk Berlin. There is also a vegan-vegetarian canteen. The assessment criteria related mainly to the daily range of vegan dishes, the special training of …

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A chair upholstered with vegan leather Piñatex

© Tamasine Osher

Materials

PETA UK 2023 Vegan Homeware Awards Winners Revealed

PETA UK has announced the winners of its 2023 Vegan Homeware Awards. This annual initiative recognizes brands and designers making cruelty-free products to meet the growing demand for sustainable, compassionate home decor.  Avoiding leather, feathers, wool, and silk, the winners of the seventh edition of the awards propose chairs upholstered with pineapple leather, coconut wax candles, luxurious silk-free sheets, and even a plant milk maker to avoid dairy and artificial ingredients.  BEST STATEMENT PIECE Tamasine Osher — Purton chair in Piñatex Designer Tamasine Osher has created a chair with a steel, brass, or bronze frame with upholstery available in Piñatex or other materials called the Purton. This planet-friendly chair proves that furniture can be sleek and sophisticated without harming animals, says PETA. BEST WOOL-FREE THROW Piglet in Bed —  Blue Café au Lait …

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el origen latin american snacks

el origen founder Gordon Prox © Sarah Buth

Sweets & Snacks

Plantain Chips Developed by YouTuber Gordon Prox Win PETA Vegan Food Award

El origen, a German snack brand inspired by Latin American ingredients, has received a PETA Vegan Food Award for its organic salted plantain chips. The brand was founded in 2019 by Gordon Prox, the vlogger behind the popular YouTube channel Vegan ist Ungesund (Vegan is Unhealthy). The channel discusses vegan nutrition and showcases the latest plant-based products. “We are super proud that our delicious chips beat the competition!” said Prox. El origen’s award-winning snacks are made with just three ingredients — plantain, sunflower oil, and sea salt. Their taste and sustainable production impressed judges enough to take first place in the Best Vegan Chips category. Creating jobs in Ecuador Gordon Prox was introduced to Latin American culture by his Mexican fiancee, and became inspired to …

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Laurence-Candy-Northwood-Farm

Northwood Farm

Agriculture / Agribusiness

PETA UK Celebrates “Sowers of Compassion” With First Farming Awards

The first ever PETA UK Farming Awards has taken place, recognising ten farms across the country for their contributions to ethical, animal-free farming. The winners include growers of seafood, a producer of soybeans for tofu, and a former beef farmer who sent his cows to a sanctuary. The award winners are as follows: Aweside Farm — A grower of organic edible flowers, leaves, and herbs. The farm is also working to create habitats for wildlife, such as ponds, meadows, and hedgerows. IC Mushrooms — Producing oyster mushrooms, shiitakes, and more using sustainable raw vegan ingredients. Courses in mushroom growing are also offered at the farm. Northwood Farm — A former beef farm, Northwood sent its cows to a farm sanctuary and now produces beans and …

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Petaluma Plant-based Dog food

©Petaluma

Products & Launches

Petaluma Dog Food Partners with Erewhon Market for Brick-and-Mortar Debut

Sustainable dog nutrition brand Petaluma announces it is making its brick-and-mortar debut at Los Angeles grocery chain Erewhon Market.  Petaluma’s premium dog food and chews are rolling out at all eight of Erewhon Market’s locations across Los Angeles County. The specialty chain will feature the brand’s Roasted Peanut Butter & Sweet Potato food in a five-pound bag, along with its dehydrated chews.  According to Petaluma, since its direct-to-consumer debut in 2021, the company has grown a loyal subscriber base, 15% of which is made up of customers located in Southern California.  Crafted by veterinary scientists, Petaluma’s Roasted Peanut Butter & Sweet Potato formula is gently baked to provide the nutrients dogs need with a much smaller environmental “pawprint”.  Eco-friendly mission Petaluma states its dog food, …

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peta campaign for vegan wool featuring a woman dressed with plants

© PETA

Materials

PETA Offers $1M for Market-Ready Vegan Wool Alternative 

The animal rights group PETA launched a $1 million Vegan Wool Challenge Award this week to find the first individual, group, or company that creates a vegan wool material “visually, texturally, and functionally akin to or better than sheep’s wool.” The winning animal-free wool must be a biomaterial that is biodegradable or recyclable and has traditional wool’s advantages like maintaining body temperature, neutralising doors, and repelling moisture. Among other entry rules for the wool challenge, PETA requires the participants to demonstrate the innovative material’s commercial viability. Alternatives to animal-derived materials This vegan wool prize comes at a time when innovations in the animal-free leather category are thriving, with leather made from upcycled tamarind pods and cactus leather used to make shoes, gloves, and watches. Vegan silk is …

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© Overstock

Textiles

Overstock Bans Cashmere Products, Receiving PETA Compassionate Business Award

Overstock.com, a US based retailer of furniture and home furnishings retailer, has been awarded PETA‘s Compassionate Business Award following its recent ban on products made from cashmere. The company previously banned products with exotic skins and other furs, including badger hair, mohair, angora, and alpaca. Working together with PETA, Overstock has already identified and removed from its website several products made of cashmere and says it is committed to putting measures in place to ensure such products are no longer offered on its e-commerce site by the end of this year. “Thanks to Overstock’s kind decision, fewer cashmere goats will be harmed for throw blankets,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is recognizing this conscientious company for being a leader in animal-free commerce …

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Image: Phil America on Instagram

Fashion, Design & Beauty

Phil America Partners With PETA for Animal-Friendly Streetwear Line

Vegan artist, designer, and influencer Phil America has joined forces with PETA for a new streetwear capsule collection called “People Are Animals”. The collection features black shirts with designs inspired by PETA’s logo, along with green hoodies emblazoned with colourful animal-inspired designs. It will be modelled by actor and singer Stéphanie Gérard and other influencers. The launch is accompanied by a video comparing human and animal eyes, showing the similarities between them. A new custom Instagram filter has also been introduced, making the colours and designs of the collection change to emphasise the importance of seeing things from different perspectives. PETA and vegan fashion PETA has a track record of promoting and supporting cruelty-free fashion, helping to get fur banned from this year’s Copenhagen Fashion …

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PETA award winners 2022

Lead image by vegconomist

Food & Beverage

PETA UK Vegan Food Awards Winners 2022 Revealed

PETA UK has announced the Vegan Food Awards 2022 winners. Small brands, food tech innovators, big players, and famous restaurant chains are consistently launching new and innovative products to meet the demand for animal-planet-friendly foods and products. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the PETA UK Vegan Food Awards, the animal rights advocacy group selected the best brands in over 24 categories. The 2022 winners are as follows. BEST VEGAN MILK Co-op’s GRO The Oaty One  The Oaty One is available in selected Co-op and Nisa stores. The brand claims to be cheaper than other leading oat milk. BEST VEGAN MEAT Squeaky Bean, Applewood Smoked Ham Style Slices  Alt meat brand Squeaky Bean recently received the Plant-Based Manufacturing Company of the Year award. The brand offers a 100% plant-based vegan range, including …

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Who is Who international Awards

Princess Maja von Hohenzollern at the Who is Who international awards, image supplied

Fashion, Design & Beauty

Princess Maja von Hohenzollern Awarded For Innovations in Vegan Home Décor

Princess Maja von Hohenzollern, an international home décor designer, has received the prestigious “Who is Who International Award-Women Leader” in the categories “Design” and “Animal Welfare” in Greece. Princess Maja is a member of the Royal Family Hohenzollern, which represented the former emperor in Germany. For the past 18 years, she has designed innovative collections under her licensed brand, which are on the market in over 60 countries. In her portfolio are furniture items, as well as bathroom fittings & accessories, home decoration, pet-, children- and lifestyle products. Previously, Princess Maja von Hohenzollern was honoured as the best designer in Asia with the “Asia Design Award Gold” in Shanghai/China and as “Designer of the year 2020” with the Powerhouse Global Award in the Uk. Who …

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copenhagen fashion week

© PETA UK

Fashion, Design & Beauty

Copenhagen Fashion Week Bans Fur After PETA Protest

Following last year’s fur protest organised by PETA UK, Copenhagen Fashion Week announces it has banned the use of fur and fur garments in this year’s show as a sign of commitment to animal welfare. The fur ban has become a global movement after many prominent fashion houses, including Gucci, Versace, and Prada, as well as global brands such as Michael Kors and Tommy Hilfiger, make the switch to 100% fur-free fashion. As more and more designers and fashion brands start to prioritise animal welfare over profit, fur is gradually disappearing from the most important catwalks of the world. Fur-free Fashion Weeks All over the world, fashion weeks are one of the highlights for designers, buyers, and the public. The decision to ban fur on …

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© VEGDOG

Pet Food

VEDGOG Enjoys Success in Germany With Potato & Fava Bean Protein FARMER’S CRUNCH

Katjesgreenfood-backed vegan pet food manufacturer VEGDOG reports strong demand for its limited-edition FARMER’S CRUNCH dry food, created with potato and fava bean proteins, as German consumers begin to shift in the animal nutrition debate in light of new data. The dry food FARMER’S CRUNCH began as a limited-edition product, but quickly evolved into a customer favourite, according to VEGDOG. In response to the high demand, the company has now decided to add the dry food permanently to its range, saying that “it was sold out in no time at all. That’s why VEGDOG listened to the customers’ wish for more and added FARMER’S CRUNCH to its range. “The potato is particularly noteworthy. What most people don’t know is that the potato, which is by far …

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pizza hut / violife

@Pizza Hut

Fast Food

Pizza Hut Germany Adds Three Vegan Pizzas Following PETA Petitioning

Pizza Hut has been offering vegan options for some years in the UK and US, and now,  following petitioning from PETA, Pizza Hut in Germany has finally followed suit with three permanent vegan pizzas topped with Violife cheese. The options are: Smokey BBQ Vegan, Tuscany Spicy Vegan and Vegan Chik’N’Cheeze, as well as a vegan pasta dish – Creamy Cheeze Pasta Vegan – now available in German branches. PETA states: “Thank you to all the signatories for your support. Together we are expanding the vegan range. Every vote counts – also in the future. Demand determines supply – and supply determines demand. “An increasing number of people every day are eliminating animal products from their diet for reasons of animal welfare and environmental protection as …

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Lidl Vemondo Vegan Food Award PETA

© Lidl / PETA

Company News

Lidl’s Own-Brand Vegan Range Vemondo Wins PETA Vegan Food Award

Update Jan 2024: Following the company’s recognition as Best Vegan Private Label at the PETA Vegan Food Awards in 2022, Vemondo’s Helado Vegano Sabor Cheese-Cake was named one of the world’s ten best vegan ice creams by abillion. International V-Label Awards took place later in the year with the Vemondo range winning the Special Consumers’ Award, and in 2023, the company also took home a V-Label Award for marketing and branding.  In a significant move to promote the adoption of meat alternatives, Lidl Germany dropped the price for Vemondo products in October 2023 by 20%, achieving price parity with their animal-based counterparts. Lidl Germany representatives spoke to the decision at the ProVeg International New Food Hub the following month, stating, “We have taken steps to …

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Mercedes-Benz VISION EQXX

© Mercedes-Benz

Materials

PETA Survey on Vegan Interiors Reveals New Animal-Free Models From Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Renault and Citroën

More and more car brands are turning to plant-based alternatives such as vegan leather. PETA has now surveyed automakers from across Europe to find out which companies can meet the high demand for interiors without products of animal origin – including seats, trim and steering wheel. New models with vegan surfaces include the Mercedes-Benz Vito, Kia EV6, Renault Megane E-Tech Electric, Volvo C40 Recharge and Citroën C4, according to PETA’s latest survey. PETA is calling on well-known brands such as Volkswagen, BMW and Audi to also bring vegan finishes into production and clearly declare them. “The future belongs to innovative and vegan interiors in cars, there is no way around that,” says Harald Ullmann, 2nd chairman of PETA Germany. “PETA appeals to all car manufacturers …

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PETA McPlant Giveaway

©PETA

Charity & Campaigns

PETA’s “10,000 McPlants in 10 Days” Campaign Boosts Sales for McDonald’s Vegan Burger

Animal rights organization PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) recently wrapped up a free public giveaway of McDonald’s McPlant burgers across cities in Texas and California. The promotion was designed to increase visibility and sales for the Beyond Meat-made burger, which is still in a limited testing phase. According to preliminary sales reports, the organization succeeded in its goals: the giveaway led to a much-needed sales boost for the McPlant, which has reportedly seen slower demand since its rollout expanded from eight to 600 Mcdonald’s stores in February.  10,000 burgers in 10 days PETA worked with Mcdonald’s operators to place bulk orders for the McPlants in cities from Dallas, Irving and Fort Worth to Oakland and San Francisco, reports Bloomberg. During the campaign, …

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NOIRANCA Brown Leather Handbag

©NOIRANCA

Fashion, Design & Beauty

Introducing NOIRANCA: Vegan Luxury Handbags That Outperform Animal-Based Leather

As the world of vegan leather and biomaterials continues to expand and flourish, there is ongoing debate as to whether these fabrics truly compare to animal leather in quality and how they impact the environment.   NOIRANCA is a new handbag and accessories brand determined to settle this controversy by bringing unrivaled excellence and eco-transparency to vegan leather. Encouraging consumers to “buy less and enjoy longer”, the brand uses PETA-approved fabric to craft luxury handbags it says are 40% more durable than conventional leather.  Uniqueness and empowerment Launched in 2021, NOIRANCA (a combination of the words “noir” and “bianca”) first debuted a handbag line in five styles inspired by iconic and powerful women such as Deborah Harry, Alice Neel, Grace Jones and Patti Smith. The company’s …

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