By Zak Wheeler For Daily Mail Australia 00:07 24 Jan 2024, updated 00:12 24 Jan 2024

Hundreds of furious counter-protestors are expected to storm the house of a notorious activist who has made headlines for her disruptive protests.

Ben D'Arcy has organised an anti-Tash Peterson protest outside of her house in Perth on May 24 which hopes to put an end to her 'ridiculous demonstrations'.

Roughly 500 people have signed on to join Mr D'Arcy for a peaceful BBQ protest which is intended to inconvenience Ms Peterson like she is known to do to others.

For years Ms Peterson has pushed her veganvalues on shoppers, restaurant owners and anyone that will give her attention through public demonstrations.

Pouring fake blood over herself in Sydney, appearing topless outside a court and defacing a KFC in Perth are among some of her more infamous protests.

Mr D'Arcy claims that her history of shock-valuehave made her a 'serial pest' for locals and police.

Police will monitor the barbeque to ensure that the hundreds of aggrieved locals keep it peaceful, but Mr D'Arcy said the officers secretly support him.

'The public are sick of her, business owners are fed up, and the police hate having to deal with her on a constant basis,' he told Youth Jam News.

'Since she feels its appropriate to go into peoples businesses and create havoc, I thought it would be a good idea to show her what that feels like.'

Mr D'Arcy pledged to keep organising regular barbeques outside Ms Peterson's home until she stops organising events of her own.

He has also promised topay the local council for approval to shut down the street during the counter-protest.

Ms Peterson, who originally comes from Perth, temporarily had to move to Melbourne after being handed a 12-month state-wide banfrom licensedvenues in WA.

The 29-year-old used the ban as another opportunity to promote her activism, torching what she claimed to be the police notice she was served informing her of her ban.

'My freedom of speech has been taken away from me ... I'm just going to protest over there [Melbourne and Sydney],' she said at the time.

'I will continue to go into restaurants and places with liquor licenses if they are profiting and serving animal abuse, torture, enslavement and murder.

'No-one can stop me from bringing to light the largest holocaust in history where trillions of non-human people are brutally murdered simply for human pleasure.'

The ban was prompted by her surprise visits tocelebrity chef John Mountain controversially banned vegans from his Fyre restaurant in Perth.

Mr Mountain banned vegans from his restaurant in June, prompting Ms Peterson to stage protests outside his venue where she disturbed diners by playing loud audio of squealing pigs while shouting about the 'animal apocalypse'.

It was the fourth time the high profile activist had been banned from the state's licensed venues.

Ms Peterson often appears near naked, covered in body paint, or wearing fetish gear, during her public protests.

The unrepentant Mr Mountain commenced legal action against Ms Peterson after their confrontation on July 8 andaccused her of having a hidden agenda behind her animal advocacy.

'She's just clutching at straws, desperately trying to get another 15 minutes of fame. Her only motivation is to increase her subscriptions on OnlyFans,' he told The Australian.

Following her feud with Mr Mountain, Ms Peterson staged another protestat a butchers in Belmont Forum Shopping Centre in Perth's eastern suburbs.

While there she poured more fake blood onto the store's shopfront which prompted two employees to stage acitizens arrest.

Police visited her home in the hours after she had left the butcher's and promptly arrested Ms Peterson.

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Hundreds of 'anti-Tash Peterson' activists plan protest at the notorious vegan activist's home in attempt to s - Daily Mail

A coalition of a dozen EU agriculture ministers will push for a revision of the regulatory approval framework for the authorization of cultivated meat at the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council today.

As reported by Euronews, Austria, France, and Italy proposed the initiative to The EU council, receiving support from the Czech, Cypriot, Greek, Hungarian, Luxembourg, Lithuanian, Maltese, Romanian, and Slovak delegations.

The coalition sent a statement to the EU executive urging themto evaluate and initiate a public debate regarding the impact of cultivated meat, as they see the technology as a potential threat to the economy, public health, and farmers.The group is also looking to establish label guidelines that prohibit the names of animal products in fake meat and milk products.

Despite Europe being a significant meat-consuming continent, the Italian governmentpassed a bill to ban cultivated meatlast November. Italys Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida said that cultivated meat ispotentially dangerous for human health, calling it a slush that would never taste like natural meat or fish.

Meanwhile, the Republican party of France recently introduced a bill to prohibit the production and marketing of cultivated meat in the country, calling it junk food, and in Austria, theMinister of Agriculture NorbertTotschnig has said that cultivated is not natural, calling for a debate for strict regulations.

According to Ivo Rzegott, Public Affairs Manager at the think tank the Good Food Institute Europe, the coalitions arguments against cultivated meat come from a non-peer-reviewed study by UC Davis.

The UC Davis report argues that the cultivated meat industry relies on the use of fetal bovine serum (FBS) and cannot guarantee the animal welfare standards that it promises. However, according to Rzegott, these assumptions on animal welfare are outdated because companies are removing FBS from the production process, ahead of a possible entry in the European market.

The initiative is not of a legislative nature. Nevertheless, it is problematic because it distorts the debate with arguments that do not stand up to critical scrutiny, shared Rzegott on social media.

Before selling cell-based meat in EU member states, the products must undergo theEUs novel food framework. This approval process entails a thorough and evidence-based assessment of the safety and nutritional value of any cultivated meat, with an estimated timeframe of at least 18 months. To our knowledge, the EU has not approved any cultivated meat product.

Meanwhile, submissions for European approval include the Israeli company Aleph Farms, which is seeking to launch an Angus-style steak inSwitzerlandandthe UK. Also, the German biotech, The Cultivated B, entered thepre-submission phasefor regulatory approval of a hybrid cultivated meat product.

Just last week, the Israeli government gave Aleph Farms the green light to commercialize its cultivated steaks in the country, marking the worlds first approval for cultivated beef and the third country to approve cultivated meat products after Singapore and the USA.

On the other hand, other European countries, including The Netherlands, Spain, and the UK, are actively funding and promoting cell-based meat to diversify proteins and address the environmental impact of animal agriculture.

The best way to address open research questions in the field of cultivated meat is not new regulatory hurdles, but public research funding. This would ensure that cultivated meat is produced sustainably and that decentralised forms of production are advanced, creating new opportunities for farmers and other established players, Rzegott added.

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12 EU Agriculture Ministers Form Coalition Against Cultivated Meat - vegconomist - the vegan business magazine

Quick Take

At The Grove Caf and Bakery in Felton, chef Jessica Yarr's "plant-forward" breakfast and lunch menus put the focus on plant-based foods but include some meat and dairy. Her inclusive food philosophy and recent vegan dinner events have drawn attention from the local vegan community.

Diary-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, paleo. These days, ordering at a restaurant often means sifting through asterisks and qualifiers. Inclusivity on menus is a good thing, and when it comes to noting allergens, its vital. But these food labels have one critical flaw: They dont sound delicious.

Arguably the most feared label, the one that will have most eyes jumping from that menu item to the next, is vegan.

At The Grove Caf and Bakery in Felton, chef/owner Jessica Yarr takes a different approach. I dont even write the word vegan in my menu description. I like to use symbols, so its a little more stealth, she says. Because we still unfortunately have this stigma around vegan food that its not good. And thats just not true.

The Grove isnt a vegan caf, or even meat-free. Yarr describes her menu as plant-forward, where the bounty of the plant kingdom fruits, vegetables, nuts, mushrooms and grains takes center stage and animal products play a supporting role. Vegan items blend seamlessly into the menu and are noted with a low-fi mushroom symbol.

On the menu, plant-forward plays out like this: The California goddess salad ($16) with quinoa tabbouleh and marinated chickpeas is also dotted with feta and bound with a creamy yogurt-based dressing. A vegetarian reuben sandwich with smoked beets ($16) is a flagship item on the lunch menu, but you can substitute pastrami for $1. And within a list of 15 to 20 items, there are one or two that focus on meat, including a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich ($13) available for breakfast and the ham and brie sandwich ($17) on a house-made baguette for lunch.

Theres plenty to tempt those who are minimizing animal products or avoiding them entirely, but Yarr says she doesnt make food with vegans in mind. The process just comes naturally to her: I make a lot of my menus based on my own tastes and experiences, and I am not a vegan. I like bright flavors, and [the dishes] kind of come together. She also credits one of The Groves chefs, Anglica Yee, who is vegan, for helping to amp up the plant-based flavors.

Among them, well-seasoned and seared tofu and herby quinoa add substance to the colorful Rainbow Bowl ($15), along with sunny bites of cauliflower pickled with turmeric and crunchy pink-centered watermelon radishes. On the lunch menu, mild chickpeas stand in for fish on an open-faced tuna salad-inspired sandwich ($15) on homemade bread, punched up with bright Meyer lemon, pickled red onions and anise-y tarragon. The Bigfoot ($15) one of the most popular menu items, says Yarr is a substantial but simple vegan sandwich filled with crunchy sliced sweet potato, fresh pea shoots and a zippy scallion aioli made with aquafaba on luxurious homemade sourdough bread.

The beautiful, fragrant bread The Grove uses for its sandwiches is made in house, and a daily selection of homemade seasonal pastries and desserts is displayed next to the cash register, with vegan and gluten-free options. The ideas and colors here are playful and full of joy its impossible to resist a perky strawberry-guava mochi cake, twisted ube morning bun with flowery matcha cream or plump vegan cinnamon roll with candy cap mushroom frosting.

Yarr is a Felton native and has prioritized local and seasonal ingredients for her entire culinary career, including her early days working at Gabriella Caf in Santa Cruz and Theos in Soquel, and as the head chef at Assembly in downtown Santa Cruz. After Assembly closed in 2018, she accepted a position as the campus executive chef for Bon Apptit Management Co. at the San Jose headquarters of software company Adobe. Serving 3,000 people per day made her even more interested in limiting animal products as a way to eat sustainably without cutting out meat entirely.

A few years later, she launched Chicken Foot, an Eastern European pop-up, with a plant-forward menu that included potato and sauerkraut-stuffed knish; walnut bread topped with beets, goat cheese and tangy kumquats; and pierogi filled with leeks and farmers cheese, served with sour plum jam.

Its a way to make real change without having to make it vegan all the time. You make change more effectively if you make things easy for people, says Yarr. Taking the label off of things is really helpful.

Although her food isnt entirely plant-based, two recent dinner events at The Grove have drawn attention from the vegan community on the Central Coast. Last fall, Yarr launched a twice-monthly themed supper club, sometimes partnering with other chefs or businesses. In November, she hosted her first vegan dinner with plant and mushroom powders created by Goldmine Adaptogens, a Santa Cruz-based wellness company.

Last Saturday, Yarr worked with Yee to create another vegan tasting menu for $95 per person. The response was huge and unexpected. It sold out in 12 hours, and soon had a waitlist. Some came from as far away as Monterey and San Jose just to attend the event. One diner gave Yarr a card that thanked her for providing her culinary magic to the vegan community.

Yarr says it made her realize how underserved the vegan culinary community is in the fine dining world, especially when it comes to tasting menus. Over the years, shes participated in many farm-to-table dinners for event companies like Outstanding in the Field, and while vegan substitutions are always available, its rare to create a menu that prioritizes vegan diners. Because of that, shes currently considering offering vegan tasting menu events on a regular basis.

At Saturdays dinner, the menu included crispy chickpea fritters with smoky aquafaba-based aioli and pickled chanterelle mushrooms; a cashew-based fromage blanc cheese served with redwood- and juniper-infused walnut sourdough bread; and three other plant-based courses. At the event, she asked how many of the guests were vegan, and only about half of them raised their hands. The rest were just there to enjoy a good meal.

I want it to make it easy for someone to choose a vegan dish, says Yarr. To give it a try, and be pleasantly surprised that what they ate was entirely plant-based.

6249 Highway 9, Felton | 831-704-7483 | thegrovefelton.com.

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Yarr's 'plant-forward' menu at The Grove gives vegan options a starring if not exclusive role - Lookout Santa Cruz

Slutty Vegan via Instagram

Good news for vegans who frequent the busiest airport in the world: Slutty Vegan is opening up a brand new location in the ATL airport!

Atlanta is full of tons of delicious vegan options, including Slutty Vegan, of course! But the current meat-less situation at the Atlanta Airport is dismal at best. Luckily, Slutty Vegan is here to save the day!

Last fall, the Black woman-owned restaurant announced that it was opening up a new spot at Hartsfield-Jackson. Owner Pinky Cole-Hayes announced on Instagram: I have the most ICONIC announcement of my professional career!! The announcement? That Slutty Vegan was to become a permanent resident of Concourse B at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Slutty Vegan posted the new renderings for their spot in the airport on Instagram earlier, captioning it: Just got our renderings for Hartsfield-Jackson international Airport!

The comments were flooded with positive reactions. One commenter said, Gonna need its own terminal to keep up with all the foot traffic surrounding the place!! another played on Slutty Vegans cheeky puns, saying Mmmmm!! Its so big, I love it!

All we know is: were so excited for it to open. Theres no official opening date quite yet, but were hopeful itll be here sooner rather than later. And as soon as we know, youll know too!

For now, well just have to grab our Slutty Vegan fix from one of the many locations around the ATL. Of course weve gotta share our recommendation: try the One Night Stand: a plant-based patty loaded with vegan bacon, vegan cheese, onions, lettuce, tomato, and their iconic Slut Sauce on a vegan Hawaiian bun. Mouthwatering.

To find your nearest Slutty Vegan and browse the menu of Slutty Vegan delights, check out their website!

Stay Slutty, Atlanta!

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Slutty Vegan Is Coming To The Atlanta Airport - Secret Atlanta

Going vegan in 1987, advised by Dick Gregory, may have almost doubled Dexter Kings lifespan in long fight against cancer

MALIBU, CaliforniaDexter Scott King, 62, second son of Martin Luther King Jr., influential for more than 35 years in boosting vegetarianism and veganism among African-Americans, on the morning of January 22, 2024 transitioned peacefully in his sleep at home with me in Malibu, his wife Leah Weber King said in a media statement distributed by the Atlanta-based Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Social Change.

Dexter Scott King and Leah Weber King had been married since 2013.

Dexter King died from prostate cancer, a disease he apparently fought for most of his life.

He gave it everything and battled this terrible disease until the end. As with all the challenges in his life, he faced this hurdle with bravery and might, Leah Weber King said.

According to a 1997 profile by Kevin Sack of the Tampa Bay Times, Dexter King dropped out of his fathers alma mater, Morehouse College, because of an illness he will not discuss. He said the condition became manageable after he adopted a vegan diet and took a journey of self-discovery.

In 1987 Dexter King visited a health spa that athlete, comedian, and activist Dick Gregory founded in the Bahamas.

(See Dick Gregory, 50 years a vegan activist, dies at 84.)

Influenced by Gregory, On January 30, 1988, my twenty-seventh birthday, I became a strict vegetarian. I developed a passion for health and nutrition, Dexter King testified in 2003. My diet consists of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and legumes only, and has for the past 15 years now.

His family mother Coretta Scott King, sisters Bernice and Yolanda, and brother Martin Luther III greeted his new regimen with curiosity, wrote Jill Howard Church in 1995 for Vegetarian Times.

My family has always been very open-minded, said Dexter King, but certainly [veganism] was not their orientation. They were not sure what to think.

When I first became a vegetarian, I was very self-righteous about it, Dexter King added. As Ive aged and become more seasoned with time, Ive mellowed. The best testimonial is the proof in the pudding.

Part of that proof was that Dexter Kings mother, Coretta Scott King (1927-2006), also persuaded by her lifelong friend Barbara Reynolds, became vegan in 1995 and remained vegan for the last 12 years of her life, as did several of her other friends.

Among them was Rosa Parks (1913-2005), whose 1955 refusal to give up her seat on a bus to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama, led to her arrest and touched off a boycott of the city-owned bus company led by Martin Luther King Jr., then a young local minister.

This led to the November 1955 U.S. Supreme Court decision that abolished segregation in public transportation, was among the first major victories of the 20th century civil rights movement, and projected Martin Luther King Jr. to national prominence.

I was not in the practice of eating a lot of meat, Rosa Parks explained.

In childhood, she said, We had peach, apple, plums. We would go into the woods and eat blackberries. It was not hard at all for me to not eat meat.

Adds the Vegetarians of Washington website, Among her favorite vegetables were broccoli, greens, sweet potatoes and string beans.

Deeply involved in the affairs of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Social Change, and quiet by nature, Dexter King except in that 1995 Vegetarian Times article relatively seldom spoke in public about veganism and animal advocacy.

Though noted in passing seven times in Dexter Kings 2004 memoir Growing Up King, his beliefs about animals and food were usually mentioned by others almost as a footnote to articles focused on the legacies of his father, Martin Luther King Jr., and, sometimes, Dick Gregory.

But Dexter King made his views clear to Jill Howard Church.

Veganism has given me a higher level of awareness and spirituality, Dexter King said, primarily because the energy associated with eating has shifted to other areas.

If you are violent to yourself by putting [harmful] things into your body that violate its spirit, it will be difficult not to perpetuate that [violence] onto someone else, Dexter King added.

Dexter King also observed that, Women in general are probably more sensitive to their health needs and sensitive to what they eat. Men generally are not as concerned.

I dont know a heck of a lot of African-Americans who are vegetarian, Dexter King admitted, but I know more who are becoming aware.

That was 28 years before his death.

By then the downtown Atlanta neighborhood surrounding the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Social Change had become one of the national hubs of the fast-growing African-American vegan/vegetarian movement.

Traci Thomas, who founded the Black Vegetarian Society of Georgia in 2002, the first of an international string of Black Vegetarian Societies, credited Dick Gregory rather than Dexter King with inspiring her to give up meat in 1994, but when in Atlanta, Dexter King was a regular customer at the tiny Black Vegetarian Society of Georgia restaurant.

Thomas was among the first vegansof any ethnicityto win national media notice as a vegan teacher and advocate without initially achieving celebrity as an athlete, entertainer, or spiritual leader. Her 2002 recommendation of corn on the cob as a simple vegan focal food for summer picnics won extensive notice in Midwestern small town newspapers that might never before have published the word vegan.

Thomas followed up by popularizing vegan recipes consisting of five ingredients or fewer, to appeal to anyone whose time for shopping and cooking is limited.

Later, fellow Atlanta resident Pinky Cole founded her Slutty Vegan burger counter in the neighborhood.

Slutty Vegan became the place to be seen waiting, especially if youre an African-American celebrity, observed New York Timesreporter Kim Severson on July 1, 2019.

Since then, the vegan burger restaurant has expanded successfully to five locations serving majority African-American neighborhoods around Atlanta; Athens and Columbus, Georgia; Birmingham, Alabama; and Brooklyn and Harlem in New York City.

Dexter King meanwhile established himself as a businessman on another front.

After succeeding his mother as both the head of the King Center for Social Change and executor of Dr. Kings estate, Dexter King quickly consolidated control over the familys social agenda and financial affairs, recounted Kevin Sack of the Tampa Bay Times.

Dexter Kings first tenure heading the King Center, in 1989, was brief, as his initial attempts to exercise leadership met intense opposition from within.

When Dexter King returned, in 1994, the King Center was reportedly almost bankrupt.

Since then, with halting, often awkward steps, Sack wrote in his 1997 profile, Dexter King has cobbled together a vision for preserving his fathers legacy that relies more on the Internet and intellectual property rights than on the cause-oriented mission that Mrs. King established for the King center in 1968.

In many ways, Sack observed, the transition from mother to son has highlighted the generational differences between the marchers and dreamers of the civil rights era and the deal makers and realists of today.

An early bizarre misstep was a March 1997 televised prison meeting with the terminally ill confessed Martin Luther King Jr. assassin James Earl Raywho later recanted his own testimony.

(See MLK assassin ex-wife Anna Ray busted for dog hoardingagain!)

Without any showing of evidence, summarized Sack, Dexter King declared that his family believed Ray innocent of any knowing involvement in the killing.

Dexter King later implicated President Lyndon B. Johnson in a government conspiracy, Sack continued, a theory promoted by Rays lawyer, William Pepper.

I have never seen myself the way the media has portrayed me, as a leader, Dexter King told Sack. Im not trying to have a constituency. Im not trying to be preachy or be on a pedestal. Im not trying to effect change on that level, not because its not something that should be done, but thats just not my best destiny.

Sack noted intense opposition or, at the very least, befuddlement, from civil rights veterans who marched at Dr. Kings side, from board members of the King Center, from the pulpit of the church where Dr. King, his father, and his maternal grandfather had been pastor, and from the liberal black editorial page editor of the Atlanta Constitution.

Lawsuits filed against Dexter King in 2008 by his sisterBernice Kingand brotherMartin Luther King III followed, including a case filed by Bernice King on behalf of the estate ofCoretta Scott King. All three lawsuits were settled out of court in 2009.

The Dexter King legacy as regards the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. may remain controversial for years to come.

His best destiny, meanwhile, may be a statistic: when Dexter King became vegan in 1988, only about 3% of Americans of European descent were vegans and vegetarians, and barely 1% of Americans of African descent.

Today the percentage of Americans of European descent who are vegans or vegetarians is still only about 3%, but the percentage of Americans of African descent who are vegans or vegetarians is at 8% and rapidly growing.

Continued here:

Vegan advocate Dexter King, son of Martin Luther King Jr., dies at 62 - Animals 24-7

According to research by personal finance comparison site Finder, the UKs vegan population is now 2.5 million, meaning that 4.7% of adults follow a plant-based diet. This figure has risen by a huge 1.1 million between 2023 and 2024.

There are also 3.1 million vegetarians in the UK, making up 5.8% of the population. This figure has slightly decreased since last year, but this may be because some vegetarians have become vegan. 3 million people are pescetarians, consuming fish but no other meat.

Furthermore, a huge 6.4 million Brits say they plan to adopt some form of meat-free diet in 2024, with 2 million hoping to become vegan. The research points out that it is unlikely that all will follow through with their intentions, but if everyone did then the UK would have 15 million meat-free citizens at the beginning of 2025 28% of the adult population.

Generation Z and Millennials have the highest meat-free populations, along with the greatest number of people interested in giving up meat. 26% of Gen Z currently follow a meatless diet, with 9% of these eating no animal products at all. A further 26% intend to stop eating meat in 2024, which would make half of the generation meat-free. Millennials follow closely behind, with 22% eating a meat-free diet. The trend progressively decreases with older generations.

By region, London has the highest meat-free population at 21%. A further 18% hope to give up meat in 2024. In contrast, the South West has the lowest number of vegans, vegetarians, and pescatarians at 11%. Scots are the least likely to give up meat in 2024, at 6%.

The research supports recent figures from the Vegan Society, which indicate that 41% of British men are interested in going vegan or have plans to do so even though only 37% of the vegan population are men at present.

A report last year found that the UK vegan food market was growing at a rate of 9.58%, with 40% of consumers saying they wanted more plant-based options. This was mainly driven by health concerns, including rising obesity and lactose intolerance. Concerns about animal welfare and the environment also played a role.

In 2024, more Brits are following a meat-free diet, which means theyve chosen to become vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan, says Finder. With various food subscription services and brands now catering to plant-based lifestyles, adopting a meat-free diet has now become much easier and more accessible for Brits.

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UK Vegan Population Estimated to Have Risen by 1.1 Million in a Year - vegconomist - the vegan business magazine

Spicing up breakfast: Smith College seeks help from Humane Society with its vegan pledge

NORTHAMPTON Inside Smith Colleges Chase House building on a recent morning, several campus chefs could be seen working diligently in the kitchen, even after the usual breakfast hours in the building had ended.

These food experts about a dozen who work at the colleges Dining Services department pored over recipe books featuring unique menu items and prepared ingredients that differed from the norm, such as mayonnaise made from chickpeas, a granola bowl mixed with maple syrup and muffins cooked with peppers and Beyond Meat sausage.

Their goal? Spice up the vegan, plant-based breakfast menu offered to students as part of a wider campus pledge made six years ago to ensure that more than 50% of its entree items are plant-based. A particular challenge in that initiative comes in the form of breakfast and brunch items, which are often associated with assuredly non-vegan products like eggs and pancakes.

Breakfast and brunch is always a tough meal to incorporate really delicious, nutritious, plant-based food, says Patricia A. Hentz, director of residential dining for Smith College Dining Services.

Thats why the college brought in two chefs from the National Humane Society to lead the training, which Hentz says is very progressive for our industry of college food service. She believes Smith is the first college in the country to work with the Humane Society on this type of training program.

When youre trying to veganize food, whether its for allergy or cultural reasons or just personal preference, breakfast is tough, said Dorrie Nang, who works for the National Humane Society as a food service innovation specialist. Our chefs have 18 recipes that they just released in July, and were doing them here for the first time.

The recipes have origins from all corners of the world, from a custard-based French Toast to a vegan version of shakshuka, a North African dish usually made with eggs and tomato sauce.

We have a global background, and so does Smith, said Mohamed Alqamoussi, a chef with the Humane Society who helped coach the campus chefs on preparing the recipes together. Its good for students to try other foods from other cultures.

In addition to ensuring that foods have a diversity of culture and flavor, another challenge for making vegan cuisine is ensuring that the food is also healthy for people to consume, Alqamoussi said.

A lot of vegan food isnt necessarily healthy, he said. Just because youre saving animals doesnt mean you should have to harm your body with oils and processing and all that.

For example, although vegan versions of mayonnaise can be made using several oils, Alqamoussi instructs the Smith chefs to use a version made from chickpeas to create a healthier blend.

And instead of using a fake meat substitute for a breakfast taco recipe, the chefs use lentils, which arent as processed and cost less to purchase.

Another challenge for the chefs in preparing vegan meals knowing which ingredients are and are not vegan. The chefs recipe for a cranberry pecan granola bowl calls for maple syrup as a coating, rather than the more usual ingredient of honey.

Because its the byproduct of an animal, a true vegan will not eat it, said Moises Torres, a chef at Smith who specializes in vegan and vegetarian dishes. Ive found that out the hard way.

The chefs developed the final dishes over the course of the last two months, continuously sampling and giving feedback to each other before settling on the final ingredients.

The dishes were first served to students on Thursday morning at the Cutter and Ziskind houses, with plans to gradually incorporate them into the menus across the school.

We test recipes all year long, but we wanted to really focus in on the plant-based foods, and especially on breakfast, Hentz said.

The introduction of more plant-based foods is part of an overall push by the college for greater sustainability, an initiative that also includes a $200 million geothermal project to power campus buildings. The college signed a commitment in 2015 to reduce meat consumption by 5% each year, with a goal of achieving more than 55% of its entrees to be plant-based by 2025.

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.

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Spicing up breakfast: Smith College seeks help from Humane Society with its vegan pledge - GazetteNET

Christopher Gardner says having his research featured in the Netflix food series You Are What You Eat has been one of the more impactful things hes done in more than 30 years at Stanford.

The show chronicles the experience of four pairs of identical twins who participated in an eight-week study with Stanford Medicine researchers as they compared the impacts of a vegan diet with an omnivore diet. The study involved a total of 22 pairs of identical twins and randomized one twin from each pair to either a vegan or omnivore diet.

Im always trying to get people to eat more healthfully, and it often doesnt work, said Gardner, the Rehnborg Farquhar Professor and a professor of medicine. I dont actually care if they eat a vegan diet, just more plants and less meat. Thats what Ive been all about for a long, long time.

Ever since the shows Jan. 1 release, Gardners inbox has been packed with feedback from strangers, colleagues, and others. Gardners own sister told him that after watching the documentary, she may try eating more plant-based meals.

The show features several scenes filmed on campus and within the surrounding area.

In the first episode, Gardner explains why its difficult to study nutrition when each person is unique. Working with twins, who have the same genetic make-up, helps address that challenge cue charming shots of twins finishing each others sentences and mirroring mannerisms.

Go to the web site to view the video.

Stanford Medicine

The omnivore diet versus the vegan diet: Which one is better for your cardiovascular health? Stanford researchers found the answer by changing the eating habits of identical twins.

Gardner is the senior author of the study, which was co-first authored by Matthew Landry, PhD, a former Stanford Prevention Research Center postdoctoral scholar, and Catherine Ward, a current postdoctoral scholar at the center. Landry is now an assistant professor at the University of California, Irvine.

Gardner spoke with Stanford Report about his experience on the show:

What motivated you to do the show?

There can be this huge, lengthy gap between when science comes up with new findings and it getting implemented in the public, so Ive become super open-minded as to how we run studies and how visible they are, not only to the public but also to other busy clinicians. Some people do Twitter and some watch Netflix and some go to conferences. These days, if you really want to get your work out there, there are a lot of potential audiences.

Its totally novel. Ten years ago, we would say, Social media and videos arent credible. Were academics. We publish, people cite our paper, and we go to conferences. Now that I am on social media, podcasts, and this documentary, I meet new colleagues, I see papers that I would have otherwise missed, and Ive been more open-minded to different ways to share the results of our studies.

What has it been like having your study featured in a Netflix show?

Mostly it has been lots of love and lots of people saying, Congratulations, thats so cool, and certainly from a lot of people who probably wouldnt have heard of the study otherwise. Ive heard from people who havent seen me in a long time, and a lot of colleagues are seeing it and writing to me about it. Then, on the other hand, there have been an overwhelming number of people volunteering to be in my next study. There have also been a number of very challenging communications from people who say, Im really sick. I saw your Netflix show and Im really hoping that you can help treat me, which is just not possible. Im not even a clinician. And Im getting some hate mail from people who dont believe in plant-based diets, and some conspiracy theorists. So its quite a range of responses that I wouldnt normally get for something published in a scientific journal.

Christopher Gardner (Image credit: Netflix/OPS Productions)

Talk about the upsides and downsides of having a study featured in a show.

I actually think the impact of this is bigger than anything Ive ever done in 30 years at Stanford. I did the same science Ive always done, but its just presented in a different way. My science doesnt say people should be vegan; it just says people should eat less meat and more plants. The people who are writing to me are saying theyre trying more plants and trying less meat. That part has been wildly satisfying.

The challenge with the Netflix opportunity was how little control I had. For example, Netflix wanted something in the documentary about exercise and to measure the participants for fat and lean mass, which is done with a very expensive DEXA scan. I pointed out that we didnt have room in the budget for it with 44 participants. So they said they would do it separately on the side with just eight participants of the study, and its well-featured in the show with the eight people who got results. But nobody else got measured by the DEXA, and its not part of the study so when people ask for the data, I dont even have it, but people think I do because of the way it was presented on the show. They also didnt tell us about the part in which they are measuring for sexual arousal. That was not a part of the study we designed and conducted. I dont think that was an appropriate topic and only found out about that after the screening.

But overall, its been very satisfying to hear that weve made more of an impact than I think I ever have before.

Do you anticipate using twins in future nutrition studies?

Looking to eat better? Exercise more? Get unstuck in life or career? Stanford scholars offer research-backed advice for making moves in the new year.

Yes. I am super excited. Plus the twins are fun. They were wonderful and very easy to work with. They had this sense of humor and were nudging each other and finishing each others sentences. They were adorable, which really does sound silly, but it makes it really fun for the staff. When we recruit people for studies, it can be frustrating. If you saw the series you see how much we poked and prodded and harassed them to collect all the data. They could have been annoyed with us. But they all remained friendly and enthusiastic throughout. Only one person dropped out of the study, and then their twins data wasnt useful so the final results are based on 42 out of 44 people. In my field thats amazing thats ~95% retention.

Now that it has aired, what is your favorite part of the show?

I think the show made the science really fun, and because of that, it was more accessible to people learning about it. The film crew and producer did a good job of that. Also, most people who work in this area completely underestimate the recruitment effort. Recruitment is really, really hard in the general population. And within a few days of the Netflix show release, the Stanford Twin Registry administrators called me and told me that their registry had a significant jump in registration. Since the documentary came out, over 300 individuals who had twins signed up to be part of the registry, all thinking how interesting it could be to participate in research studies and maybe end up on TV?!

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Christopher Gardner on Netflix's 'You Are What You Eat' - Stanford Report - Stanford University News

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The beauty industry is ever-evolving but the future is here. Dcypher, a British brand, and Hourglass Cosmetics are leading the way with groundbreaking approaches to foundation and lipstick production, respectively.

Dcypher has abandoned the conventional method of forecasting popular skin shades and producing mass quantities of foundation, only to be left with surplus stock. Instead, the brand harnesses the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze individual skin tones through a quick and efficient 60-second online process. The result? A custom-blended foundation tailored to each customers unique shade, available for 42. This not only eliminates excess stock and packaging but also reduces the environmental impact associated with freight and storage.

What sets Dcypher apart from other online color-matching brands is its commitment to offering more than a generic foundation. Customers have the freedom to choose their preferred coverage level and finish, allowing for a truly customized makeup experience. The success of Dcyphers AI-driven foundation has left users amazed, with the brands free adjustment service standing as a testament to its dedication to customer satisfaction.

Meanwhile, Carisa Janes, the founder of Hourglass Cosmetics, has taken a bold step in challenging the status quo of lipstick production. Traditionally, vibrant red lipsticks derive their rich color from carmine, a pigment extracted from female beetles. The process involves sacrificing up to 1,000 beetles to create just one lipstick. Recognizing the environmental and ethical concerns surrounding this practice, Janes embarked on a three-year research journey alongside parent company Unilever.

The result is Confession Red 0, a game-changing, refillable lipstick priced at 35. What sets this lipstick apart is its 100% vegan composition, achieved without harming a single insect. The patent-pending formula delivers a true, fire-engine-red hue in a slim bullet for precise application. While vegan red lipsticks exist, they often fall short in brilliance and saturation compared to carmine reds. Confession Red 0 not only meets the high standards of its traditional counterparts but also represents a leap forward in ethical and sustainable beauty. Beyond its vibrant color, Confession Red 0s packaging and formula exude luxury, demonstrating that ethical beauty doesnt compromise on quality.

Dcypher and Hourglass Cosmetics are trailblazing brands that show the power of innovation and ethical consciousness in the beauty industry. As consumers increasingly seek personalized and sustainable products, these brands set a precedent for a future where beauty meets technology and compassion.

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The Future of Beauty is Here with Vegan Lipstick and AI Foundation - One Green Planet

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New vegan cafe (73 Farm) pop up opened in the National Union Building. Offering fresh vegetables, meals, ingredients and mocktails.

73 Farms website says:

Indoor fresh farmers market and vegan cafe featuring a New Orleans style sustainability focused menu. Much of traditional Cajun & Creole food was created out of preserving resources and embracing the natural flavors that come from vegetables as most recipes start with the holy trinity.

We are the former owners of a local plant based meat company and while we still embrace plant based meat alternatives we wanted to this pop up cafe to show our customers what is possible with vegan food. As a traveling engineer, when I was in the south vegan food was the hardest to find especially done to the same standards as the more meat focused dishes. Just as I thought I would have no luck, one night at the Gumbo Stop in New Orleans proved me wrong. I had the most delicious butter beans and rice dish and a fine Sazerac to wash it down and it brought me right back to my familys New Orleans roots. My grandmother waking up early in the morning and smell of piles of chopped celery, onions, and green peppers filling the kitchen. Thats what 73 Farm is all about, sharing family comfort food with real ingredients and authentic flavor from our family to yours.

918 F Street, NW

Check out their menu here.

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New vegan cafe (73 Farm) pop up opened in the National Union Building - PoPville