Veganuary was everywhere last month, and every business seemed to jump on the bandwagon.

There are moral reasons why someone might turn to veganism, and some people do benefit from a health perspective. Many, however, do not. This is something I’ve discussed here: https://rkfitness.co.uk/vegans/

But today I want to discuss the hidden side of veganism, the way it is being used to profit at the expense of your health.

The Impossible Burger came out in 2019, and it is claimed it tastes just like meat. ‘Now there is no reason not to go vegan as the foods taste the same as the real stuff,’ was the claim. But how far can you trust a product that contains all plant-based items but tastes like meat? What manner of chemicals are in that to make it taste like that?

Well here you go, the Impossible Burger ingredients: Water, Textured Wheat Protein, Coconut Oil, Potato Protein, Natural Flavors, 2% or less of: Leghemoglobin (soy), Yeast Extract, Salt, Soy Protein Isolate, Konjac Gum, Xanthan Gum, Thiamin (Vitamin B1), Zinc, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin B12.

17 ingredients, all produced in a lab to create a meat like taste.

And this is just one of a number of products recently released to substitute for meat!

More concerningly, all of these products are trademarked and protected. That means someone owns the rights to them. No one owns the rights to beef, or chicken, or any animal product in this way. That means you need a license to produce and sell the impossible burger, and friends.

This is how veganism is being hijacked. Don’t assume producers are making or selling these things for moral reasons. If restaurants were being truly moral they wouldn’t be selling meat. It’s about profit, and what they are putting into the products they are selling as meat replacements is alarming in the extreme.

By all means if you choose to go vegan do so, but don’t be fooled into thinking the fake meats are better than genuine food for your health.