Vegan Action Targets Food Packaging

Have you ever wished you could identify vegan products with one quick glance instead of reading long lists of ingredients and memorizing who does and who does not test on animals?

The past few years have seen a tremendous increase in the number of people choosing to adopt a vegan lifestyle. Surprisingly, there is no quick and easy way for these consumers to identify animal-free products. Vegan Action hopes to change all that with the "V" Campaign.

Just as the "K in the circle" logo is used to identify kosher products, Vegan Action will soon be registering a "vegan v" symbol with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This symbol will quickly tell consumers that products bearing it are completely vegan. Products displaying the logo will have to meet the strictest current definition of veganism, meaning they contain no animal products, were not tested on animals, and they did not involve the use of animal products in their manufacture (i.e., white sugar).

Vegan Action feels that several important benefits will result from the use of the symbol. The most obvious is that consumers will be able to tell at a glance that a product is vegan. But they will also be able to easily identify companies that share their support of veganism. Perhaps most importantly, the logo further propels veganism into the mainstream of public consciousness, raising interest in and awareness of the vegan lifestyle while making it easier to take part in.

Given the scope of this campaign, Vegan Action will need volunteers in a number of areas. If you or someone you know could conduct a trademark search for us, it would defray a major time and monetary expense. Please contact us immediately. Secondly, although we already have a tentative logo, we will consider any ideas that are submitted to us. Keep in mind that the logo should be simple and readily identifiable. Send camera-ready art to our address below. Finally, if you know a representative from a company that produces vegan products, please explain the benefits of using the logo and have the person contact us. If you cannot contribute in one of these ways, your financial support is needed and would be greatly appreciated.

The "V" Campaign
"Vegan Action"
P.O. Box 4353
Berkeley, CA 94704

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Stores increasingly are applying labels to fruits and vegetables to indicate decreased use or absence of synthetically compounded chemicals and fertilizers. The following are some of the most frequently used terms and what they generally mean. The list was taken by Vegetarian Resource Group, from Wall Street Journal, March 21, 1989, B-1.

NO-SPRAY: Pesticides and other chemicals are not sprayed onto the crop, but synthetically compounded fertilizers may be used.

SUSTAINABLE: May have some pesticides and other chemicals applied, but attempts are made to use reduced levels in conjunction with biological-control methods to manage rather than kill pests.

TRANSITIONAL: Crops grown on land prepared with organic techniques, but not long enough to be certified as organic by a state or trade group.

ORGANIC: Synthetically compounded chemicals and fertilizers are not used, although some naturally occurring chemicals can be employed on crops.

BIODYNAMIC: The farmer plants and cultivates crops "in harmony" with the earth's seasons and utilizes organic materials native to the region.