Portuguese Cafeterias Must Now Offer Vegan Option
A new law mandates that schools, universities, hospitals, and prisons must implement at least one vegan selection on their cafeteria menus.
On March 3, 2017, the Portuguese parliament signed a bill into law that requires all public “cantinas”—or cafeterias in schools, universities, hospitals, and prisons—serve at least one "strictly vegetarian" (vegan) option. Portugal’s vegetarian organization Associação Vegetariana Portuguesa (AVP) launched a petition in 2015 to bring the issue in front of parliament. “The adoption of a vegetarian diet [...] reflects the freedom of choice of each individual, as it is openly declared and defended in the Portuguese Constitution, in accordance with democratic principles,” AVP’s petition states. After gaining more than 15,000 signatures on its petition, AVP’s proposal was approved by political parties Left Bloc (BE), the Green Ecologist Party (ENP), and People-Animals-Nature (PAN), which collectively cited the “freedom of choice in food” as the motivation behind enacting the bill. Public cantinas in Portugal are required to implement the mandate within six months. While no such law exists in the US, public cafeterias across the country—most recently, the Oakland Unified School District in California—have added a growing number of vegetarian and vegan dishes to serve student demand for more ethical and environmentally friendly options.
Massive Vegan Arts Festival Hits New York City
The weekend-long Compassion Arts Festival will feature poetry, theater, photography, and music that link the arts to veganism.
Read More »
Noodle-Cutting Ceremony Rings in New Era of Pasta
Veggie Noodle Co. will celebrate its expansive new spiralized noodle production facility with a pasta-tively good time.
Read More »
Scottish Politicians Back Nationwide Vegan Challenge
Members of Parliaments across political parties are supporting a motion that links climate change to animal agriculture and encourages Scots to adopt a plant-based diet.
Read More »
Kansas Residents Block Plans for Tyson Factory Farm
Tyson puts its $320 million chicken factory farm proposal on hold after thousands of locals protest.
Read More »
New Line of Vegan Pea Protein Milk Hits Shelves
North America's largest producer of baby carrots adds a new line of calcium-rich vegan milk.
Read More »
More Flashbacks
- Vegan Cannabis Popsicles to Launch in Winter
- UK Grocery Chain Expands Vegan Cheese Line
- Vegan Sushi Bar to Hit the Las Vegas Strip
- Pro Skater Launches Vegan Converse Line
- Hormel CEO Shifts Focus to Non-Meat Brands
- Former Dairy Brand Debuts Aquafaba Egg Replacer
- Vegan Yoga Guru Stars in New Reality Series
- James Cameron Invests in Vegan Protein Facility
- Beyond Burger Debuts at TGI Fridays
- Colorado Beef Ranch Turns into Vegan Animal Sanctuary
- Vegan Rock Star is Face of Lululemon's Men's Campaign
- Pizza Hut Launches Vegan Cheese
- Baileys' Vegan Almande Lands in UK Whole Foods
- NZ Dairy Farms Use As Much Water As 60 Million People
- California to Reinstate Ban on Foie Gras
- F1 Car Racing World Champ Embarks on Vegan Mission
- Iron Chef Brings Impossible Burger to Detroit
- Students Develop Vegan Replica of Hard-Boiled Egg
- Hampton Creek Adds Saudi Arabian Prince to Board
- Beyond Meat Signs Sysco Deal to Expand Exponentially
