Survey Results Show 88 Per Cent of Vegan Pledgers Plan to Stick with Plant-Based Foods

For Immediate Release:

15 February 2016

Contact:

Jennifer White (0) 20 7837 6327, ext 222; [email protected]

SURVEY RESULTS SHOW 88 PER CENT OF VEGAN PLEDGERS PLAN TO STICK WITH PLANT-BASED FOODS

PETA’s Results Highlight Strength of the Growing Plant-Based Food Movement

London– The results are in for PETA’s “Go Vegan in the New Year” webpage – where anyone wanting to try eating plant-based food for 30 days can sign up and receive daily recipes, tips on eating out and more – and more than 88 per cent of those who responded to PETA’s exit survey say that they will continue eating vegan. Over 6,000 people took the pledge for the new year. The increased interest in vegan eating follows numerous investigations documenting horrific animal abuse on farms, the World Health Organisation’s report that processed meats increase the risk of developing cancer and a recommendation from prominent think tank Chatham House calling for a reduction in meat consumption to ensure that the world avoids “dangerous” climate change.

“Tasty meat- and dairy-free meals are easy to find, which makes it a perfect time to give vegan eating a try,” says PETA Associate Director Elisa Allen. “And with so many benefits of following a vegan diet, it’s no wonder that the vast majority of those who tried it for 30 days are sticking to their healthy habits.”

PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat” – notes that vegan eating is on the rise. Orders for PETA’s vegan starter kits have surged every year – from 14,000 in 2013 to 28,300 in 2014 to a whopping 35,000 in 2015. In addition to sparing many animals every year the horrors of the abattoir, vegans are less prone to suffering from cancer, obesity and diabetes than meat-eaters are. They also have a lower carbon footprint. These are just some of the reasons why millions of British people – including 20 per cent of 16- to 24-year-olds, according to the research group Mintel – have chosen to ditch animal-derived foods. And according to Google Trends, United Kingdom residents are googling “vegan” at higher rates than ever before.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk.

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