Marin VEG June Newsletter
Subject: Marin VEG June Newsletter
From: Patti Breitman <eatplants@gmail.com>
Date: 2023-05-31, 5:34 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients: ;

June 2023
Marin VEG

Does anyone else think of the musical Carousel every June 1st? June Is Busting Out All Over becomes an annual ear worm for me.
 I am eager to find some soap plants flowering in the coming weeks.  I hope you also have fulfilling adventures this month.  Happy June! Happy Summer!

I'm Sorry
Apologies to those of you who received last month's newsletter as part of a list that wasn't blind copied.  I will try my best to not do that again. (Note to self: Do not hit the send button when in a hurry!)

Two good reasons to visit Petaluma this weekend:

Friday, June 2 and Saturday, June 3
Sjaak's Chocolate Warehouse Sale
These chocolates are among my favorites, and the once a year warehouse sales offers significant savings.  Friday the hours are 10 to 6. Saturday 9 to 3.
1340 Commerce Street, Suite D

Vegan Restaurant in Petaluma
Even though it's been around for more than a year, I just discovered Magdelena's vegan restaurant in Petaluma (5306 Old Redwood Highway). Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, it's open from 8AM to 8PM Wednesday through Saturday an 8 to 3 on Sundays.  Yummy sweets and savories.
https://www.magdelenas.com/

Miyoko Settlement
Here is how Miyoko and her namesake company resolved their law suit and counter suit:
https://breakthesilence.substack.com/p/breaking-news-miyokos-creamery-lawsuit?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
And here is a follow up piece, also from Michele Simon, attorney and former board member at Miyoko's:
https://breakthesilence.substack.com/p/legal-settlements-are-nothing-to?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
And here is another report, somewhat cheeky, with speculation on what may come next from Miyoko:
https://www.animals24-7.org/2023/05/19/cheese-crackers-miyoko-schinner-miyokos-creamery-settle-lawsuits/

Supreme Court Upholds Prop. 12
Proposition 12, mandating that pigs whose flesh is sold in California be given enough room to turn around, was upheld by the Supreme Court in May.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/11/politics/supreme-court-pork-california-regulations/index.html

But Peta's Ingrid Newkirk was not celebrating. Here's what she wrote:
"Why were we there to protest when nearly every other group was popping the champagne corks? Because Prop 12 isn’t the victory that it appears to be.
Our members should be under NO illusions that meat, dairy, or eggs purchased in California or any other state that has similar meager minimum space laws is in any way humane. And yet, after all these years, the pigs getting a few miserly more feet of space in their wretched lives will lull people into thinking they can now buy “humanely produced” meat."


Is Honey Vegan?
This in depth report from The Food Empowerment Project explains why human consumption of honey is not good for honeybees.
https://foodispower.org/our-food-choices/the-buzz-about-honey/

Eating Vegan On a Budget
Also from The Food Empowerment Project comes a recently updated report on how to save money choosing vegan foods and ingredients.  What I found most useful were the egg substitutes and their quantities.  It's good to know, for example, how many tablespoons of aquafaba substitute for one egg yolk, one egg white, or one whole egg (1, 2, and 3 respectively).  https://foodispower.org/eating-on-a-budget-draft/

Follow Up on Toxic Metals Found In Chocolate
When Judith read the piece in last month's newsletter about the cadmium levels in chocolate, she wrote to Beyond Good, her favorite chocolate company.  Below is the response she received.  Call me cynical, but I trust Consumer Reports more than I trust a company defending its own product. The truth may lie somewhere in between. As my mother often said, There are three sides to every story: his, hers, and the truth.

Hi Judith,

 Thank you for reaching out to Beyond Good! We test all of our chocolate bars for heavy metals annually and are confident in their safety.

 Cadmium is a natural element that is present in three main environmental compartments, air, water, and soil. Trace levels of minerals like lead and cadmium are naturally occurring in our product because they are naturally occurring in the organic soil from in which our organic cocoa grows. Cocoa plants take up cadmium from soils via their roots and deposit it in the nibs (center) of cocoa beans. 

 Dark chocolate with naturally occurring trace elements of cadmium is safe to eat. Many other foods contain naturally occurring cadmium, including cereals and bread, leafy vegetables, potatoes, legumes and nuts, and stem/root vegetables. These foods, like dark chocolate, are of course all safe to eat. 

 The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a cadmium intake level of 406 μg per kg per week for a 155 lb. person. A 155 lb. individual has to consume roughly 32 Beyond Good chocolate bars per week to exceed the recommended weekly intake of cadmium.

 Our products mentioned in the Consumer Reports article are in compliance with strict quality and safety requirements of the U.S. FDA and California’s Proposition 65.

 Best,

Robert at Beyond Good



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