Enjoy Food Consciously – Without Animal Testing
Food plays an important role in the green lifestyle! All Green Pearls® members offer regional and organic products in their restaurants. But how can you be sure that the eaten products are also free of animal testing? Did you know for example that there was animal testing behind some noodles?
Regional Food to Support Sustainability
In our Green Pearls® portfolio, there is definitely a focus on sustainable produced food. Take the Familien-Landhotel Stern: it only has products in the kitchen, behind which a person or family company stands, who contribute to the development of the region. At Biohotel Pausenhof, all used foods are 100% organic and almost completely from their own farming. Or they are bought from a local organic farmer. So, all foods are free of animal testing.
With larger companies, it is a bit different. Did you know that the Italian brand Barilla used animal testing (even though without their direct knowledge) in their production up until a few weeks ago?
Barilla and Sustainability
Barilla is the leading manufacturer of pasta worldwide. Ever since the founding of the company, the Italian family puts focus on sustainability. With „Good For You, Good For The Planet“ Barilla Group transparently shows how they want to decrease their CO2 emissions and protect the environment through their efforts in production and delivery to their sale clients. To their sustainable approach, being free of animal testing is also an important factor.
Wrong Consulting Results in Noodles with Animal Testing
Not long ago, animal rights organization PETA discovered clues that animal testing was at play during the production of noodles. Outside consultants had recommended scientific studies, for which animal testing was needed – without the knowledge of Barilla’s executive office.
Unbelievable, but true: the ingredient wheat was tested on rats, to see, which health benefits the ingredient could have for humans.
As Michael Niebo, research associate from PETA reports, finding a solution to this was close to Barilla’s heart. In only two weeks, a new cooperation was made and Barilla was able to publish an official statement: their family company is now free of animal testing and also of bad consultants.
Where Animal Testing Still Occurs
While Barilla and other companies, for example PepsiCo, make future-oriented decisions and manage without animal testing, there are still many other companies that revert to animal testing in their product development. Among them are known brands like Danone and Kikkoman.
The main reason for animal testing is to establish health claims that promise consumers health advantages through specific ingredients and are a sales’ strategy for food companies. In order to discover these benefits, animal testing is done.
Live and Travel More Consciously with Green Pearls®
In order to end animal testing in the food sector, there is one important thing: raise awareness! Because with growing awareness, companies rethink their strategies and methods and modernize them, Michael Niebo also says:
We work to make people and companies aware of these issues, and with that awareness and knowledge often comes the willingness to make changes, whether it be a personal lifestyle change, or a company’s decision to end experiments on animals.
We say: more conscious living is possible and everyone can do something! Buy your meat from the local farmer, get your honey from the beekeeper in the nearby village and check the origin country when buying fruit and vegetables. For your next vacation, choose one of the Green Pearls® members as your accommodation. Here you can be sure that animals and the environment are close to the hoteliers’ heart.
Read the full interview with Michael Niebo from PETA concerning the Barilla cooperation here on our Green Pearls® blog.
