Veggie Blog

The vegetarian community rallied and won a big one. In May 2007 the makers of the Mars bar reversed their plan to use whey made with animal rennet, and I called it a major victory for meat-free eaters. Here is what happened, what it did not change, and why it worked.

What happened after the announcement?

Within a week, more than 6,000 people phoned or e-mailed the company, and 40 British MPs signed a petition, the BBC reported. Mars UK then said it would go back to the vegetarian whey. Its managing director, Fiona Dawson, said: “It became very clear, very quickly that we had made a mistake, for which I am sorry.” The company changed its recipes back immediately.

Did every Mars product go back to being vegetarian?

No. The Guardian reported that ingredients used in other products, such as Twix, Bounty, Celebrations, Topic and Milky Way, were not changed, so those brands stayed unsuitable for vegetarians. The U-turn applied to the bars at the center of the campaign (Mars, Snickers, Maltesers and Galaxy). The win was real, but it was partial.

Why did the campaign work?

The Vegetarian Society acted fast: it urged members to complain to the company, their MPs and local newspapers straight away, and the BBC described the result as a lesson in consumer power. A short, clear request, aimed at the right people, made it easy for thousands of people to act in a single week.

What should you take from it?

Recipes change, so check the label of familiar products from time to time, and let companies know when a change matters to you. Our guide to the main types of vegetarian diet shows how different vegetarians make these choices.