MEDIA RELEASE - for immediate release

6 March 2011, Sydney

Vegans demand a fair go in new dietary guidelines

New government dietary guidelines are unfair to vegans, say vegan groups in their submission on the draft Australian Dietary Guidelines.

"The new guidelines should acknowledge and support the great number of Australians who for animal rights, environmental, health, religious and other reasons, eat plant-based diets," said Greg McFarlane, President of the Vegan Society NSW.

"The current guidance on vegan diets is discriminatory to these groups of Australians," said McFarlane.

"The draft dietary guidelines regrettably serve to reinforce the completely unnecessary abuse and suffering of animals who are raised and killed each year to be eaten."

"The new national dietary guidelines must include consideration of the wellbeing and rights of animals."

The vegan groups' submission also recommends that:

• The Australian Dietary Guidelines emphasise the health and other benefits of plant-based diets.
• The guidelines should be reworded to remove the negative image given of plant-based diets.
• The NHMRC should exclude any studies on calcium and osteoporosis funded by the dairy industry as they may be biased and instead examine the evidence that plant foods are a better source of nutrients than milk.
• Environmental sustainability should be a major focus of the guidelines, in particular by taking into account the large negative impact that farmed animal industries have on the environment and climate change.
• The guidelines should not be influenced by food industry lobby groups or any other group with a financial interest.

Media contact: Greg McFarlane - 0400 492 157 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it "> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Vegan Society NSW is a community-based, non-profit organisation in New South Wales, Australia. Our aim is to promote the many benefits of veganism and provide quality service, support and up-to-date information to vegans and the general community.

Vegan Australia is a new national vegan organisation that aims to promote veganism to the broader Australian public. Vegan Australia envisions a world where all animals live free from human use and ownership. Compassion is the foundation of Vegan Australia - compassion towards animals, people and the earth. Vegan Australia believes that the starting point for people to put this compassion into action is to become vegan and to encourage others to become vegan.