Host of "The Great British Bake Off", Sandi Toksvig has 'whipped' up some controversy with a claim that avocados aren't necessarily vegan.
Vegan or not, this claim has us all thinking and a little 'shook'! So here's a break-down of why she is claiming that avocados aren't a vegan food:
In addition to hosting "The Great British Bake Off", Toksvig also hosts the BBC comedy quiz show “QI,”. During "QI", she apparently dropped facts about veganism. The contestants on that show were asked which foods were classified as vegan out of a list of almonds, avocados, kiwi, butternut squash, and melon. Toksvig revealed that the answer was actually none of them.
She went off to explain:
“It's the same reason as honey,” she explained. “They can't exist without bees, and bees are used in, let's call it an 'unnatural way.' Because they are so difficult to cultivate naturally, all of these crops rely on bees which are placed on the back of trucks and taken very long distances across the country. It's migratory beekeeping and it's unnatural use of animals and there are lots of foods that fall foul of this.”
Avocados aren't the only fruits and/or vegetables that are "actually not strictly vegan." broccoli, cherries, cucumbers, and even lettuce are good examples of this.
People on Twitter are reacting and will continue to react to this:
According to PETA's Executive Vice President, Tracy Reiman:
"Going vegan is about making kind choices that bring about positive change. Average shoppers can't avoid produce that involved migratory beekeeping any more than they can avoid driving on asphalt, which has animal ingredients — but they can save nearly 200 animals' lives every year by choosing plant-based foods instead of meat, eggs, and dairy 'products.'"
So according to PETA, avocados are still vegan...so maybe there isn't much to stress about! What are your guys' thought on what Sandi Toksvig said?
Photos: Getty Images