A little something about V8 juice
On here, as well as a few other places, I've seen the question come up about if V8 is vegan or not. I don't know if it's been answered yet or not (I couldn't find an answer anywhere, but I might have just missed it), so I did some digging. The ingredients label is pretty straight-forward about what's in it, but then you get towards the end and you see something that's just called "flavoring". I emailed Campbell's to ask them what is used to make this flavoring. Here is their reply:
"We received your message and appreciate your taking the time to contact Campbell Soup Company regarding the flavorings used in our products.
The term "flavoring" refers to the oils or extracts that are obtained from spices and herbs. Natural flavoring may also include onion or garlic derivatives, as well as flavor derived from fruits, vegetables and their juices, or edible parts of plants. Other sources may include meat, seafood, poultry or dairy products, whose significant function in the food is flavoring rather than nutrition.
We appreciate your feedback.
At Campbell, our number one priority is to delight our consumers. I hope I've been able to answer your question. Please contact our Consumer Response Center or visit Campbell's website if we can be of further assistance.
Thank you for visiting the Campbell Soup website.
Campbell Soup Web Team mxf"
Not the most direct answer in the world. But to be safe, I'm passing on the V8 from now on. Which is a shame.
WHAT THE EFF!
THat's some serious *bleep*
I never would have questioned V8 Juice.
Luckily I hate that stuff so never drink it.
:-D :)>>> ??? :'(
Dear Campbell,
We are not delighted by your vague answer. See, we are veg*ns and do not delight in the possibilities of consuming animals as a part of your vague "natural flavorings." We're not asking for company secrets, just if the "natural flavors" of V8 are from plants and not animals. We already know your fine beverage is from 8 veggies, so we're not sure what the "natural flavors" are or what their point is. But again, in a world of meet eaters, it wouldn't be surprising if some bacon flavor went in there to "tempt" some poor omnis into actually consuming veggies.
We promise, we will be delighted to have a real answer. But again, being veg*n, we don't have issues consuming the recommended amount of veggies and fruits each day. Indeed, we often kick that number's butt.
Best,
Vegweb
Dear Silly "Veeg*nn",
We at Campbell's understand your concern. However, at this time, we have what is called an "established customer base" which we know couldn't care less about our so-called "vague" ingredient list. You see, in this fine country of America, we all have the freedom to choose what foods and drinks we consume withoutbeing bothered by some ingredient list. The FDA makes us put that that
nutrition label on all of our products, but as every blue-blooded American knows, an FDA-approved label means it's perfectly healthy.
Furthermore, you can happily stick to your butt-kicking diet of fruits and vegetables while the rest of us--the established customer base--will enjoy our real, non-hippie, cardboard-like* processed-to-perfection "food."
We appreciate your non-patronage. Now please go suck our fat, rich, American d**k.
Sincerely,
Campbell's
***
ETA: I think I must have meant to use "cardboard-like" as an adjective (sarcastic, obv) for our vegan "hippie food." heh...whatevs.
Dear CW,
BWAHAHAHAHA! I <3 U soooooooooo much!
>:D,
Capture
Thank you for ruining my life.
Wink.
CRAP!!
I buy the low sodium version for the high potassium content which keeps my blood pressure low enough to stay off pills.
I have four bottles in my cubbard................grrrr...............
Yeah, I have some here in my place, too. Now I don't know what to do with it.
Baypuppy, I liked your letter so much I sent it to Campbell's as a reply. ;D I changed it a bit to read thusly:
"Dear Campbell Soup Web Team,
To be honest, I am not delighted by your vague answer. See, I'm a vegan and do not delight in the possibilities of consuming animals as a part of your "natural flavorings." I'm not asking for company secrets, just if the "natural flavors" of V8 are from plants and not animals. I already know your fine beverage is from 8 veggies, so I'm not sure what the "natural flavors" are or what their point is. But again, in a world of generally mindless meat eaters, it wouldn't be surprising if some bacon flavor went in there to "tempt" some poor omnis into actually consuming veggies.
I promise, I will be delighted to have a real answer. But again, being vegan, I don't have issues consuming the recommended amount of veggies and fruits each day. Indeed, I often kick that number's butt. I am simply trying to determine if your product will have a place in my, and a daily-growing number of people's, life.
-David Hacht
On behalf of VEGetariANs everywhere - 13 million of us and growing every day"
I'll let you all know what they have to say. I'm guessing nothing, or more vagueness.
Sigh.
No more bloody mary's for me. That's just depressing.
Stupid meat juice.
YO! the best bloody marys come from plain' ol tomato juice....I get mine in really tall cans, of which every grocery store seems to have a generic brand for super cheap. ya just have to adjust your spices and whatnot to get the desired flavor.
screw you, V8! I always thought you were too salty anyway. even your "reduced sodium" is loaded with salt.
...though i do have fond memories of that performance art piece we did together that one time. but that loving memory is all you'll get from me now!
*blows raspberry*
All this talk of bloody marys is really making me thirsty!
Dear Campbell,
We are not delighted by your vague answer. See, we are veg*ns and do not delight in the possibilities of consuming animals as a part of your vague "natural flavorings." We're not asking for company secrets, just if the "natural flavors" of V8 are from plants and not animals. We already know your fine beverage is from 8 veggies, so we're not sure what the "natural flavors" are or what their point is. But again, in a world of meet eaters, it wouldn't be surprising if some bacon flavor went in there to "tempt" some poor omnis into actually consuming veggies.
We promise, we will be delighted to have a real answer. But again, being veg*n, we don't have issues consuming the recommended amount of veggies and fruits each day. Indeed, we often kick that number's butt.
Best,
Vegweb
Dear Silly "Veeg*nn",
We at Campbell's understand your concern. However, at this time, we have what is called an "established customer base" which we know couldn't care less about our so-called "vague" ingredient list. You see, in this fine country of America, we all have the freedom to choose what foods and drinks we consume withoutbeing bothered by some ingredient list. The FDA makes us put that that
nutrition label on all of our products, but as every blue-blooded American knows, an FDA-approved label means it's perfectly healthy.
Furthermore, you can happily stick to your butt-kicking diet of fruits and vegetables while the rest of us--the established customer base--will enjoy our real, non-hippie, cardboard-like "food."
We appreciate your non-patronage. Now please go suck our fat, rich, American d**k.
Sincerely,
Campbell's
Dear Campbells'
that fat rich american dick you want us to suck isn't vegan either! I bet there's "natural flavoring in that too....
yours truly
silly vegan
maybe one day we will have so many vegans everything that has animal products will clearly be labeled as such. one could hope, ya?
Baypuppy, I liked your letter so much I sent it to Campbell's as a reply. ;D I changed it a bit to read thusly:
excellent. glad to have helped.
i look forward to getting an answer back. what was the first letter's turn around?
The first one took two days, but I sent mine on a Saturday and they replied Monday. I'm hoping for a one day on this one. We'll see.
rofl
i so love it here :)>>>
ETA: I think I must have meant to use "cardboard-like" as an adjective (sarcastic, obv) for our vegan "hippie food." heh...whatevs.
is that a little britian joke?
My letter was short and to the point informing them that labeling a product 100% vegetable juice while having animal products was unethical advertising. I hope other veg*ns email them even if you don't drink it. I only gave them my name and email address not a lot of other personal information.
http://www.v8juice.com/contactus.aspx
Hmm, a little letter writing campaign. Good idea. Maybe someone there can explain why they feel the need to take something great like vegetable juice and then wreck it by putting beef flavoring or something in it. I can't wrap my head around that. I guess I'll never have a career in product development.
In the meantime, I'm going to go out and buy some tomato juice. Or a juicer. Or both.
aaaaaand, baypuppy goes in for the win with another informative retaliation letter!
Mine expresses my disgust with the FDA/America's treatment of "food" and not caring about the consumer, and bp magnifies it with the calling out of "mystery" ingredients and their rather unsavory sources, great for the uninformed. Touche!
oh, and Lubi:
;D
gab_u:
actually, while I'm a big fan of british wit and humour, as well as their general demeanor and attitude, I mean nothing in particular....except that lots of omnis disapprove of our too-healthy biscuits and scones, and scoff at them without trying to verge outside the realm of their over-sweetened, odd-source-derived foodstuffs.
does "cardboard-like" refer to something in particular?
my letter was very short to them, I just said I would never buy it again unless they quit putting animal juice in it
Rereading this entire thread, nobody has actually proven that there IS animal juice in it. Everyone's just assumed that Campbell's is out to get us. I don't want to assume either way, so I'm waiting fora definitive answer before I start cursing the company.
Rereading this entire thread, nobody has actually proven that there IS animal juice in it. Everyone's just assumed that Campbell's is out to get us. I don't want to assume either way, so I'm waiting fora definitive answer before I start cursing the company.
Naaw, it's cool.....I'm still going to buy other Campbell's products when they're vegan and on sale...
But I think the big grievances here are the facts that They are trying to be vague (for now, so far) probably to maintain an image or customer....but they can afford to lose some of them because they're so wildly popular. We have a right to know what we're consuming, be it due to an allergy, ethical choice, or whatever....THEY are responsible for informing us of "secret" ingredients if it's a real concern for us.
Rereading this entire thread, nobody has actually proven that there IS animal juice in it. Everyone's just assumed that Campbell's is out to get us. I don't want to assume either way, so I'm waiting fora definitive answer before I start cursing the company.
Naaw, it's cool.....I'm still going to buy other Campbell's products when they're vegan and on sale...
But I think the big grievances here are the facts that They are trying to be vague (for now, so far) probably to maintain an image or customer....but they can afford to lose some of them because they're so wildly popular. We have a right to know what we're consuming, be it due to an allergy, ethical choice, or whatever....THEY are responsible for informing us of "secret" ingredients if it's a real concern for us.
Exactly. I may have jumped the gun a bit in my last post, accusing them of putting 'beef flavoring or something' in when they haven't come straight out and said "Yes, there's animal-derived flavoring in V8", but if history has taught me anything it's that if they say there might be some in there, odds are there is some in there. Sad but true. I hope there isn't and that they continue to make it that way, but maybe all these emails they're getting from people here will convince them that some (or all, but that's pretty ambitious) of their other products could and should be made to support a wider consumer base. And if V8 does contain any animal products, maybe this will get them to stop.
In a perfect world, anyway . . .
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