Morningstar Burger Crumbles not vegan anymore!
I didn't see this info. already posted on vegweb (I read it on Vegan Represent), so I figured I'd let you guys know in case you didn't already. So Morningstar Farms, the company that was claiming last year to be cutting down on using eggs, has now added them to a formerly vegan product which I know many of us really enjoy-- the burger crumbles.
I emailed them to complain/inquire and here's their response:
Thank you for your comments regarding Morningstar Farms® Meal Starters™ Grillers™ Recipe Crumbles. We are sorry you did not enjoy the reformulated product.
As you might imagine, we conduct extensive consumer tests to determine consumer acceptance before introducing a food into the national market. Reformulated products are of special concern to us, so we use panels of regular product users across the country to ensure acceptability. Tests on this reformulated product showed that most consumers preferred the new product to the old. However, we realize that taste preferences do differ and can certainly understand your feelings.
Our goal is to ensure that consumers have a choice when considering our brands. We currently offer several Morningstar Farms® and Gardenburger® products that do not contain eggs and are considered vegan. Some of these products are recent additions formulated to reduce our dependence on traditionally sourced eggs. Our Morningstar Farms® and Gardenburger®, vegan products include:
Morningstar Farms® Meal Starters® Chik'n Strips
Morningstar Farms® Grillers® Original Vegan Burger
Morningstar Farms® Hickory BBQ Riblets
Gardenburger® Black Bean Chipotle Veggie Burger
Gardenburger® California Burger
Gardenburger® Flame Grilled Burger
Gardenburger® Garden Vegan Burger
Gardenburger® Breakfast Sausage
Gardenburger® Breaded Chik'n
Gardenburger® Herb Crusted Cutlet
Gardenburger® Veggie Medley Burger
We appreciate your comments and will share them with the appropriate company officials. We have enclosed some coupons which we hope you will use to purchase other products that you enjoy.
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts!
Sincerely,
Victor Velasquez
Consumer Affairs Department
>:(,right? I stay away from processed products for the most part, but I always had crumbles on hand for a quick sloppy joe or for tacos once in a while. I thought they were perfect the way they were, though I'm sure the actual reason for the change has more to do with being able to make them more cheaply with the "reformulated product."
I like how so many people are pondering a boycott. I have been since i found out, but I will now write the company to tell them, and perhaps include a link to this thread.
i think that's a good idea, cam.
I can't believe this!! This is the only brand of veggie crumbles the local market carries, this is BS!! I just recently bought two packages from SAFEWAY and already ate one and half of the other, so I just checked the ingredients on the half of package left in the freezer and............that package is vegan, but it says "use by June 17 2010" ummmmm, It is September 16 2010!!
Ew bummer! I switched to Boca's version of the crumbles. I like them a lot. None of my local grocery stores have them but I just happened to find that Target does (and it's not one of those "super" Targets that has a huge grocery section). I buy like 6 or 7 packages whenever I go. Have you tried there?
I have an award winning chili recipe that explicitly calls for MS Crumbles. I hadnt made it in over a year until last weekend. Found MS Crumbles and thought nothing of it. Only after using the discarded packaging to pick up after dog-mess I saw "Contains Eggs and Milk Ingredients." I was FURIOUS. It's hard enough being vegan, constantly reading labels. It's such a small group of products that you can memorize and rely on as vegan. But for a vegetarian company to whimsically add minute amounts of egg and milk (they are the last two ingredients) is baffling. Unfortunately I consumed half of the chili pot before I noticed the meat wasnt vegan. FOR ALL OF YOU ASKING FOR LACTO-OVOS FOR A TASTE TEST....HERE YOU GO:
IT DIDNT TASTE ONE BIT DIFFERENT. AT ALL.
the only thing i noticed during browning was the crumbles stuck together better resulting in larger chunks. i guess this is the power of the egg white. however, the difference was negligible.
i sent an outraged rant to the company prior to discovering the veg community was already aware. i saw the reponses from the company.
i find it hard to believe that there was such an overwhelming preference to the non-vegan version that they would risk abandoning the vegan community. who were their tasters? meat eaters? if so, do they really think this difference will result in converting more meat eaters? is that their product strategy? make seemingly non-drastic products in order to convert the carnivors?
thats the only thing i can think of due to their overwhelming adherence to including eggs and milk in EVERYTHING.
its idiotic. every person who has ever tried my chili had NO CLUE it was vegan. thought it was amazing and thought it contained meat. thats how you convert. not through packaging assurances that its not EXTREMELY foreign (vegan).
Anyway. Im totally boycotting morningstar for life. they are owned by kellog anyway. and they only have 7 products that are vegan now.
F THEM
If they take away my riblets...............
I will GO to the headquarters and throw non vegan riblets at them.
wait what? why is everyone jocking their riblets? morningstar doesnt have the bomb riblets. GARDENBURGER makes the bomb riblets. Ive used GARDENBURGERS riblets as my failsafe faux meat product to fool, convert, convince, and cease doubters arguing "its good, but it doesnt taste like meat"
GARDENBURGERS Riblets taste and feel like pulled pork.
and besides. F MORNINGSTAR.
Pages