Calling All Canadians: Eat Some Vegan Chicken At KFC July 21, 2008

Awesome! I sent the coupon to all my friends and family, I'm definetly going to be using it soon! =)

SERIOUSLY PEOPLE .... IS THAT NOT THE COOLEST THING YET TO HAPPEN!!!!!! :0 i love it!!!!!!! xoxox - Natalie

This is so great! Now, if only I lived in Canada... or at least near the border!

Are you serious?

Are you actually using your donated resources to advertise for a company that still sees the chicken as a machine to be gassed, cut and mutilated by the millions?

To me this seems like a ghoulish cross promotion of 2 brands. One looking to gain extra donations based on a hollow 'victory' and the other looking to reinvent itself as a caring murderer of chickens.

Is this not a huge symbolic conflict of interest to PETA? and if not then what exactly does PETA stand for?

sorry if I sound silly, but whats in the bun that makess it non-vegan?
just wondering :]

Boo, it's not fair, why does the US have to suck so hard?!!? LISTEN UP KFC US, STOP TORTURING ANIMALS, A WHY DON'T YOU TAKE A FEW TIPS FROM OUR NEIGHBORS TO THE NORTH!!

I bet the only way they'll even consider it is if KFC sales sky rocket because of this new vegetarian option. You know what, whatever it takes to get it done.

Is it really vegan if there is cross contamination with in the deep fryer? From what I understand is that this patty is deep fried. Or has KFC dedicated fryers to this sandwich?

Ry,

We understand that many people find the idea of consuming even trace amounts of animal products to be gross, but our primary focus is on preventing harm to animals. Eating something that has been cooked in the same oil in which chicken flesh has also been cooked doesn't cause any harm to animals—and deciding not to get that sandwich won't prevent the chicken from being ordered, cooked, and eaten anyway.

However, by insisting that these vegan options be cooked separately, we run the risk of making vegetarianism/veganism appear to be difficult, unpleasant, or outright annoying, which will likely turn off others from even considering adopting a vegetarian diet—and that does harm animals.

It will also be damaging if the new sandwich doesn’t sell well. When a vegetarian product fails in the marketplace, it not only reduces the options available to vegetarians (making it harder—and therefore more unlikely—for people to adopt a cruelty-free diet) but also provides companies like KFC with an excuse to avoid adding vegetarian foods to their menus.

Each of us must decide for ourselves the best ways to fulfill our moral and ethical obligations. We respect your decision and appreciate your support for animal rights, but we encourage you to give some thought to our perspective. For more thoughts on this subject, please see http://www.GoVeg.com/effectiveAdvocacy_personal.asp.

To learn more about ways to help animals killed for food, please visit peta2.com. For more information on our KFC campaign, please go to http://www.peta2.com/takecharge/t-kfccampaign.asp. Thanks again for writing and for everything you do for animals!

wow free coupons? i though u guys were against animal cruelty. you are sending people to kfc a place where we should be staying away from. im sorry but thats messed up of how only canada gets to have that and how there is a vegetarian food in there. i still woul'nt eat there they are still torturing chickens in there and ur supporting them? wow u guys
i though u were against that
thats messed up but ok whatver whats the poing?! right? sorry i dont meen to sound harsh

Well, I went to the KFC yesterday and I had a VEGAN BURGER and it was *so good* !! Amazing !! The KFC that I go to DOES have a deep frier only for that burger.
Today I went to KFC and used the coupon and got 2 VEGAN BURGERS. I gave the other one to a co-worker and she has fallen in love with it, so I sent her and all my co-workers the coupon and now tomorrow we are ALL going to get buy one-get one free VEGAN BURGERS for lunch tomorrow!

Cross contamination: I try SO hard not to eat foods that can be cross-contaminated (Dont eat off the same BBQ as meat, dont eat from the same pots and pans as meat...etc...)

The reason why I find this a good idea is because the USA doesn't care that the millions of PETA members don't eat at their restaurant because they don't realize just how many WE ARE!! So if the sales of Canadian KFC goes up due to the sale of a VEGETARIAN/VEGAN friendly product--maybe---just maybe---they'll realize that their greedy little paws will get more money if they DO break and become like their Canadian Familys. Make sense??

I hate that animals die, I hate it.

Signed:
Amanda
(Vegetarian For 10 years and gonna be for the rest of my life!!!)

GO TEAM PETA!!!!

Yay. The sandwich tastes great. It's probably the first time since I went vegetarian that I could go have a meal with my meat-eating Dad. And they tried a sandwich, too! All you level 5 vegans need to get over yourself. Wouldn't you rather have more mainstream places offer vegan food rather than fewer places? Duh!

This is a victory for those who are for animal welfare, not those who are for animal rights.

There's also the problem of whether to support mainstream places that offer vegan food - but being aware that those dollars, while buying a vegan product, support a larger organization whose practices you don't condone.

PS Michelle - I would assume there are milk ingredients in the bun, making in non-vegan.

yo! i´ve just discovered i must be a level 5 vegan!uau! anyway to download an upgrade? duh!...

Just as oil companies have "renewables" divisions so that they can give the appearance of being concerned about the environment, KFC sells "vegan" chicken so that it can give the appearance of caring about animals. This enables KFC to exploit the moral appeal of the (vegan) ideals that are being demolished.

This is a very hollow, hypocritical, and false "victory." It is not an attempt to give meat eaters an alternative to eating chicken, but instead, a way to increase their market share by attracting another consumer group. It's all about improving their bottom line by appearing to be "animal friendly." I don't care that KFC in the USA is not selling this product. I would not buy it from them, anyway.

I... I just can't see how this can be seen as any sort of success.

The only people who would buy veggie chicken at a KFC are vegetarians and vegans - who would not go to a KFC.

They've just created the means for a revenue stream from the only populations who are completely against what they do.

Would anyone, as a vegan or vegetarian, really want to support this company? How can this be seen as anything other than their accomodating a greater failure?

buying a vegan chicken burger in a KFC? Sounds like donating your money to a corrupt government militia, with their promise that the solider you fund will only shoot blanks.

isn't the veggie/vegan community wiser than SUGGESTING we celebrating (let alone give money to!) billion-creature-killing corporate entities?

Ok so I see the point that some people like Garreth and Jarrad are making. KFC still purchases/sells inhumanely killed chicken so how dare PETA advertise for those monsters...Right?
But here's the thing...Personally I do believe in happy meat. I am trying to become vegitarian, and am getting better at it. But I'm not doing it because I think eating meat is wrong. God gave us animals, and told us that we should and could eat them in order to live. Granted, he didnt tell us how to kill them...but he would never have approved of such cruel ways of harvesting, raising, and killing these animals. He definately would not have approved of urinating on them or skinning them alive for pure pleasure and selfish and sickening gratification.
But he also is a forgiving and loving God, who does not hold grudges, and in ways...rewards people for seeing the error of their ways and begin to make changes for the better. Now Im not saying that PETA should not keep a hard lean on KFC simply because of one VEGGIE SANDWICH...What I AM saying, is that getting more vegitarians to visit KFC is likely to be a good thing considering the marketing, sales and research teams know exactly where every dollar has been produced. They will see that they are making more money from these veggie sandwiches, and for the love of money if for no other reason, they will continue to make these changes in order to extend their range of consumers to VEGITARIANS & VEGANS @ KFC.
In conclusion, it is my belief that they are putting forth effort, and PETA is making pro-veg choices an easier and more appealling decision to be made by the KFC big wigs by promoting this coupon.
I do apoilogize if anyone has been offended by my religion-laced post, but this is where I stand. As a very forgiving, understanding, logical and tactful person. God happens to be the best representation to my defense.

I know alot of people don't like the fact that you are promoting this - but I think its great. To everyone out there who thinks this is "mixed messages" I say - you need to take baby steps. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will our cause gain complete no-meat. This is a BIG STEP for a franchise that builds on the slaughter of defensless animals.
It is up to us to pat them on the back and say thank-you for their effort. Maybe with a little encouragment they will continue to add more options to their menu- and who knows - in a few years...maybe twenty or less depending on how we as vegetarians step up to the 'plate' - they will change their whole look and decide to become all vegetarian! It sounds like a crazy idea but hey...years ago, so did not eating meat!

All I'm saying is we're making progress, and of course its not perfect, but its a step. So yes- lets work in our favor, this isn't surrender, its not even compromis, it is more of a way to laugh and realize that we're winning and they don't even realize it. Years ago this would have been unheard of! We just won another battle, a few more and we could win the war. I just ate the new KFC vegetarian burger and it was awesome! Keep up the good work - let's convince as many fast-food resteraunts as we can to join the cause - then we'll build from there.

The "vegan" chicken patties are fried up in the same deep fryer that the real chicken is fried in. Sometimes even in the same basket...

GROSS!!!!

This isn't a victory at all, KFC still kills millions of chickens who live disgusting lives. I can't believe that you are using donated funds to advertise for them!

Seriously you are all a joke. Man was given dominion over all living things. We as humans have the teeth of carnivores(meat-eater)please if you have so much time on your hands as to give to this pitiful cause. please, please divert that time, money, and effort to much more important things say like the homeless or just poverty in general. Please grow up and get real.

Pulin.. you are so right when you wrote: "However, by insisting that these vegan options be cooked separately, we run the risk of making vegetarianism/veganism appear to be difficult, unpleasant, or outright annoying, which will likely turn off others from even considering adopting a vegetarian diet—and that does harm animals."

I agree! I am not vegetarian nor do I think that I must be. We are allowed to eat meat. I don't agree with torturing animals though whether for food or clothing or experiments, but many times I have been verbally abused by "vegetarians" for liking meat. I love meat... especially chicken. At one point in the early 90's being a vegetarian became a huge fad and many many many.. I mean many people ended up very sick with Vitamin B12 deficiencies! (I know, I work in the medical field) So no matter how abusive those type of vegetarians want to be, it does not sway me to their side. I think it is great that KFC Canada has agreed to be more civil with their chickens and I hope they are treating them well. I might try the KFC vegetarian sandwich but I'm sure it won't make me switch to soy rather than chicken. Chicken is so mmm mmm good!

By the way, if they didn't cook the vegetarian sandwich in animal fat then how tasty would it really be? Not very. I rest my case.

i have tried one of these sandwiches, and they are very good.
the second time i went to buy one, the girl working there told me that they cook it in the same oil as the other chicken.
i told her there was no point in selling it as a vegetarian meal if its cooked with meat.
i was very upset about this.

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