Talk about some quick turn around time. I grabbed lunch around 12:30pm. Drafted a query to the company around 1:30pm and got a response around 2:30pm. That might be a record.

QUERY to http://feedback.pret.com/usquestion/index.htm
I was just in one of your locations and saw the Hummus and Garden Veggie Sandwich was the only sandwich, baguette, or wrap that looked remotely vegan, though it did not say. I am not a vegan, but I try to be a very strict vegetarian, excluding animal derived ingredients such as whey, rennet, and gelatin. As much as the manager looked, he couldn’t find the answer to my question and I’m not finding a full ingredients list online. How does your company define vegan and vegetarian? What exactly makes the Hummus and Garden Veggie Sandwich not vegan? Also, do you plan to expand your menu to include more vegan options? Thank you for your time.

RESPONSE
Hi Sarah,
Thank you for your enquiry.

Thanks again for getting in touch with us.
Best,
Veronica Berrueta
Customer Relations
http://www.pret.com

Since some of my more recent emails have gone unanswered, I think I’ve probably been added to Urban Decay’s ”N list”: nuisance/no response list. No matter, I still heart Urban Decay…and I don’t think that’s a secret. I’m working to bring you all my backlog of company responses. This one is from May 2010. After the response I received from Smashbox Cosmetics, I realized that some companies may define ‘vegan’ or ‘vegetarian’ differently than myself and others, and it made me wonder what the Marley Footprint really meant to Urban Decay. So I asked…

TO URBAN DECAY:

From: Sarah
Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 10:00 AM
To: UD Web CSR
Hello again,
I’ve appreciated your responses to my previous two questions, and was hoping you could answer another for me. I was recently going through responses from other companies about whether their products are vegan/vegetarian. One made me stop and consider if the companies responding or claiming “Vegan” all have the same definition. Since Urban Decay has the Marley Footprint on products to denote that they are vegan, I would like to know what exactly does being “vegan” and not having “animal-derived ingredients” in certain products mean to Urban Decay?

Thank you,
Sarah 

FROM URBAN DECAY:

Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 1:20 PM

Hello Sarah,
Thank you for your inquiry. Our Vegan Products are 100% Vegan. We do consider and recognize insects as animals. Therefore no insect ingredients are used in our Vegan Products. If you have any questions on a particular product please feel free to write back. Have a wonderful day.

Martha,
Urban Decay
Customer Service
onlineorders@urbandecay.com

So there you go. To UD, ‘vegan’ means, well, vegan.

QUERY:

http://www.nugonutrition.com/about/contact-us/

09/16/2011 1:40pm
I saw your bars in the store and that some of them are labeled as “vegan”. When I looked at the ingredients, I noticed that they contain sugar. Is the sugar in your vegan bars particularly, but more general as well, processed free of animal by-products, like bone char filters? Additionally, when labeling a product vegan and if you were to ever label something vegetarian, how does your company define these two words? Thank you.

REPLY:
9/16/2011 4:09pm
Sarah,
All of our vegan products are truly vegan. The sugars all come from agave syrup and tapioca syrup except for our sugars in the chocolate (the chocolate is also vegan) and are not processed with animal by-products. Most of our vegan products are also certified OU Pareve by the orthodox union. This is the strictest certification in the food process which includes shutting the line down for days to clean all piece and equipment at 212 degrees and making sure each ingredient is pareve (having no dairy or meat by-products).

We do not label anything vegetarian.

Healthy Regards,
Alyssa Nard
NuGo Nutrition
412-828-4115
anard@nugonutrition.com

Reprinted with permission.

QUERY:

From: Sarah
Sent: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 2:02 AM
To: Customerservice
Subject: Vegan and/or Vegetarian Cosmetics

Hello,

I was wondering if your cosmetics contained animal derived (including insects) ingredients. If so, do you have a list of those that you make that are vegetarian and/or vegan friendly. Thank you.

Sarah

REPSONSE:

From: Customerservice <customerservice@korresusa.com>
Subject: RE: Vegan and/or Vegetarian Cosmetics
To: Sarah
Date: Tuesday, January 12, 2010, 9:25 AM

Hi Sarah,

Thank you for your inquiry and interest in Korres. None of our products are tested on animals. All tests – including dermatological and clinical tests – are performed in vitro by the use of synthetic keratinocytes [in the lab] or in vivo [human volunteers under the surveillance of a dermatologist and/or special practitioners as required i.e. an ophthalmologist]. We never use animal derivatives but in some cases use their by-products such as in our products that contain honey, milk, yogurt, royal jelly, silk, bee wax, chitosan, and keratin.

Vegan Friendly

Skin & Body Care Products

Wild Rose 24-hour Moisturizing Cream

Wild Rose Brightening Serum

Wild Rose Oil Targeting Pen

Olive and Rye Night Cream

Sugar Crystal Cream

Sugar Crystal Eye Cream

Pomegranate Moisturizing Cream

Pomegranate Scrub

Pomegranate Mask

Lemon Lip Scrub

Eyebright Eye Cream

Yellow Hibiscus

Evening Primrose Eye Cream

White Tea Cleanser

Almond Meal Scrub

Cinnamon & Thyme Gel for Topical Use

Materia Herba Skincare (All Products)

Showergels (All Scents)

Body Butters (All Scents except Yogurt)

Color Products

Watermelon Tinted Moisturizer (All Shades)

Wild Rose Foundation (All Shades)

Wild Rose Concealer (All Shades)

Ginger & Vitamins Foundation (All Shades)

Evening Primrose Eyeshadow: 15 NUDE, 58 GRAPHITE GREY

Lip Butters (All Shades)

Lipliner Pencil: 1 NEUTRAL LIGHT, 2 NEUTRAL DARK, 3 BROWN ORANGE, 4 RED

Eyeliner Pencil (All Shades except 11 PURPLE WHITE)

Eyebrow Pencil (All Shades)

Abyssinia Mascara: 01 BLACK, 02 BROWN, 03 COBALT BLUE

I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Best regards,

Lisa

Customer Service Coordinator

Toll Free: 1-888-372-7862
M-F 9am-5pm EST

Email: customerservice@korresusa.com

www.korresusa.com

I keep seeing references to M.A.C. Cosmetics as being a vegan brand. They are on PETA’s cruelty-free list, which means they do not test on animals. Vegan and Cruelty-free symbols can create confusion; the two are not one in the same. To clarify, as you’ll read below, M.A.C. is not a vegan brand. Thankfully, they don’t claim to be either. Email the company for more information on specific products.

TO MAC:

Date: 01/12/2010 01:40:35 EST
To: MACInfo@maccosmetics.com
Subject: Another issue
Name: Sarah
Message:

Hello,
I was wondering if your cosmetics contained animal derived (including insects) ingredients. If so, do you have a list of those that you make that are vegetarian and/or vegan friendly. Thank you.

FROM MAC:

From: CONSUMERCARE-US@GCC.MACCOSMETICS.COM
Subject: Re: MAC Response
Date: Wednesday, January 13, 2010, 10:58 AM

Dear [Sarah],

Thank you for taking the time to contact us and for your interest in M.A.C.

Very few animal derived raw materials are found in M.A.C. products.  Animal ingredients are used only when their efficacy cannot be duplicated by any other source of ingredients.  When an ingredient can be obtained from either animals or plants, we use the plant derived material. We would ask that you specify the exact names and shades of the products which you use or are interested in.

We trust the above addresses your concern. We hope that we have the opportunity to serve you in the near future.

Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and concerns.

Sincerely,

Alexa Tarpey
Response Representative
Global Consumer Communications

TO NARS
Sent: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 1:55 AM
To: Nars-CustomerService
Subject: Ask a Question
Message: Hello,
I was wondering if your cosmetics contained animal derived (including
insects) ingredients. If so, do you have a list of those that you make that
are vegetarian and/or vegan friendly. Thank you.
Sarah

FROM NARS
Sent: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 10:46 AM
Subject: Ask a Question

Dear Sarah,

Thank you for your inquiry and interest in NARS Cosmetics.

Regarding your inquiry about vegan inspired products within our line, you
can use the NARS skincare products.
As for the makeup portion of the line we currently use the ingredient
carmine for pigment and our lip products contain beeswax.

If we can assist you further please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Kind regards,

Erin
Customer Desires
NARS Cosmetics

Below are inqueries to and responses from SMASHBOX and PETA. For information and tips on selecting cruelty-free cosmetics and products, read more from Philadelphia Vegetarian Examiner.

TO SMASHBOX COSMETICS:

Sent: Monday, January 11, 2010 10:34 pm PST (GMT-08:00)
Subject: Vegan and/or Vegetarian Cosmetics

Hello,
I was wondering if your cosmetics contained animal derived (including insects) ingredients. If so, do you have a list of those that you make that are vegetarian and/or vegan friendly. Thank you.
Sarah

FROM SMASHBOX COSMETICS:

From: Smashbox Cosmetics <customerservice@smashbox.com>
Date: Tuesday, January 12, 2010, 12:26 PM

Inquiry #14731 – “Vegan and/or Vegetarian Cosmetics”
Hello,

technically all smashbox products are considered vegan.
“Animals” is a term widely recognized to mean mammals. Our cosmetics are free of animal ingredients. Some vegans may also consider “insects” to be animals. This is a gray area and is even debated by PETA followers. Some time ago, smashbox determined that our official interpretation of “No animal ingredients” really means “No animal ingredients…insects are not animals”. We have continued to use Carmine, Beeswax, and Honey in cosmetic formulations. Our brushes are not cosmetics so technically are not subject to this claim.

Some vegan-friendly products that do not contain any animal bi products or insect ingredients (i.e ., carmine or beeswax) are:
*Body Lights Glowing Lotion
*Anti Shine, Light
*Anti Shine, Neutral
*Backdrop Cooling Tint (all shades)
*Conversion Cream to Powder Foundation (all shades)
*Hi Definition Healthy FX Foundation (all shades)
*Photo Matte Powder
*Wet/Dry Foundation (all shades except Caramel)
*Function Self-Adjusting Powder Foundation (all shades)
*Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primers (Balance, Adjust & Blend)
*Summer 2007 Lip Gloss in a Pot (Heat, Sexy)

Best Wishes,

SMASHBOX COSMETICS

TO PETA:

Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 11:37 PM
Subject: Inquiry regarding PETA’s stance on Smashbox cosmetics’ vegan claims

Hello,

In January of this year, I received the below response from Smashbox cosmetics in regards to a question of whether their products are vegan/vegetarian. Since they referred to your organization’s followers in their response, I was hoping PETA might give an official response to Smashbox’s claims and statements.

Thank you for your time,

Sarah

technically all smashbox products are considered vegan.

“Animals” is a term widely recognized to mean mammals. Our cosmetics are free of animal ingredients. Some vegans may also consider “insects” to be animals. This is a gray area and is even debated by PETA followers. Some time ago, smashbox determined that our official interpretation of “No animal ingredients” really means “No animal ingredients…insects are not animals”. We have continued to use Carmine, Beeswax, and Honey in cosmetic formulations. Our brushes are not cosmetics so technically are not subject to this claim.

FROM PETA:

Dear Sarah,

Thank you for your compassion for animals and for contacting PETA regarding Smashbox Cosmetics. Smashbox Cosmetics is certified as a cruelty-free company through Caring Consumer, but we do not consider them to be vegan, and they are not listed as such on our website due to their use of honey, beeswax, and carmine in their cosmetics formulations. We consider insects to be just as worthy of consideration as any other living being. All animals have feelings and have a right to live free from unnecessary suffering—regardless of whether they are considered “pests” or “ugly.”

It is important to note that through Caring Consumer, companies may be certified under two separate designations. The cruelty-free certification is designated for companies that have signed our statement of assurance verifying that they (and their suppliers) do not conduct or commission any animal tests on ingredients, formulations, or finished products, and that they pledge not do so in the future. This does not necessarily mean that their products are vegan. We also have a different certification for companies that are cruelty-free and vegan. We only certify a company as cruelty-free and vegan if their entire product line is free of animal-derived ingredients, and Smashbox does not fall into this category.

Most vegans don’t use any products that contain animal ingredients, including (but not limited to) honey, beeswax, and carmine. Many people avoid honey and beeswax due to the cruelty associated with standard bee-keeping practices. Additionally, carmine is red pigment from the crushed female cochineal insect. It takes a million corpses to make a kilogram of carminic acid, the more purified form of cochineal extract, and it is often used in cosmetics, shampoos, red apple sauce, and other foods (including red lollipops and food coloring).

Please read our bee factsheet for more detailed information on honey production. For a comprehensive list of animal ingredients and their alternatives, please visit: http://www.peta.org/mc/factsheet_display.asp?id=72. To learn more about living in harmony with wildlife, please go to http://www.HelpingAnimals.com/wildlife_livingWith.asp.

I hope you find this information helpful! Thank you for caring and for all you do for animals.

Sincerely,

Chelsea Rhodes

Caring Consumer Specialist

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

Tel: (212) 924-2948

Fax: (212) 229-6834

CaringConsumer.com

At present, you cannot create a “full face look” with Tarte Cosmetics’ PETA certified, cruelty free and vegan product collection; that is, unless you want to use the gel eyeliner over your whole lid and lip tint/gloss on your cheeks, which you could do, I suppose. Last year, I’d gotten a bit of a boost of spirits from a brand rep…but my high hopes were soon put in check.

Query:

Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010 9:59 AM
To: info@tartecosmetics.com
Subject: tarte.com contact submission
name: Sarah

Hello,
I am a vegetarian and I was recently speaking with a representative of your
brand at a Sephora store. The rep said that the brand was getting an
overhaul to make it entirely vegan or vegetarian. Is there any truth to
this? If not, are there any plans to change the packaging or store displays
(like Urban Decay using the Marley Footprint) to denote that a specific
product is vegan or vegetarian?
Thanks!

Response:

Hello Sarah,

At this time our main focus is removing any harmful ingredients from our
products. We will absolutely have more vegan products in the future. Thank
you for your inquiry!

Please continue to check the http://www.tartecosmetics.com for the latest on new
product releases. Our customer care team is always available to assist you
monday through friday, 10am to 5pm est. if you have any additional
questions.
 
Thank you for your interest in tarte cosmetics!
Tarte Cosmetics Customer Service Team
www.tartecosmetics.com

In the end, I can’t knock them for their honesty.

I’ve always been a brand disloyalist anyway; picking and choosing what I liked best. My picks from their PETA certified Vegan collection?

• Lip Surgence natural matte lip tint: it actually lasts longer for me than the original or luster varities I tried before I found out they weren’t all vegan.
• emphasEYES eyebrow pencil: good for adding a little extra definition.

Ok, the peeps behind Dunkin’ Donuts’ marketing schemes are good; I was wanting me a Cherry Coolatta. It’s rare for me to want to open the door to a DD; I’m not the biggest fan of the chain…and it’s not because I’m anti-Dunkin’ for the animal cruelty reasons that PETA raises. I’m anti-dry, crumbly donuts.

While I was a fan of Munchkins when I was a munchkin, I’ve been passing on Dunkin’ Donuts pretty much since the first time I’d tried a warm Krispy Kreme…which I don’t eat now because of the whey. Many vegan bakeries, though, like Vegan Treats and Dun-well Doughnuts are cranking out worry-free treats.

I asked what was in a Coolatta more to know what was in my compatriot’s Mocha Coolatta; really to know whether to request a lower calorie milk for hers. Never really dawned on me that mine could have unknown milk products. Nevertheless, when I got on their website later that evening, listed as allergens were soy and milk.

TO DUNKIN DOUNTS:

CATEGORY: Product Feedback

I recently purchased the Captain America Cherry Coolatta from a location in New York. When I asked what was in it, the young man behind the counter said syrup and ice. I went on the website only to confirm the calories listed, but noticed that one of the noted allergens is milk. As I looked through the ingredients, I didn’t see any overt milk ingredients; so I’m curious as to what ingredient(s) in this beverage have a milk derivative. Thank you for your time.

So I finally got around to contacting CRUMBS Bake Shop. When I first got to New York, I was practically eating my way through their display case. Over the last few months, though, as I’ve been scrutinizing ingredients even more (yes that’s possible), I’d begun to wonder. So I’ve been passing on the CRUMBS. I was half expecting a Soup Nazi response, ‘No CRUMBS for you!’ There’s a little tear in my eye. I’m not vegan, but as I’ve become much more strict, this response pretty much includes me. No more CRUMBS for me. At least they were nice to suggest an alternative…and, who knows, maybe one day they’ll take the challenge: a Vegan Colossal!

QUERY

July 24, 2011

Hello. My coworkers love your cupcakes but I’ve had to pass because I’m not sure I can have them. I’m a vegetarian with vegan leanings and in addition to no meat and fish, I also do not consume by-products of animal, fish, or insect slaughter (ie, animal rennet, gelatin, whey produced with animal rennet, carmine, shellac, or bone char filtered sugar). Some varieties are obviously a no, like the S’Mores cupcake, but do you have any cupcake flavors for strict vegetarians? Has Crumbs ever attempted or considered a cupcake for vegans? Thank you.

RESPONSE

Hi Sarah,

Thank you so much for emailing Crumbs! We are so sorry to disappoint you! We, unfortunately, do not offer any vegan products at this time. You might want to check out Babycakes. They offer refined sugar-free/gluten free/vegan cupcakes and baked goods. Their website is: http://www.babycakesnyc.com. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if i can be off further assistance.

Have a great day!
Cristina Jimenez

Customer Care Representative
1-877-CRUMBS0