Here's a letter that I sent to General Mills. Their response follows.

I just saw an ad where you are bashing Kashi GoLean cereal. I was a little stumped on how you can compare yourself to Kashi. I have not bought the GoLean cereal and am not familiar with it--but I will go and read a few labels. I eat other Kashi cereals. There are many Kashi cereals that are vegan.

Do you make any vegan cereals? Vegan means no meat, dairy, eggs, honey and/or any derivitives of these animal products. White processed sugar is not vegan. It is made using bone char (the charred bones from slaughterhouse anmials).

I think that sugar is the second ingredient in your Total. Kashi does not use white sugar in anything, so I am surprised that you would compare yourself. It's like apples and oranges. If someone wants an apple they are not going to buy an orange.

Do you produce any cereal that is vegan? Any products that are vegan? I would really like to know. (This is the way of the future.) There are many products that are vegan and are not labeled as such. Consumers must just know their ingredients. I am all for mainstreaming vegan products in regular grocery stores.

Please tell me what your vegan products are. I have a big mouth and will use it to tout any product that is vegan and produced by a traditional company--as long as it's healthy and good!

Response received from: Corporate.Response@genmills.com (2/6/2009)

Thank you for contacting General Mills. We appreciate your comments regarding our advertising for Total cereal. Your opinion is important to us, and will be shared with our marketing and advertising staff.

All of our General Mills cereals contain refined sugar and are not vegan. We do not make products specifically geared towards the vegan market, but we do have a few products that are vegan that are listed as follows:
Bac*O's
Progresso Lentil Soup
Progresso 99% Fat Free Lentil Soup
Progresso Tomato Basil Soup
Progresso Lentil Soup in a Microwaveable Bowl
Many Green Giant frozen and canned vegetables
Several Cascadian Farm cereals
Cascadian Farm Fruit Spreads
Cascadian Farm frozen plain vegetables
Cascadian Farm frozen fruit
Many Muir Glen tomato products (some of the pasta sauces have cheese in them)
Our Cascadian Farm and Muir Glen products use only organic sugar. The organic standards in the USA prohibit the use of bone meal as a processing agent for organic sugar. The organic sugar purchased by Cascadian Farm is sourced and crystallized in its final form during the initial processing of the cane at harvest. Our sugar has not been sent to a sugar refinery for further processing.
We do not mill our own sugar. However, Cascadian Farm was directly responsible for the mill's transition into organic production. We have visited the mill and the cane fields extensively over the last five years. Currently, the sugar mill producing Cascadian organic sugar is a designated mill producing 100% organic sugar.

At General Mills, customer feedback is critical to our success. It′s through communications like yours that we become aware of consumer concerns and preferences. Please be assured that your comments have been forwarded to the appropriate personnel.

We are glad that you have taken the time out of your busy schedule to contact us regarding this very important issue. Thank you for your interest in our products.

Sincerely,

Alexandria Richards
Consumer Services



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/2009 12:33PM by Kit.

Hmm...I actually stay away from Progresso's soups because I couldn't find one that was vegetarian...much less vegan...

they only list 2 soups that are vegan. lentil and tomatoe. which would be hard to make not vegetarian. it is sickening the amont of companies who are aware of the animal abuse and still make thier products from animals or buy ingredients from cruel factory farms.

it goes to show that most poeple are more interested in making money not the health of the consumer or the compassion towards animals.

as more poeple become aware of health issues, the enviroment and mostly animal cruelty it is going to become more and more important for companies to change thier views and ways of making thier products.

i have been amazed at the number of veg and vegan products being made and how easy they are beginning to become available.

lets keep fighting for more veg/vegan choices and making eating animal products more and more undesirable and unacceptable to society.