Cool comments. Recently returned to veg - watched peta's meet your meat that was enough to stay vegan for life - cried all day. Well god bless you all, very interesting posts! Love Princess Diana very much - god bless usa, uk, jesus and all of the children and animals. Cruetly free is awesome!!!! From Oklahoma-USA

Tamara, Tulsa, USA

To John of Thetford. If you want to reduce the amount of crops grown and save all those little animals, then you should reduce your meat intake, since most of the worlds crops are fed to animals. Even here in Australia, where we have predominantly grass fed cattle we feed about 10 million tonnes of cereal to animals (pigs, chickens, and to "finish" cattle in feedlots) and just 2 million tonnes to
people.

Geoff, Adelaide, Australia

One thing that seems never to be mentioned is the addiction of people everywhere to sugared coloured water, namely fizzy drinks. I don't need to say their names. One expects to see kids and even teenagers drinking this stuff, famously advertised by M Jackson, but it is depressing to see adults routinely drinking them. McDonalds even charges you extra if you want some alternative. What happened to water or low fat milk, these are much better for your digestion and physical well being.
I am sure consuming large quantities of sugar is a major contribution to obesity. Sugar is one thing our bodies do not need and we get it in so many forms.

billcarr, turku, finland

Why is a human more important than a chicken? To who?

David, North West, UK

Set up by the RSPCA, Freedom Food is the only UK assurance scheme dedicate to improving the lives of farm animals.

Make the right choice - look for the logo when you shop. For more information please visit www.lookforthelogo.co.uk

Sophie, London,

I've known a few vegetarians and vegans, and they are far more puritanical than the average born-again Christian; in fact, only cultists are more harsh than the no-meat people. I've also worked at convenience stores and the waste of food is a serious problem. Some of the food really should be thrown out, though. Do you really want that day-old sushi?

MT, Jacksonville, Florida, US

"if animals weren’t meant to be eaten, why are they made out of meat?"

Great.. so you'd mean you'd eat humans, too? Or don't you think they're animals? If not, what are they?

I gave up meat completely when I read a book on the meat industry. My skin improved no end - previously, I'd been very spotty.

Nowadays, I eat it only very rarely and only when I can manage to forget the provenance of most meat - i.e. incompetent and dirty slaughterhouses.

Tina, Duesseldorf, Germany

The natural barrier against viral/bacterial/disease transmission between animals and humans, is being eroded, inexorably - some think due to meat-related activities - "more contacts, more the erosion of the barrier". The environmental consequences of large-scale "factory farming" of animals are no longer, figments of vegetarians' imagination. It is now scientifically estimable. To be reminded here - portions of mighty oceans "without shoals of fish", anywhere "top to bottom". Now, aggressive meat-fans may say, "What about large scale farming for grains and vegies? That too has its problems". Yes, indeed, but in a world of "evil choices", go for the lesser of them. Any how, is meat-protein a MUST for a human to remain healthy in body and mind? Do vegetarians die early, of mal-nutrition, because of lack of meat ? How many of us are prepared to justify, with a good feeling, the suffering we put animals through, for our culinery enjoyment ?; for our cosmetic appearance?"

Kris iyer, Wellington, Newzealand.

Keep a cow in a pasture. After a while the cow is killed for its meat - one animal dies.
Turn that pasture into a field and grow a crop of wheat and the death toll from ploughing, harrowing, sowing, crop spraying and harvesting (with a combine harvester) is enormous. Mice, rabbits, moles, fledgling birds and many 'lower' life forms get sliced, crushed, mangled, poisoned or generally have their day ruined.
Even meat eaters eat vegetables but those who would have us become entirely veggie should consider the increased cost in dead wildlife.

John, Thetford, UK

Maybe the Viet Namese have it right, but I can't remember that well because I haven't eaten a good Maine Lobster cooked in seawater and brought quickly to the boil for, oh,23 years! But I do know that the langoustine ( cray fish/ crawdaddy/ langouste, whatever) I had recently in Viet Nam was heaven! I guess they boiled the frog gradually, as well.

The Viet Namese could even get me to eat bananas: and I despise bananas. It's something about their texture!

We have to distinguish what we hate from what we are allergic to, does not agree with us etc. in this day and age. Why is a polite "no, thank you", not enough any more?

Carlyle Braden, Croydon, UK