Milk is vegetarian? Really?

[Nitrogen]

Yes, I buy organic milk.  I like how it tastes.
But that's besides the point.

So I am looking at the carton and see this:


"100% Vegetarian source of DHA Omega 3"

Uh, what?  Milk is vegetarian?

[RoadKingLarry]

I'm betting that the source of the DHA Omega-3 is what is totally vegetarian.

[Nitrogen]

Well I'll be.  My hot hippie vegetarian friend, she tells me that vegetarians drink milk.


I'm confused, but I'll live.

[Perd Hapley]

Maybe things have changed, but it used to be that "vegetarians" ate everything but meat, and possibly fish (or eggs?); "vegans" would eat nothing that came from animals at all.  Milk is not meat, and requires no killing.

If that helps.

[Tallpine]

I've heard that you can baptize a whitetail and make it into a walleye, and thus make it legal to eat on Fridays 

[TechMan]

http://www.armedpolitesociety.com/index.php?topic=24522.msg487015#msg487015

[tyme]

Uh, what?  Milk is vegetarian?

Yes.  See adively's link for the explanation.

What the label is saying is that the Omega-3 doesn't come from fish.

[Antibubba]

Omega 3 fatty acids are a large component of the oils gotten from certain fish, like salmon or sardines.  By sourcing from plant material you are also telling the consumer that the oils contain no mercury or other heavy metals known to concentrate in fish.  A vegetarian source also does not impart a fishy taste, which you don't want in milk.

[seeker_two]

I've heard that you can baptize a whitetail and make it into a walleye, and thus make it legal to eat on Fridays 

Actually, you can just skip that part and eat dolphin or baby seal instead... 

[Hawkmoon]

Maybe things have changed, but it used to be that "vegetarians" ate everything but meat, and possibly fish (or eggs?); "vegans" would eat nothing that came from animals at all.  Milk is not meat, and requires no killing.

There used to be a sub-set of vegetarians who called themselves "lacto/ovo vegetarian." They would drink milk and eat eggs and cheese, but they would not eat meat of any kind. Another sub-set would eat fish but not "flesh" -- I never tried to explain to the fish that their corporal substance isn't "flesh."

We live in a complex world.

[Fly320s]

We live in a complex world.

We live in a world of self-deception and convenience.

[Ben]

The Vegan in my office will only use soy milk. I've seen most of the vegetarians use half and half, though they despise milk for environmental reasons. Cheese is another story. Two of them would be vegans except that they can't give up solidified milk cheese.

[Silver Bullet]

Actually, you can just skip that part and eat dolphin or baby seal instead... 

Correct.  We only drink dolphin milk in my house.   

[RevDisk]

Correct.  We only drink dolphin milk in my house.   

Ah, but do you also eat tuna-safe dolphin?

[MechAg94]

I don't think I know any vegetarians, but the Hindus guys that work with my company normally don't have an issue with milk or cheese.  As long as it doesn't require the death of the animal, it is pretty much okay.  I can't remember if they have an issue with fish or not.

[Silver Bullet]

Ah, but do you also eat tuna-safe dolphin?

Not if I can help it.   

[Hawkmoon]

We live in a world of self-deception and convenience.

That too.

Does that equate to "convenient self-deception"?

[BridgeRunner]

That too.

Does that equate to "convenient self-deception"?

No way.  I'm gonna go with self-deceptive convenience.

[Perd Hapley]

We live in a world of self-deception and convenience.

That just can't be true. I refuse to believe it.

[RevDisk]

I never did understand the appeal of moving down the food chain.

[Nitrogen]

I never did understand the appeal of moving down the food chain.

That's part of my confusion I guess.  I work with a pretty neat hippie chick who's a "Vegetarian".  She won't drink milk, or eat eggs, but she eats seafood.  She's a vegetarian primarily because she's got a digestive issue with many animal products.

My current girlfriend is an ex-vegan.  She used to avoid any animal products whatsoever, but she grew up and discovered how tasty animal murder can be.

I never realized how many exceptions there can be to vegetarianism.

I could probably give up red meat, but I could never in a billion years give up chicken, eggs, or cow's milk.

I never understood why people would

[Tallpine]

Plants have rights, too 

[Regolith]

There used to be a sub-set of vegetarians who called themselves "lacto/ovo vegetarian." They would drink milk and eat eggs and cheese, but they would not eat meat of any kind. Another sub-set would eat fish but not "flesh" -- I never tried to explain to the fish that their corporal substance isn't "flesh."

We live in a complex world.

A vegetarian once told me that fish weren't animals and therefor weren't considered meat.   

[Silver Bullet]

A vegetarian once told me that fish weren't animals and therefor weren't considered meat.   

Note to self:  totally disregard anything I hear from any vegetarian.

[RoadKingLarry]

Actually, you can just skip that part and eat dolphin or baby seal instead... 

When in Norway many many years ago.....