I had cheese put into my food before, but now I was given meat-meat and not only once but twice (different places).
It wasn’t even by people not understanding what veganism is, it was just a very blatant swap.
Sure, I got money back, but I’m wondering: has the acceptance of vegans gone down and malice towards us gone up? I would’ve thought it would’ve gotten better over time.
I’m asking because I’m so far removed from the vegan community I forget I’m vegan because the store being “empty” for me is the norm, as is checking labels etc; I’ve no clue whether other vegans are facing similar issues as of late.
I think I understand how you’re feeling. It sounds like you experienced two fraudulent vegan meals from two separate sources you trusted very close together in time. It’s disgusting, and wondering if there’s something systemic going is human nature.
Outside of this, I haven’t experienced or heard of any new forms of vegan malice. I do think these incidents are probably attributable to incompetence. Some non-vegans see vegan diets as more akin to food preferences than food allergies. I’ve worked in restaurants. It’s a surprise more things don’t go wrong.
I empathize with you, exchanging a vegan recipe for a meat-containing one with no change in packaging for a pre-packaged food item is utter BS. I think you should name that company and possibly contact them.
I would understand if these two companies have permanently lost your trust. I know I monitor my trust in different places I eat on an ongoing basis (usually takeout where I see some of the food prep). All-vegan places are great. In non-vegan places, some are very respectful of vegans and others aren’t. I’m very watchful for cross-contamination that I can see, and I listen to my stomach afterwards for signs of ingesting something unwanted. If getting a safe meal is effortful or questionable, I won’t go back; it’s not worth it to me. I’m fortunate to live in a big multicultural city and can perhaps be more choosy because of it