No animal food: The road to veganism in Britain, 1909-1944

There were individuals in the vegetarian movement in Britain who believed t hat to refrain from eating flesh, fowl, and fish while continuing to partak e of dairy products and eggs was not going far enough. Between 1909 and 191 2, The Vegetarian Society's journal published a vigorous correspondence on this subject. In 1910, a publisher brought out a cookery book entitled No A nimal Food. After World War I, the debate continued within the Vegetarian S ociety about the acceptability of animal by-products. It centered on issues of cruelty and health as well as on consistency versus expediency. The Soc iety saw its function as one of persuading as many people as possible to gi ve up slaughter house products and also refused journal space to those who abjured dairy products. The year 1944 saw the word "vegan" coined and the b reakaway Vegan Society formed.