Will Vegan Ice-Cream Bars Make a Splash at Boulder Pools?

PETA Offers to Help City Pool Patrons Protect Their Health and Beat the Heat With Nondairy Frozen Treats

For Immediate Release:
July 13, 2016

After the city of Boulder banned ice cream from public pools in a bid to protect residents’ health, a public letter from two young boys inspired city officials to consider bringing back this frozen treat—so PETA is sending a letter suggesting that parks and recreation facilities offer delicious vegan ice-cream desserts, which are lower in fat and sugar and cholesterol-free. In its letter, PETA offers to help cover the costs of offering the vegan treats and to send samples of rich and creamy So Delicious coconut-, soy-, and almond-based bars for the city and its young flavor consultants to taste-test.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—notes in the letter that in addition to increasing the risk of developing heart disease and cancer, consuming dairy foods has been associated with acne, food allergies, bloating, constipation, and ear infections and that 75 percent of the world’s population experiences symptoms of lactose intolerance.

“Heart disease starts during infancy, and eating cholesterol-free vegan snacks can help kids avoid nasty conditions later on while still enjoying the treats they love,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA’s letter encourages Boulder’s young and old alike to beat the heat and improve their health by simply scooping up some delicious nondairy ice cream.”

For more information, please visit PETA.org. I can be reached at 323-767-6487 or [email protected] if you have any questions.

PETA’s letter to Alison Rhodes, district services manager of the City of Boulder, follows.

July 13, 2016

Alison Rhodes

District Services Manager

City of Boulder

Dear Ms. Rhodes:

I’m writing on behalf of PETA and our more than 5 million members and supporters worldwide, including thousands across Colorado, in response to the recent appeal that you offer ice cream at the city’s pools again. I’d like to make a suggestion that will help you cool the demand for frozen desserts without giving the cold shoulder to your community’s health: Introduce cholesterol-free vegan ice-cream bars at the pools and beat the heat with nondairy treats. We’d help you with the costs!

Introducing healthier vegan ice-cream desserts, which are lower in fat and sugar, are cholesterol-free, and have all the rich flavors and textures of dairy ice cream, is a great way to look out for residents’ health and well-being. Research shows that ditching meat, eggs, and dairy foods and choosing cruelty-free vegan foods instead is the best way to battle three of the nation’s leading killers—heart disease, cancer, and strokes. For example, whereas one Häagen-Dazs dark chocolate almond bar contains 210 calories, 22 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fat, 45 grams of cholesterol, and 21 grams of sugar, a So Delicious vegan mocha almond fudge bar has only 150 calories, 10 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, no cholesterol, and 12 grams of sugar—about half that of its dairy counterpart.

Consuming dairy foods has also been associated with acne, food allergies, bloating, constipation, and ear infections. Considering that 6 percent of Americans now identify as vegans, 75 percent of the world’s population experiences symptoms of lactose intolerance, and 36 percent of U.S. consumers prefer nondairy foods to dairy items, it makes sense to scoop up nondairy ice cream for the well-being of the city’s pool patrons.

We would be happy to send samples of So Delicious coconut, almond, and soy-based bars for you and your flavor consultants to taste-test and would be pleased to donate more if you adopt this suggestion. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your consideration.

Kind regards,

Ingrid E. Newkirk

President