IKEA TO ROLL OUT VEGAN MEATBALLS AFTER WORKING WITH PETA US

Praise for Furniture Giant's Plan to Offer Cruelty-Free Fare at Its In-Store Restaurants

London – As demand for delicious, convenient vegan food skyrockets around the world, top furniture retailer IKEA is tossing its hat into the fray with a scrumptious offering: a vegan twist on its classic Swedish meatball. After working with PETA US – whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to eat" – for the past three years and receiving a swarm of petitions from supporters of PETA and its international affiliates asking for vegan options, the company has announced that the tasty vegan treats will be available in its store restaurants beginning in April.

"PETA hears every day from shoppers calling for animal-friendly on-the-go options", says PETA Director Mimi Bekhechi. "Vegan snacks spare animals suffering and benefit human health, which earns IKEA a round of applause from PETA."

In addition to sparing animals immense suffering on factory farms, in abattoirs and on the decks of fishing boats, vegans are less prone to suffering from heart disease, diabetes, strokes, obesity and cancer than meat-eaters are. They also have smaller carbon footprints, as the meat industry is a major producer of the greenhouse-gas emissions that cause climate change.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk.