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UK prisons are now required to take imprisoned vegan people’s ethical beliefs into account while planning menus.
The updated Food in Prisons Policy Framework requires prison kitchens to accommodate “belief-based” veganism as they do faith-based diets.
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While many prisons previously offered vegan and plant-based options, the updated policy framework recognizes people’s ethical beliefs as protected human rights under the Equality Act. Furthermore, The Vegan Society is now officially recognized as an authoritative consulting body and must be consulted about prison food. The last time the Food in Prisons Policy Framework was updated was in 2010.
The Vegan Society told Plant Based News (PBN) that the update means “the rules are better for vegans overall in terms of food planning, stronger nutritional checks, and access to free dietary supplements.” The updated policy also calls for Veganuary, an annual plant-based pledge, to be treated like a religious festival or cultural event.
‘Stronger support for imprisoned vegans than ever before’
The revised policy embeds vegan options into the minimum menu requirements for lunch and dinners, expands on plant-based nutritional requirements and supplementation, and offers structured menu guidance to prison kitchens. Imprisoned vegan people must also be consulted about food provision.
Dr Jeanette Rowley, a vegan rights consultant at The Vegan Society, said, “The long-awaited revised prison food rules offer stronger support for imprisoned vegans than ever before. Legal protections are now stated clearly, and for the first time there is a guaranteed vegan option on the main menu along with stronger guidance on nutritional needs and supplementation.”
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‘A major step forward for imprisoned vegans’
There are approximately 87,300 people in prison in England and Wales, including around 800 vegans, who make up roughly one percent of the total population. In 2022, UK prison guards reportedly withheld vegan meals to weed out “fakers.”
“These new rules mark a major step forward for imprisoned vegans and it is especially welcome to see the needs of vegans treated as a matter of dignity and fairness based on their legally protected ethical convictions,” Rowley told PBN.
A prison service spokesperson told Inside Time that The Vegan Society was consulted on the new policy framework before its introduction in February. A spokesperson for The Vegan Society told PBN that they were unable to confirm or comment on the charity’s reported involvement in updating the framework.
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