Appalled Hindus are asking for the resignation of General Mills CEO Jeffrey L. Harmening with an official apology from the company for the non-disclosure of beef in its Yoplait yogurts, and their immediate recall from the market.
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada, said that it was shocking for Hindus to learn that popular Yoplait yogurts, which they had been eating for years, contained beef; while beef was not explicitly mentioned under the ingredients listed on the Yoplait packages/boxes.
Zed, who is President of the Universal Society of Hinduism, stated that Yoplait yogurts contain gelatin, but the source of gelatin was not mentioned under the “ingredients” on packages/boxes. When Zed contacted General Mills, its Consumer Care department responded: “The source of Gelatin in all Yoplait Yogurt Products is beef.”
Consumption of beef is highly conflicting to Hindu beliefs. Cow, the seat of many deities, is sacred and has long been venerated in Hinduism; Rajan Zed points out.
It was a very serious issue for the devotees and would severely hurt their feelings if they came to know that they were unknowingly eating beef-laced Yoplait yogurts, Zed expressed. General Mills, which claims to be an “innovative company that stands for good”, should not be in the business of hurting the sentiments of trusting consumers and communities and contradicting its statement “Do the Right Thing, All the Time,” Zed noted.
Rajan Zed further said that it was hard to comprehend why General Mills Inc., which claims “We make food the world loves: 100 brands. In 100 countries. Across six continents,” did not mention explicitly under the ingredients on the package/box the source of gelatin used in its products. It was highly insensitive on its part.
Now was the time for General Mills to admit their serious error of not being transparent enough to mention in clear and simple terms what was inside the package/box so that an ordinary consumer could make right and appropriate choices, Zed indicated. Moreover, in the future, General Mills should explicitly list beef in the ingredients on the package/box when beef was present in the product; Zed added.
Besides CEO’s resignation and official apology Zed urged General Mills to recall all Yoplait packages/boxes containing gelatin where the source of gelatin was not mentioned, and later replace these with packages/boxes that markedly declared the source of gelatin under the ingredients label.
