This, my friends, is a hallelujah moment in food labeling. Not because it’s vegan but because it says it’s vegan. What’s the difference? And why is the difference a big deal? TIME.

Life and time, folks.  Time of life, folks.

Many food manufacturers prefer not to label food as vegan even if it happens to be vegan because they are afraid this translates into “tastes bad” in the minds of consumers. But plant-based diets are now en vogue so we are seeing a new day dawn with labels such as this.

You omnivores have no idea how much googling time this saves. I mean, after a while we herbivores get good at speed-reading labels while standing in the aisle. But there are always a few ambiguous ingredients which must be checked because they are substances which can be derived from either plants or animals. Manufacturers in this country are not required to specify which source on packages, so folks like me still have to google before we buy.

Have you seen us? Facing the shelves in silent formation. Heads down. Intensely focused. Food in one hand, smartphone in the other, losing precious living time researching chemicals and compounds and additives and so on because we can’t get a V on a label. Many times I have had to reject food because I can’t be sure. I can’t always confirm even after checking multiple websites. Time wasted for me, revenue lost for the food placed back on the shelf. But look who wants my vegan dollars more than the competition.

These are English muffins. I would normally have to Stop-Drop-and-Google to check the source of the monoglycerides but Kroger upped its game. “Suitable for vegans” must have been successful in focus testing. It must not be consumer code for “made of gross plants,” yet gives vegans a quick and easy green light to buy.

I’m impressed. And grateful. And hungry.

It’s the little things, y’all.

— Mercy