Nikunj Bhatt's Blog

A Logical Blog

Fish, Mushroom, Egg, Milk - Veg or Non-veg?

23-Nov-2015

We have seen many people arguing about egg, milk, fish and mushroom that they are veg or non-veg. After doing extensive research on these things, I finally came to conclude something; but still not solid, it never be. I learned strange facts and all these info have leveled my knowledge up. I have tried to categorize all these in 2 categories: veg (plants) and non-veg (meat), however it is not possible, let's see how.

(First of all, I should tell you that I am not a biologist, and I have gathered the information from reputed website; and tried to categorize logically and neutrally.)

Living beings can be categorized in 5 categories: Protist (Algae, Protozoans, etc.), Monerans (Bacteria, Fungi, Yeast, Mold, etc.), Plants and Animals (including birds and fishes); and let's see in which category eggs, milk, fish and mushroom can be categorized.

Fish

I have no doubt about it, but there are many other who have. Most of the people in the world consider fish as sea-food. However, it is sea-food but there are plants also which are included in sea-food category. So, not all see-food is just veg or non-veg. Everybody knows that fish has brain, has heart, has eyes, it can feel, and lays eggs? So, without doubt, fish is an animal and so it's non-veg.

Now the most interesting part is all about mushroom, egg and milk.

Mushroom

Some biologist categorize mushroom in Fungi category, whereas some categorize as plants and some in animal's category. Mushroom has attributes of all these three. "Most of people" consider as plant, but it doesn't mean what "most of people" believe is true. If we consider the factors which we used to consider Fish as a non-veg - brain, heart, eyes, feelings – then we can consider mushroom as veg.

Egg

Eggs are laid by some animals, birds etc. as means of produce their species' generation. So, an egg is supposed to have a life in it. But, this is not the case in our human-made environment!

Humans generally eat eggs of chicken, duck and some people eat eggs of quail. These birds are kept in cages to nurture and breed. Males and females are not allowed to meet, but still eggs are naturally generated in females. But as male and female were not met, eggs come out without life. So, these types of eggs can be considered veg. Thus eggs of poultry farm have least possibilities of having life in them. It's not true that all eggs of poultry farm don't have life, but eggs with life are kept aside and are used to populate birds.

But this business is very violent. When hens become unable to produce eggs, they are butchered. Most of males are killed as soon as they are born. As the birds living in the same cage may harm each other by beaking, their beak it cut mercilessly.

Milk

Milk is a liquid produced in breasts of mammals; it is not a living being. No harm is done to the animal when bringing it out, nor required to kill or torture. Almost all female mammals give milk to their child regardless if the animal itself is vegetarian or non-vegetarian. However this information is enough to prove the milk as veg but I should tell you more about it to prove it wrong.

In the business of milk if the animals are not tortured then its okay, but the case is not that simple. The milk which we generally drink - of either cow or buffalo - has torture in the business. Cows and buffaloes are either kept by shepherds or dairies. These animals don't give milk all their life. So, when they stop giving milk what happens to them? Without any usefulness, would the shepherds or dairy companies keep feeding them to let them live on own loss of money? No. They are sold to slaughterhouse. And female animals give milk; some of males are butchered in their early age or are kept alive only until their "service" can be used to product animals' babies.

Now if we categorize veg-nonveg according to the factor of "violence", then eggs and milk can be considered non-veg (if there is violence).

After all this discussion, a question is still entangled - if a living being is died (of any natural reason) then from the eating point of view, it is veg or non-veg?

View/Make Comment Using: