Rob Wace obvioulsy thinks vegetarians are something other than folk who dont eat meat. Sorry you are not up to speed on vegetarians but it has nothing to do with health or taste just like your comment had nothing to do with humour.

Sal, Newcastle,

Surely vegetarians should avoid chocolate altogether as it is both bad for your health and tastes of something!

Rob Wace, London,

I really dont understand this guys comment - just because were vegetarian, doesnt mean that we should avoid chocolate...ever heard of chocolate made for vegertarians - apparantly not!

Faizah, Nottingham, England

When most cheese suppliers in the UK have changed to animal rennet there isn't any reason for Masterfoods to start using animal rennet other than one of cost cutting. If their supplier of rennet can guarantee where the material comes from - what does that say about the quality and provenance of the other ingredients they use!!
I'm not a vegetarian, but until they reverse the decision I shall not be buying any of their products.

Jenny, Bradninch, UK

Surely vegetarians should avoid chocolate altogether as it is both bad for your health and tastes of something!

Rob Wace, London,

Where is the need to involve poor animals in the making of chocolate? It probably won't even change the taste! I will be sticking to Cadburys until Masterfoods sees some sense! They are going to lose out on a lot of business!

Misha, Stenhousemuir, Scotlands

I think that Masterfoods have mis-calculated the impact of their actions. Many vegetarians (and theirt friends and families) will now totally refrain from all products made by Masterfoods, not just their rennet-infected choclate products.

Rob S, Southampton, UK

It is possible that this decision will render Masterfoods chocolate confectionery unsuitable not only for "stirct vegetarians" but also for strict Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Jews and possibly even Buddhists. According to the 2001 census, 2.9 million British people are followers of these religions - representing over 5% of the total population. That's in addition to an estimated 3 million vegetarians.

A thousand people have already signed a petition asking Masterfoods to revise this decision, at
http://masterfoodspetition.blogspot.com/

Charlie, Berkshire, UK

how disgusting is that! it's bad enough that gelatine (rind) can be found in countless cookies, chewing gums, yogurts and creams, now the chocolate is going to be contaminated with rennet? no masterfood whatsoever for me any more.

cherry, vienna, austria

Not sure why it is necessary to use animal rennet in confectionary but I am quite happy to boycott Mars products and stick to Cadburys or Thorntons!

As well as the ethical issues I think Msterfoods will see a drop in sales/profits ... a very short sighted move!

Jayne, Isle of Wight,

Terrible decision by Masterfoods.
I shall be avoiding all Masterfood products from now on and seek
ethical veggie-friendly products until they see sense and remove animal products from their goods.

Cynthia, Southampton, UK

I am disgusted by this and will not be buying any masterfood products in protest until such time as they stop this nonsense!

Debra Welsh, Horsham, West Sussex

People eat tripe...now you can have it in a Mars!!!

Nina, London,

I won't be buying any of these products either, and will advise friends and family to do likewise.

Paul, Plymouth, UK

Going to have to get my chocolate fix from somewhere else, just thinking about my favourite mars bar containing the contents of calves stomachs makes me want to heave

Rick, Watford, Herts

We will not buy these products here after.

tas, uk,

I'm boycotting them now. This is a major step back for a company and for vegetarianism and frankly I can't believe it. My husband, Mum, brother and I are all vegetarians - proper ones who don't eat the odd bit of animal when it suits us - and we will have to boycott these products, which is really sad. I hope Mars are happy they have excluded a proportion of their customer base. I just hope all people who label themselves veggie stick to their principles. Rennet is part of a baby cow after all.

Sarah Connolly, Chester, England

Firstly as a reply to an earlier comment I would just like to point out that it is ridiculous to suggest 'Since I choose to eat a diet filled with animal meat proteins, I simply avoid vegan food stuffs'. So do you not eat pasta? rice? any sort of beans, pulses, fruit, nuts, vegetables, etc?. However you have possibly hit on the reason why vegetarians (myself included) may be annoyed by this change. I have no problem with not eating products without meat in, as you say its my (informed) choice, howver once I find a product to be vegetarian I generally trust it to remain so. Has masterfood made any effort (beyond one letter) to inform the 3 million vegetarians in this country that its products are no longer suitable? I would be disgusted if I ate something, only to discover it was an animal product - imagine the outcry if, rather than calf stomach acid, it was say, pig guts, and I was a Muslim or Jew. It's not like Masterfood are putting stickers on saying 'oops, no longer veggie'

S Hunt, London, England

So, what's the problem.

With and in a free market society, if there is a demand a supplier will emerge. If there is enough demand for vegetarian-friendly junk food, someone will step up.

Does Masterfoods mention vegetarian-friendly in their mission statement? I think not.

DanO, Mt. Vernon, USA

Rennet has no place whatsoever in chocolate, as do not vegetable fats which are regularly added by Masterfoods and Cadbury. They call their chocolate such, while in reality it bears no resemblance to chocolate made with (shockingly to some!) cocoa. The colour, texture and taste of these chocolate bars has nothing to do with chocolate in any shape or form. It is time that people shunned this rubbish altogether, rennet in or rennet out.

Steph, Manchester,

It certainly is a free choice, just as it is a free choice for Masterfoods to exclude over 3 million people, in the UK alone, from purchasing many of their products. Possibly not the most informed of choices however!

Katy Bestford, Nottingham, UK

Vegetarians made their own dietary choices. It is ridiculous to blame a manufacturer for not meeting the wants of an individual's personal choice. This is why we have a free market. People get to make choices, and manufacturers get to make products. It would be equally ridiculous for me to whine that vegan food manufacturers put no meat products in their food stuffs. Since I choose to eat a diet filled with animal meat proteins, I simply avoid vegan food stuffs. It very simple, as I am not trying to sway the world to a Nazi-based ideology.

Cherie Graves, Diamond Lake, WA, USA