Glasgow-based sustainable enterprise Locavore has come under fire on social media after changing its offering of homebaked treats.

The popular low-waste grocery shop, with three stores in the city and two more in Scotland, has been criticised for introducing non-vegan sweet treats to their selection of previously plant-based only bakes.

The business, a self-described “ethical” producer with a mission to “build a more sustainable local food system”, shared a post on Facebook last week announcing the change.

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It read: “Locavore kitchen are switching up our sweet treat offer a little.

“Our pre-packed sweet treats have been vegan only for a while now but from tomorrow we will have both vegan and traditional egg and dairy bakes and treats available. “We will also endeavour to always have at least one gluten free option for you.

“They will all be baked freshly from scratch in the Locavore kitchen with the finest organic ingredients!”

But members of the vegan community in Glasgow did not take the news well and took to Facebook to express their disappointment.

One commenter wrote: “There *was* something for the non-vegan folk: the vegan bakes.

“Their reason is so nonsensical and simply panders to that psychological block that so many omnivores have that ‘vegan won’t be as good’.”

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A second user commented: “I honestly think they should list animal cruelty as one of the ingredients.”

A third comment read: “What a shame. I used to like this shop, but last few months I noticed much less vegan products.”

Locavore responded to the criticism on Facebook today, saying its shops are “the place to go for sustainable shopping”.

“We've got a great selection of the most sustainable cakes, whatever you do or don't want in them,” it continued.

“The big news is we’ve always sold cakes made with organic, free-range local ingredients… and we sell local organic meat and dairy too.

“At Locavore food sustainability [is] why we exist as a not-for-profit; but that doesn’t mean we are pro-vegan, and we’re not anti-vegan either.

“The problem is that vegan is not a guarantee for a sustainable, resilient, fair and equitable food system. It’s much more complicated.

“What’s important is we need to think about the food system, not just food groups. Just avoiding a food group doesn’t achieve food sustainability, only eating food from sustainable farming systems brings you closer.

“Every dairy farm isn’t a concentration camp and every vegetable field isn’t awash with butterflies, bird song and healthy living soil.

“If we want a sustainable food system in Scotland without relying on imports from around the world (from places even more impacted by climate change) then we will need animals in our farming systems.”

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According to experts, animal products like milk, butter and eggs are responsible for higher CO2 emissions than plant-based foods like vegetables, grains and legumes.

The dairy industry also utilises large volumes of water and vast lands to grow feed, which leads to deforestation in some parts of the world, according to WWF.

However, according to the Vegan Society, veganism focuses primarily on avoiding all exploitation and cruelty to animals, which involves avoiding meat as well as all animal products like dairy and eggs.