People Have Mixed Feelings About This Major Epicurious Recipe Change

The food and recipe site Epicurious has long been a source for recipe ideas and cooking tips since it first started to publish in 1995 (via Condé Nast). And while it will still be posting regular recipe content, the company has just announced that all of its posts going forward will be beef-free. Citing growing concerns over climate change, Epicurious explained that it will no longer feature beef of any kind in this "pro-planet" move. "Beef won't appear in new Epicurious recipes, articles, or newsletters. It will not show up on our homepage. It will be absent from our Instagram feed," the company wrote on their website. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, about 15 percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide come from raising livestock, which is less sustainable to raise than plant-based proteins like beans or even other meat sources, like poultry.

Although the publication actually began implementing the change over a year ago, Epicurious did not go public with an official statement until now. Epicurious explained their reasons for waiting to announce the big change. "While beef consumption in the U.S. is significantly down from where it was 30 years ago, it has been slowly creeping up in the past few years. The conversation about sustainable cooking clearly needs to be louder; this policy is our contribution to that conversation," senior editor Maggie Hoffman and former digital director David Tamarkin wrote.

Epicurious also alerted readers of the change via its Twitter account, posting: "This isn't a vendetta against cows or people who eat them. It's a shift about sustainability." While some fans of the brand welcomed the change with open arms, others weren't quite so convinced. "Nope. I'm out. There are plenty of local farmers raising cattle as sustainably as they can and this shoves them to the curb," @WeberKing replied. Another naysayer warned: "This isn't a wise business decision."

However, many other followers were quick to voice their support of the decision on Twitter. "As a home cook who occasionally eats beef and cares about the planet, I appreciate this move. The few times a year I make a burger or a steak, I have hundreds of recipes at my fingertips already. I don't need more beef recipes. But I do need more ideas for plant-based meals. Thx!" one follower wrote on Twitter. Another fan agreed: "This is AMAZING!!! Thank you so much for demonstrating leadership. We are in a #climatecrisis and in order to stop it before irreparable damage occurs consumption of meat particularly beef has to be reduced. Thank you for being pro-planet!"

No matter what the skeptics say, Epicurious doesn't seem likely to reverse its decision anytime soon. The publication looks to be committed to cooking more sustainably, whether beef-loving readers are ready for it or not.