NYC's 'First Vegan Mayor' Has Been Accused Of Eating Fish

Anyone trying out a vegan diet for the first time may notice a number of health and environmental benefits. They may also realize how strict its rules can be. According to Vegan.com, veganism means only eating things that do not come from animal origins, meaning you must cut out obvious items, like meat and dairy products. Some foods, however, are more sneakily not vegan, such as gelatin, which Brittanica explains comes from cows and pigs, and whey protein, which is a byproduct of milk (via Healthline). The confusion doesn't stop there: Vegans may want to think twice before eating figs, as they may contain dead wasps.

Other times, it is pretty clear when something is not vegan — like seafood. Nevertheless, New York City's "first purported vegan mayor" has allegedly been seen ordering fish when he goes out to eat, reports The New York Times. He recently addressed the concerns to the public.

According to The New York Times, Mayor Eric Adams referred to himself as a vegan during the years leading up to his election. He said he did not eat "any animal products or anything 'that ever had a face or a mother.'" And yet, in recent months, news outlets have reported seeing the mayor order fish at restaurants on numerous occasions. He has also been known to keep salmon in his home refrigerator.

After being confronted by reporters about his diet at an event earlier this week, Adams released a statement, "I want to be a role model for people who are following or aspire to follow a plant-based diet, but, as I said, I am perfectly imperfect, and have occasionally eaten fish." It doesn't appear that anyone is unhappy with Adams for following a pescetarian diet (a vegetarian diet that allows the consumption of seafood) instead of a vegan one. Rather, his misleading remarks about his diet may have hit a nerve for those who find the mayor to be dishonest at times, Eater suggests. People have found inconsistencies in Adams' claims about everything from where he lives to how he files his tax returns. If he's lying about something so irrelevant to the public, critics say, it might make people think he's lying about more important issues too.