Food for Fort: On soya cream and Freedom Food

Can I use soya cream instead of double cream in a quiche? Plus what, exactly, is Freedom Food?
Can you really make a decent quiche without using double cream? Photograph: Colin Campbell for the Guardian

I made my first quiche the other night. Next time, can I substitute soya cream or something similar for the double cream in most recipes? I know it sounds awful, but I want to have my quiche and eat it, too.
It's not something I'd do myself, but having consulted several authorities on the subject, there's no reason you can't substitute soya cream for double cream (or a mixture of tofu and soya cream, to produce the fluffy effect you get from cream). It won't have the same taste or texture of a classic quiche but, yes, you can have your quiche and eat it.

What, exactly, is Freedom Food? It's an increasingly popular label, yet seems to be shy of being free-range.
Freedom Food is a scheme introduced by the RSPCA in 1994. The five basic criteria are: freedom from hunger and thirst; freedom from discomfort; freedom from pain, injury or disease; freedom to express normal behaviour; freedom from fear and distress. It is designed to ensure that animals reared for food are treated to specified welfare standards. Free-range and organic practices are not part of the criteria. For some animal rights organisations, those standards do not go far enough; others say they tacitly endorse meat consumption. There have been criticisms, too, that the scheme has cost implications for the foods labelled, and that there may be a gap between the rules and their enforcement. On the other hand, you could say that it shines like a beacon in a world fed through dubious farming practices.

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