More Footage and Now Lawsuits Stemming from FairLife and Fair Oaks Farms Situation

High-protein milk brand Fairlife has received two class action lawsuits alleging deceitful marketing practices following the release of videos by the Animal Recovery Mission portraying animal abuse at Fair Oaks Farms in northwest Indiana, which has supplied some of its milk. In the wake of a video released by the Animal Recovery Mission proposing five individuals committed animal cruelty and abused calves, a second video was released by the Animal Recovery Mission showing alleged abuse of dairy cows.

The complaints accuse Fairlife's co-founders Mike and Sue McCloskey, also owners of Fair Oaks Farms, of engaging in fraud and violating consumer protection laws. The Newton County Sheriff's Office announced charges against three workers in the video that were identified by authorities. Edgar Gardozo-Vasquez has been arrested and is being held at the Newton County Jail. The other two men have not been located or arrested, and the investigation is ongoing. The recent video was shot by a member of the Animal Recovery Mission posing as an employee at Fair Oaks' rotary milking system. The sheriff’s office is currently reviewing the footage...

Fair Oaks Farms Founder Mike McCloskey Releases Statement Following ARM Undercover Video

The Animal Recovery Mission released a video on June 4 displayed alleged animal abuse and drug use by Fair Oaks Farms employees. 

Mike McCloskey, the founder of Fair Oaks Farms released a statement following the release of the video.

This morning I was made aware of an animal abuse video that the group Animal Recovery Mission (ARM) produced and has released to the public and the press. Most of the footage for this video was captured on one of the dairies that belongs to Fair Oaks Farms...

USDA’s FSIS Condemns The Washington Post for False Reporting on a Critical Public Health Issue

The Washington Post says that democracy dies in darkness. If that’s the case, then The Washington Post’s story about the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is a solar eclipse.

FSIS is made up of 9,000 civil servants with the noblest of missions – to protect the American food supply. The safety of every meat, poultry, and egg product in the United States is ensured by FSIS inspection personnel, each and every day.

It’s a responsibility and mission so important that every FSIS employee takes an Oath of Office. If only The Washington Post was held to the same standard ...

Tyson Foods First Major Company to Receive Poultry Handling and Transportation Certification

As part of its commitment to animal welfare, Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) has implemented a third-party certification program to help ensure the proper handling and transportation of birds in its chicken business. The company is the first major chicken producer to implement Poultry Handling and Transportation (PHT) certification offered by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY).

The PHT certification is in addition to the animal welfare training Tyson Foods already requires for frontline workers involved in handling and transporting live birds. PHT focuses on important areas such as ...

Perdue Advances its Industry Leading Animal Welfare Program

Perdue Farms has followed up its 2018 move to controlled atmosphere stunning (CAS) at its Milford, Del., plant with the country’s first system to further improve live bird handling, beginning at the farm. The milestone at the country’s largest organic poultry plant makes Perdue the only major poultry company to use CAS with a fully-integrated transportation system of higher-welfare modular containers and specially designed trailers. There are currently only eight other installations of these container systems in the world.

The second phase introduces covered trailers that feature a solid roof and breathable side curtains that better control environmental factors like temperature, humidity, oxygen levels and ventilation. The specially designed trailer also carries the higher-welfare transportation containers that provide easier all-around access and increased headroom for ...

U.S. Pork Industry Ends 2018 with Major Antibiotic Progress

New FDA report shows big drop in livestock antibiotic sales/distribution; pork industry joins diverse group to issue stewardship framework

America’s 60,000 pig farmers and their veterinarians are ending 2018 with recognition of their diligence to use medically important antibiotics in a strictly responsible way. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s newly published Annual Summary Report on Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed for Use in Food-Producing Animals cites 2017 data that shows a 33 percent decline in this most critical class of antibiotics intended for use in food animals. When added to the decline found in the 2016 data, it confirms a reduction of 43 percent in this class of antibiotics from the 2015 level.

“This report is another indicator of the hard work that my fellow pig farmers have been doing to reduce the need for antibiotics. We continue to work closely with our veterinarians to ensure that we use antibiotics responsibly and according to FDA-approved labels,” said National Pork Board President Steve Rommereim, a pig farmer from Alcester, South Dakota. “We’re committed to using antibiotics in a strategic way that focuses on animal health and well-being ...

Cargill Develops Industry-First Robotic Cattle Driver to Improve Animal Welfare and Employee Safety

Cargill has developed an industry-first robotic cattle driver aimed at improving animal welfare and employee safety. The robots are designed to move cattle from pens to the harvest area, reducing stress to the animals by minimizing their proximity to human activity. Employees operate the robots from a catwalk located above the pens, reducing safety risks by keeping those who work in the cattle yard portion of processing plants at a greater distance from the 1300-pound animals.

“The robotic cattle driver developed by Cargill is a major innovation in the handling and welfare of farm animals,” said Temple Grandin, professor of Animal Sciences at Colorado State University. “This device will lead to huge strides in employee safety while moving large animals and reduce the stress on cattle across the country.”

Cargill Protein spent two years developing the prototype...

Livestock Groups Petition Department of Transportation for Hours of Service Flexibility

Today organizations representing livestock, bee, and fish haulers across the country submitted a petition to the Department of Transportation (DOT) requesting additional flexibility on Hours of Service (HOS) requirements. The petition asks for a five-year exemption from certain HOS requirements for livestock haulers and encourages DOT to work with the livestock industry to implement additional fatigue-management practices.

Current rules limit drive time to 11 hours and limit on-duty hours to 14. Instead, the organizations request that livestock haulers be granted approval to drive up to 15 hours with a 16-hour on-duty period, following a 10-hour consecutive rest period. Any livestock hauler wishing to operate under the extended drive time would be required to complete pre-trip planning and increased fatigue-management training.

“We are concerned that the 11- and 14-hour rules were not drafted with livestock haulers in mind and thus do not... 

DuBreton Fulfills Its Promise on Animal Welfare

Three years ago, duBreton made a commitment to produce an additional 300,000 crate-free pigs at its Quebec farms. Although the pork industry is evolving, Les Viandes du Breton is already ahead of the animal welfare standards that will be in place in Canada in 2024. The production model of Les Viandes du Breton meets consumers' needs for organic and natural products and offers an interesting alternative to Canadian family farms, providing them with financial stability. "Three years ago, this unprecedented decision represented an estimated private investment of more than $30 million, strengthening our position as a leader in organic and Certified Humane Raised and Handled® pork production in North America. We have developed a unique production and management model for best practices based on animal welfare and GMO-free organic farming. We work with recognized and credible certification standards such as...