Animal Legal Defense Fund Takes Tyson Foods to Task for False Advertising
January 22nd, 2013For immediate release
Contact:
Lisa Franzetta, ALDF
Megan Backus, ALDF
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today the national nonprofit Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) filed a complaint against Tyson Foods, Inc. for violating the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTCA) that calls for fair business practices. ALDF's complaint asks the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate and put an end to deceptive marketing tactics used by Tyson, which claims to be an industry leader at the forefront of animal welfare while relying upon inhumane farming practices. Tyson also claims to be environmentally sound, yet multiple courts have held Tyson responsible for environmental hazards. As the largest U.S. producer of chicken and second largest producer of beef and pork, Tyson's presence in the animal product industry extends across the nation.
Throughout its promotional materials, Tyson claims to provide environments "favorable" to pigs. However, Tyson uses gestation crates, in which pregnant sows are unable to turn around, comfortably lie down, or take more than a step forward or backward. Gestation crates are banned in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon, and Rhode Island and are widely considered inhumane by U.S. animal experts. Yet Tyson continues to use these crates and has simply renamed them "individual housing"—changing the name, rather than the practice, in a deceptive move made in recognition of consumer sensitivity about extreme confinement of farmed animals. Furthermore, undercover video footage shows workers kicking and punching pigs at a Tyson supplier's facility, in contrast to Tyson's claims to be a leader in animal well-being.
Similarly, Tyson claims to provide a "comfortable environment" for chickens. Yet, comparing Tyson's methods to welfare-protecting alternatives regarding housing density, lighting, and weight gain, the Animal Welfare Institute found that Tyson "produce[s] no humanely raised chicken products." Animal welfare groups have routinely exposed animal cruelty in slaughterhouses connected to Tyson, which relies on broiler houses for its production and uses methods that cause rapid and debilitating weight gain for the "broiler hens."
"Conscientious consumers who care about the welfare of animals are being deceived by Tyson," says Stephen Wells, executive director of the Animal Legal Defense Fund. "Individual citizens rely on truth-in-advertising and consumer protection laws, and those who are willing to pay a premium for humane food items have a right to know the truth about the food they purchase."
ALDF's complaint to the FTC is available upon request.
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This is awesome. I have seen Tyson's outright lies about their animal welfare concerns. It takes a lot of moxie to try to pass that off to the public that knows Tyson is at the forefront of every animal abuse depravity one can think of.
I can say one thing. I raise Chickens for Tyson's in Broiler houses. They are not mistreated, they are very well taken care of. Tyson's makes sure we treat our Chickens the right way; Lighting, Feed, Heating, and among other things. I do not know how it is in the breeding places, but I do know in North Georgia we have regulations on our chickens.
well until its proven otherwise i will stop buying tyson products...i already stopped buying pork products after seeing the hidden camera footage on how the pigs are mistreated that was aired on my local news station
Go ahead and add a civil charge of RICO to the present charges against tyson foods. Then they will stop doing this kind of false conduct for good and the proceeds of triple damages can go to animal welfare to continue to stop these liers.
Just because you provide "lighting, feed, and heat" doesn't mean they are being treated well. It could be a huge warehouse with single lightbulb and be called a "lit area". Same for heating. Just because heaters are available doesn't mean they are used properly. The best way is to not buy any mass produced chicken. Anywhere. I haven't bought chicken from the store or restaurants in years. I just buy whole chickens from a local farmer. They taste way better and are cheaper
I boycotted Tyson a few years ago a friend of mine worked there years ago and advised me on the real Tyson practices... Also doesn't some fast food industries use Tyson they should be boycotted also why would we support them if they do not support us!
I will boycott Tyson food products. Even if some of their "suppliers" are following humane practices, from what I have read and researched many of the "suppliers" do NOT follow humane practices. Even chickens and pigs should be treated humanely, even if they are going to be someone's dinner.
I will be avoiding Tyson products. Thank you for sharing.
I will no longer buy Tyson products and will advise others not to.
WHY DOES PEOPLE LET THIS HAPPEN I AM SO FRIGGING MAD I CANT SEE STRAIGHT!!!! I GUARANTEE I WILL NEVER BUY TYSON AND I WILL LET EVERYONE ON MY E-MAIL ADDRESS THIS WILL BE FORWARDED TO THEM AND I KNOW THAT THEY WILL DO THE SAME. KARMA'S A BITCH AND I HOPE SHE BITES THEM WHERE IT COUNTS!!!!!
I will no longer buy Tyson products until this matter of abuse is settled.
Tyson Foods are not only inhumane to animals, they are also inhumane to Employees. Pay is good, but treatment is unfair to workers. I know, because I became disabled in 2005, and Their Doctors, on payroll, said They were not at fault. Funny how a Disability Judge awarded Me 100% Disability! Just had to vent! On Chickens, I do know a family in Arkansas, that raise chickens to sell to Tyson Foods. I will vouche that this family take pride in Their Chicken Farm! As far as not buying Pork Products, such as "bacon," unless there are Private Companies, packaging Their Own Bacon, Tyson Foods slices and packages for Major Companies! I wish that enough Law Suits could be brought against Tyson Foods, to force them to close Their Doors!
This is a cause I will support.. I will ban Tyson's products as well. I will also pass this along to anyone who is not aware & will listen.
Not only will I no longer use Tyson products but I'm also considering going vegan. Reading articles such as this, about the gruesome cruelty that occur at slaughterhouses, makes me choose a salad for dinner.
I have seven sisters and two brothers,eight of them are all into fitness.Five have their own facility,the other three are Involved in the administration of two of the largest (which I can't mention) and will soon see this article.As you might guess they are all very much into fitness! What you might never guess,is that they all are part of a huge Non profit organization against the inhumanity treatment of animals they spend their free time going after sickos like you!
When family farms decreased and large Corps moved in we stood to be the losers. No one wanted to support "family farms" and they went broke. The thought was that huge Corps could do it cheaper, lower prices and feed more people!Wrong! Farmers fed their livestock (chickens) whole grains and let them forage through the green grass, making eggs healthier and chickens without blemish and huge globs of yellow fat. Now we are seeing bruised chickens, tasteless eggs, and packaged chickens with so much yellow fat that trimming it takes away a pound or more that you've paid for. Some of the chickens have giblets and others have none. Some have more giblets than a normal chicken is supposed to have and legs with bloody compound fractures meaning the legs were broken before the chicken died. I am really careful about buying chicken. Get locally grown if possible.
This is why I stopped in meat in full. Ignorant people need to educate themselves on how these animals are mistreated and abused day in and out to supply us energy. We are suppose to be thankful of these animals, yet we hurt them, degrade them. For what? The simple gross satisfaction because they can't talk back. Well Tyson, there's a whole lot of people who will and are going to make a stand for these animals.
I am so happy to be vegan! If we all turned vegetarian/vegan Tyson wouldn't exist. Stop eating animals! We do not need animals flesh to survive...period!
My father in law was a senior executive with the nation's largest food distributor. He was supervisor of 17 Western states for Allied (K Mart) for many years. He had toured most of the major chicken, beef and port producing plants in the US. About 25 years ago, he told me about how Tyson and other mega producers were feeding growth hormones to chickens and said "There is really not such a thing as a grade A fryer anymore, because the growth hormones fatten the chickens up so rapidly that their legs don't develop and they have crooked legs and other defects which used to be called Grade "C".
It's all about dollars and cents to Tyson Go organic
This is ridiculous...... they kill them ..... we eat them ...... why should they be pampered then eaten .... That is even crueler in my book ...... You people are off your rockers....... GROW UP >>> GET A "REAL LIFE" .... GO Home and TAKE CARE OF YOU "HUMAN" kids...... So the world will be more PRODUCTIVE and we would have less VIOLENCE, SUICIDES, MASS KILLINGS, ETC. IF you spent all this time with your family your life would be much happier..... and so would your family...... Instead of thinking of all the ways to fight the natural process of "eating and staying alive" you could be finding ways to make your family happy and find things to do with your family. Instead of being away from them worring about how some damn pig or chicken is handled before it's YOUR DINNER. THINK ABOUT IT PEOPLE !!!!
i will not buy tyson food products anymore and will also tell the rest of the world, ithink they need a dose of their own medicine see how they like it, the animals, they still have pain
I won't be buying Tyson chicken any longer. These horrible practices are not conducive to my beliefs.
Can I see a comparison chart of all pig and chicken harvestes? Who is the best, who is the worst? If the result of a Tyson boycott drives their market share to other producers, couldn't that just cause overcrowded pens at their competotor's favilities?
What do you consider to be "Humane?" Consider the facts about how all commodified animals are raised today and then ask yourself the fundamental question posed after the bullet list: “Any time consumers of meat, eggs or dairy advocate for ‘humane’ treatment of farm animals, they confront an unavoidable paradox: the movement to treat farm animals better is based on the idea that it is wrong to subject them to unnecessary harm; yet, killing animals we have no need to eat constitutes the ultimate act of unnecessary harm.” (1) Regardless of the humane certification, the following inhumane and unnatural circumstances apply to all animals raised for food: “Humans decide where animals will live; if they will ever know their mothers; if, and how long, they will nurse their babies; when, and if, they will be permitted to see or be with their families and friends; when, where, or if they will be allowed to socialize with members of their own species; when, how, and if, they are going to reproduce; what, when, and how much they will eat; how much space they will have, if any; if, and how far, they will be allowed to roam; what mutilations they will be subjected to; what, if any, veterinary care they will receive; and when, where, and how they are going to die.” (2) “If these were the circumstances of your brief and unfree life,” asks Capps, “at the end of which you would be forcefully restrained, attacked, and slaughtered against your will, at a fraction of your natural lifespan, all for completely unnecessary reasons — would you maintain that you had been humanely treated?” (1) The above is an excerpt from A Comprehensive Analysis of the Humane Farming Myth by Ashley Capps. (2) Excerpted from the brochure, Humane Animal Farming? Take a Closer Look, published by Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary
Laura Shaw - you are a coldhearted brute!! You are the one we need to worry about - you have no compassion for living, breathing, helpless innocent, FEELING creatures who live tortured, painful, miserable lives at the hands of coldhearted barabarians who "raise" them and you think this is ok????? What does that say about how you "feel" about children, YOUR children - also living, breathing, helpless, innocent, FEELING creatures?? Every single compassionate animal activist/lover I know are hands down the most involved, loving, caring parents in the world, FAR superior than parents with a mindset like yours!! YOU don't teach your children compassion towards animals - even ones raised for food - how are they going to be compassionate towards humans, huh?!?! THAT, my dear, is a recipe for mass murderers, serial killers and mentally disturbed adults! THINK ABOUT IT!!!!
The more widely this is publicised, the greater the consumer awareness, it is not enough to donate and sign petitions. We can all do more by the simple means of sharing this information throughout all our social media as individuals. An outraged public boycotting Tyson products will very swiftly engineer change. More so as it fights to defend the indefensible in court!
It's great that ALDF is going after Tyson but cruelty is inherent in all animal agriculture. If you don't want animals to be harmed don't buy or eat any animal products. A vegan diet is more compelling and convenient than ever, and it's also better for you and for the environment. Going vegan is win-win-win while using animals for food is lose-lose-lose. Don't be a loser!! See: http://www.humanemyth.org and http://www.vrg.org
Not only do I object to inhumane treatment of animals and the practices of companies like Tyson to strictly think of the bottomline, the taste of the meat changes. Have you tastes the difference between a freerange chicken and a Tyson chicken? Or have you noticed the difference in consistency of the meat? A freerange chicken's meaat will be firm and maintain its shape during processing. Tyson's chicken feels spongy and almost falls apart in its raw state and tastes almost artificial after being being cooked or baked. I think I will rather spend a little more money and eat a healthy, happy chicken than eat yellow looking, processed chicken that sat in its own poop for 6 weeks, waiting to be slaughtered.
I have boycotted Tyson Foods in the past, but recently have fallen for their animal welfare statements. Glad to know this, To Laura: What makes you think that people who care for animals don't care for their children and families? Sort of presumptuous isn't it? Some people care for and have compassion for all living things, especially those who give the ultimate sacrifice for hamans.....their lives.
Laura Shaw you are ridiculous. Why does an animal need to be tortured before it is slaughtered for food? Will that make it taste better? No one is demanding these animals be 'pampered'. A lack of abuse does NOT equal 'pampering'. You seem vastly worried about the supposedly neglected families of people here while not too concerned about your own family while YOU are here. I choose to teach my children that it is not okay to abuse and torture animals-even those that will be killed for food. It sounds as if you believe the torture of animals is fine as long as you're going to eat the animal in the end and that if there is no daily abuse then it means that animal is being 'pampered'. Do you really think there will be less violence in the world if we all stop caring about the treatment of animals used for food? Strange that you think an acceptance of abuse will lead to less violence.
Laura Shaw: You are sick & twisted. Did you even read what you wrote? What does one have to do with the other? I find it interesting that you are reading all of this & making a comment, yet criticizing everyone on here. You are a scary person...anyone who does not have compassion for animals, obviously would not be capable of having compassion for humans either. And anyone who does not have compassion or empathy for animals, is just not wired correctly. I believe something is wrong with you. Please seek professional help.
Laura Shaw, I have thought about it and have decided abusing animals is cruel and sick.
NO MALTRATEN MAS A LOS ANIMALES, SI SON DE GRANJA DELES UN TRATO MEJOR, NO SON OBJETOS SON SERES VIVOS QUE SIENTEN. NO COMETAN MAS BRUTALIDADES CONTRA LOS ANIMALES Y SI SON PARA COMERSELOS, DELES UNA MUERTE DIGNA Y NO LOS MALTRATEN MAS, ELLOS NO PIDIERON ESTAR EN ESTE MUNDO, PARA QUE SERES INHUMANOS COMO UDS VENGAN Y ABUSEN DE ELLOS COMO QUIERAN.
Where is the list of products to avoid?
Laura Shaw, YOU are the one being ridiculous. Animals, just like humans, feel pain. It's bad enough you eat them (I don't), but the fact they have to spend their entire lives in misery and torture. just to be put on your plate, shows what kind of adult you are. It's a known fact that people who abuse and kill animals many times "graduate" to abusing and tortuing humans. Grow up, read a book, and get a life.
Laura Shaw - I am unable to have human children...so my kids are three dogs and three cats. All rescued from local shelters. It is wrong to torture animals - they cry, feel pain and give birth. I rarely eat meat because of the horrible practices of companies and the conditions these wonderful animals exist in. I will not purchase another product from Tyson Foods until they change...
Laura Shaw - I hope you don't own any pets. And I feel sorry for your children.
Tyson will never again be on my grocery list.
Thank you for alerting us to this problem. It is time that we stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves!
I you make animals your business then you have an obligation to make sure they have the BEST care. Until I hear otherwise Tyson will not longer be on our table.
"He who can show neither pity nor mercy toward an animal, usually can show neither to their fellow man" St. Francis of Assisi
While we are debating whether it is ok to raise animals in conditions in which they cannot express themselves (chickens spreading their wings, pigs rooting and being able to turn around, etc.) as opposed to a more humane method, the vegans show up to argue that any mistreatment (killing) of animals is wrong. As a species Homo Sapien Sapien is an omnivore and we have been from the beginning. There is no record of us torturing animals as a group (like a torture ritual), but there is plenty of evidence of killing and eating them. The plant world is also marvelous - one example: the tomato genome is larger than ours. If you are going to use the argument that we have no right to end an animal's life for any reason, then I think you better switch to a water diet. How dare you end a living thing's life! I hope we don't find out that water molecules have souls.
I am here to tell u I have a sick dog from Tyson Nudges chicken treats, they gave him botulism and Tyson is denying my claim......my 4 lb chihuahua cannot walk, this week 5, he vomits dailey and for the rest of his life he will have megaesophagus which he is prone to pnemonia. I will not stop till they pay for damaging my 2 yr old dog, all my drs notes states its botulism and they r playing hard ball......well I can play hardball toooooo!!!!!!! DONT BUY TYSON NUDGES...OR TYSON ANYTHING!!!!!!!!
Laura Shaw- I am 12 years old and I feel bad for your children. (if you have any) Maybe you should stop, think, and analyze your life. Animals have FEELINGS JUST LIKE PEOPLE!! Why can't people understand that?! It makes me want to cry and it is because of people like you that don't care about these things-you just want to have your chicken dinner or bacon for breakfast- that horrible inhumane corporations like TYSON still exist today!