Here's a look at the top 5 trending stories on nwi.com yesterday. Though the newly released footage was taken last year by the same undercover agent who took video showing the farm's calves being abused, its release has trigged a new wave of protests as the brand continues to do damage control. Still, a 2021 report from the World Animal Protection and Compassion in World Farming found many food companies are not doing enough to prioritize animal welfare. UPDATE: Criminal probe launched into Fair Oaks Farms employees; companies pull products. Subscribe to Food Dive for top news, trends & analysis, The free newsletter covering the top industry headlines, OCHO Candy Launches New Plant-Based Caramel Line, Pregis Performance Flexibles Facilities Are ISCC PLUS Certified, METER Group Food Scientists to Present New Research on Powdered Foods, By signing up to receive our newsletter, you agree to our, By Fair Oaks Farms was the worst abuse towards newborn babies that I have ever seen, Couto said Thursday. And if you want to take further action, ARM's website has several suggestions for how to get involved. On June 12, however, new footage was released by Animal Recovery Mission (ARM) purportedly showing Fair Oaks workers punching adult cows, hitting them with metal poles and allegedly breaking the tails of some cows which did not cooperate with employees. The dairy sector has seen its share of them. Please subscribe to keep reading. Please feel free to contact me if you have any comments or questions. One person seen in the Animal Recovery Mission video was a third-party truck driver who was transporting calves, he said. They must also sign the Dairy Cattle Care Ethics Agreement on an annual basis. Is the Government Really Paying Farmers to Destroy Crops and Kill Animals? On June 4, 2019, ARM released disturbing footage of one of its most grueling factory farm investigations. "A full investigation of all aspects of the video is underway, during and after which disciplinary action will be taken, including termination and criminal prosecution, of any and all employees and managers who have violated either our animal care practices or the law or both," the statement reads. With that said, I am disappointed to learn of potential drug use on our properties. The animals depicted in this video do not fall within our authority.. Consumer fraud lawsuits were filed across the country against Fairlife and later consolidated in Chicago federal court. "In 2019, when our farmers reported this behavior, we immediately terminated and turned these individuals into the proper authorities to prosecute," the company said in the statement. But now, nearly three years later, consumers are wondering how Fairlife treats cows in the wake of the scandal, and if Fairlife still abuses cows in 2021. Yet many farmers argue that it's in their best interest to treat their animals humanely. Fairlife does not provide any evidence that its cows are no longer being abused in fact, industrial animal farms are protected from being photographed or filmed by a set of laws called ag-gag laws. A Crown Point woman has filed new claims that she has been harmed by animal cruelty at Fair Oaks Farms. ", Anna Ortiz is the breaking news/crime reporter for The Times, covering crime, politics, courts and investigative news. Green Matters is a registered trademark. "But Fairlifes and its founders 'promise' is a sham. In June 2019, ARM published a video (warning it's brutal) of the investigators most shocking footage, which quickly went viral. In response to the video, local grocery store chain Jewel-Osco said it was removing all Fairlife products that come from Fair Oaks Farms from its stores. "The response is similar to when we first published the footage on a smaller scale, with the outrage in general. Authorities have arrested one of the three men charged in connection with an animal cruelty investigation at Fair Oaks Farms in northwest Indiana, authorities announced Wednesday. In the wake of the scandal, Fairlife (the national brand formally supplied by Fair Oaks) issued apologies and began conducting internal animal welfare investigations at multiple farms. @CocaCola needs to end this partnership & @fairlife needs to take action on there workers and this situation. #boycottfairlife. However, before ARM released its footage of Fair Oaks, Fairlife had made plenty of claims in regards to animal welfare. Coworkers caught. https://t.co/iAybFVJeFg via @Change. Temperature readings show it was more than 100 degrees inside their hutches. Strack's CEO, Jeff Strack, said the Highland-based company would no longer carry Fairlife products like Core Power protein shakes at its 20 supermarkets in Northwest Indiana. You can cancel at any time. -- Police are investigating allegations of animal abuse at an Indiana dairy farm, the Newton County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday. Animal Recovery Mission also alleges supervisors and owners at the farm were aware of the conditions and took part in the abuse. A University of Oxford study found that on average, cows milk produces about three times as many greenhouse gas emissions than vegan milks. The impact of coronavirus and circumstances arising from 2019 have led to the termination of three major executive positions at Fair Oaks Farm. McCloskey has since announced changes in operations, including having an animal welfare expert on staff, installing cameras to monitor employees in contact with animals and having frequent, third-party audits performed on the farm. Because of these laws, there is no way to know for sure what is going on at Fairlifes farms. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Shot in 2018 by an undercover activist group investigator at Fair Oaks Farms, then the massive flagship dairy of Fairlife, the four-minute video depicts workers throwing, dragging, kicking and hitting newborn calves. FAIR OAKS, Ind. CHICAGO At least eight federal lawsuits have been filed against Fairlife as a result of the alleged animal abuse at Fair Oaks Farms that came to light in early June, and the . "I guarantee you that this will never happen again at Fair Oaks Farms.". The alleged abuse dates back to August 2018, when Animal Recovery Mission, a nonprofit animal welfare group based in Miami, planted an investigator as an undercover calf care employee at the Indiana farm. A roundup of crime stories from throughout the Region during the past 24 hours. The abuse in the dairy industry is systematic., Chicago-area grocers pulled Fairlife from their shelves, A defensive stalwart, Oswego Easts Tyler Jasek surprises Joliet West. Regardless, I am disgusted by and take full responsibility for the actions seen in the footage, as it goes against everything that we stand for in regards to responsible cow care and comfort. The admission building at Fair Oaks Farm has the phrase "Your Adventure Starts Here" written across the front. #DitchDairy #ChooseCompassion @WorldAnimalNews @Peace_4_Animals pic.twitter.com/NVtZVb4Jfb. While the videos and ensuing lawsuits cast negative attention on the Fairlife brand, it has done little to slow its momentum. So far, there is no evidence that this kind of accusation creates long-term harm for the brands involved. A Crown Point, Indiana, woman filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against Fair Oaks Farms, saying the company misled consumers who bought its milk at prices higher than . It's a major reason why Coca-Cola acquired the remainder of Fairlife. We immediately stopped accepting milk from them after learning about the incident and dont accept milk from them today.. A 2-year-old video of alleged animal abuse at a northwest Indiana dairy farm has gone viral again, generating a new wave of social media outrage and renewed calls to boycott Fairlife, a Chicago-based premium milk brand. Coca-Cola said in a statement that it takes animal welfare seriously and expects "suppliers to operate with the highest degree of integrity and comply with all laws, including animal welfare laws." In response, multiple stores stopped carrying Fairlife products, and numerous consumers boycotted the brand. Several companies bought big into the once-promising segment, but the governmentsdecision not to permit the ingredient in food and beverages has left producers unwilling to invest further. The company also promised to increase animal welfare checks and will no longer get dairy from farms that violate its animal abuse policy. While we were made aware a couple months ago of the fact that ARM had gone undercover at Fair Oaks Farms, and had proactively made a statement, we had no idea what kind of footage had been captured or what if any abuse had occurred. Mar 13, 2020. Indiana State Veterinarian Bret D. Marsh, DVM, has directed BOAH staff to collaborate with local law enforcement regarding any appropriate next steps they may take.. Fairlife has since "discontinued the use of milk from Fair Oaks Farms" in its products. Although he underwent another training session in animal care when we discovered there was an undercover ARM operation on our farm, after viewing the extent of his animal abuse, he is being terminated today. The impact of coronavirus and circumstances arising from 2019 have led to the termination of three major executive positions at Fair Oaks Farm. Ditching dairy is not only a good move for animal welfare, but also for the environment. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. "The employees featured in the video exercised a complete and total disregard for the documented training that all employees go through to ensure the comfort, safety and well-being of our animals.". While Fairlifes investigation went far more viral than any other undercover footage from a dairy farm has, there have been many other videos and documentaries revealing animal cruelty across the dairy industry and animal agriculture industry as a whole. Approximately 98% of the country's milk supply is represented through the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM), a program that sets animal care standards for participating farms. There was a problem saving your notification. Coca-Cola and other parties agreed to pay $21 million to settle lawsuits for falsely advertising their Fairlife ultra-filtered milk came from humanely treated cows. The video was brought to the attention of The Indiana State Board of Animal Health on Tuesday through social media, news stories and concerned citizens, according to Denise Derrer, the board's public information director. Boycott Fairlife Milk - Sign the Petition! The employees were fired and faced charges of animal abuse. First published on June 7, 2019 / 12:36 PM. May 27 2021, Published 1:51 p.m. Fairlife's website states that after ARM exposed Fairlife's cruelty, the dairy company stopped buying milk from Fair Oaks, and established "a robust welfare program" with their other farms, which Fairlife has put over $8 million into. Below is McCloskey's full statement for Fair Oaks Farms: 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. From February through April of 2019, an Animal Recovery Mission (ARM) activist got an undercover job milking cows at Fair Oaks Farms, which supplies milk to dairy companies including Fairlife (which is owned by the Coca-Cola Company, and provides milk to Chick-fil-A). Months ago, when I first learned of the undercover activity, I requested a 3rd party review and we went through a re-training process throughout the dairies. Fairlife, which is owned by Coca-Cola, quickly cut ties with the dairy farm after the video first went viral. A video released by an animal rights organization shows young calves being kicked in the head, dead calves' bodies piled together in the dirt , FAIR OAKS An audit of the dairy farms that make up Fair Oaks Farms indicates the farms are operating within the standards of the dairy indus. Valparaiso-based Family Express, which operates convenience stores across the state, will replace Fairlife products with milk products from Organic Valley, which has 143 family farms in Indiana. Claims like these inspire people to choose these products, because they believe that they are better. In addition to individuals and companies boycotting the business and its products, in June 2019 delivery services were temporarily suspended. USDA has full confidence that Indiana state and local authorities will investigate this particular case and take appropriate action. A factor in our decision was the public response by Fair Oaks, asserting the notion that this was an isolated incident," the company said in a release. Months ago, the individual seen smoking by the barn and doing drugs in a truck was turned in by his co-workers to one of our managers. The abuse extends to kicking and beating calves, as well as force-feeding them until they can't breath. The plants featured in the video are an invasive perennial species that is rampant on farms all over the midwest. Coca-Cola, which initially owned a minority position in the Fairlife brand through a joint venture with Select Milk Producers,acquired the remaining stakein 2020. FAIR OAKS The Newton County prosecutor says a witness has corroborated allegations from a suspect that an animal welfare investigator encour, Ford is expanding its workforce again at the Chicago Assembly Plant on the banks of the Calumet River, just across the state line in Hegewisch. In the wake of two videos being released showing animals being abused at Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana, Fairlife Dairy has issued multiple apologies following the controversy. The truck driver, who was responsible for picking up the calves, will not be allowed on Fair Oaks Farms again. People all over the world were horrified to see evidence of such unnecessary abuse at the farm. Fair Oaks Farms said five people in the video were identified and four of them are employees at the farm. The video posts also appear to show drug possession and use by farm employees. Keep reading for a refresher on what went down, everything we know about Fairlifes treatment of the cows, and for our guidance on easy ways to protest companies that treat animals unfairly. The controversy surrounding Fair Oaks Farms led to a flurry of social media comments, statements and responses as fallout from an undercover video showing animal cruelty at the popular Indiana . Our world revolves around making sure that our cows are fed well, treated humanely and live in comfortable, stress-free conditions.. Coutos organization has investigated alleged abuse at 25 dairy farms in the U.S., including a 2017 investigation at a Florida dairy farm associated with Dean Foods, which filed for bankruptcy in 2019. He also observed that immediately after giving birth, mother cows were separated from their newborn calves, who were placed into confined sheds, while the mothers were sent right back to the milking rotary, sometimes with their placentas still hanging out of their bodies. In 2019, undercover footage taken by an animal rights activist exposed Fair Oaks Farms, which supplies milk to dairy companies including Fairlife, revealed appalling evidence of animal abuse. Fair Oaks Farms is the flagship farm for Fairlife, a national brand of higher protein, higher calcium and lower fat milk that's produced at a network of dairy farms and distributed by Coca-Cola. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. The Animal Recovery Mission recently released the video, which prompted local law enforcement to launch an investigation. Cuoto said, "The answer is no for me. Pittsburgh woman missing for 31 years found alive in Puerto Rico, Alex Murdaugh found guilty of murders of wife and son. The organization also noticed a surge of interest this week in its nearly 3-year-old Fair Oaks investigation. The Dairy Report 061119. The farm, which still has a 4.5-star rating on TripAdvisor, welcomes about 500,000 visitors annually. As to the individual who worked for the transportation company, today, we will notify the company that he works for and he will not be allowed on our farms again. According to Alan Bjerga, the senior vice president of communications at the National Milk Producers Federation, about 94% of America's dairy farms have 500 or fewer cows. Other premium brands, including A2, have been a hit with consumers. The videos showed calves being kicked in the head and being struck with branding irons and iron rods, and dead calves were shown piled in the dirt. In June 2019, undercover footage of appalling animal abuse at a dairy farm that supplied milk to Fairlife went viral, prompting many customers to boycott the ultrafiltered milk company that had claimed to care about animal welfare. While the review came back favorable, I am not letting my guard down and will institute more thorough monitoring and training so that this abuse can never happen again. They are distributed by the Coca-Cola Company in the U.S. graphic video filmed at Indiana's Fair Oaks Farms, new footage was released by Animal Recovery Mission, thousands of smaller dairy farms closing for business, National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM), Grocery stores pull popular milk brand from shelves after disturbing video surfaces, the Chicago-based company is being sued for fraud, which still has a 4.5-star rating on TripAdvisor, retailers including Jewel-Osco, Tonys Fresh Market, Casey's and Family Express have stopped selling Fairlife products, The new laws will go into effect on July 1. The venue's $20 all-day pass grants access to the farm's public areas, including a birthing barn complete with stadium seating so visitors can watch calves being born. As they considered what may or may not impact their ability to . "At Jewel-Osco we strive to maintain high animal welfare standards across all areas of business, and work in partnership with our vendors to ensure those standards are upheld," the company stated in a news release Wednesday. "Since then, we have taken vigilant, unwavering steps to actively monitor all human-animal interaction 24 hours a day by installing cameras throughout our farms, and bolstered these efforts with hiring an on-site animal welfare expert and conducting regular third-party audits to confirm our monitoring practices, to ensure we havent overlooked anything," the company said. Let Food Dive's free newsletter keep you informed, straight from your inbox. Fairlife is aware of the lawsuit and, in a statement provided to TODAY, said: "We are aware of the lawsuit and are reviewing it.