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As a matter of routine and practice, Fairlifes cows are tortured, kicked, stomped on, body slammed, stabbed with steel rebar, thrown off the side of trucks, dragged through the dirt by their ears and left to die unattended in over 100-degree heat. But not his teammates. The calves appeared to stay in filthy, overcrowded and hot conditions. The organization put out a few calls to action to people who were affected by the heartbreaking footage ARM asked people to sign its petition, to ask stores to stop carrying Fairlife, and to leave dairy products off their plates. Fairlife is aware of the lawsuit and, in a statement provided to TODAY, said: "We are aware of the lawsuit and are reviewing it. 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. The Newton . Mar 13, 2020. Fair Oaks Farm animal abuse: What we know - The Indianapolis Star Pending orders of Fairlife products were suspended at Family Express, according to a news release issued by the company. The group, which promotes plant-based lifestyles, said that the footage was taken by an undercover investigator who recorded the animal abuse in 2018 while working at Fair Oaks Farms, which. The Dairy Report 061119. He can shoot it., Justin Steele and 6 Chicago Cubs relievers combine for the 1st spring training no-hitter in franchise history, Leah Palmer experiences grand time as Geneva grinds out victory in Class 4A third-place game. Provide medical care or rehab for the injured or sick cows? Times staff writers Joseph S. Pete and Anna Ortiz contributed to this report. In a public statement in 2019,Fair Oaks Farms Chairman Mike McCloskeyacknowledged that four of the people shown committing alleged abuses were Fair Oaks Farms employees, and one person was a third-party truck driver who was transporting calves. But that number is rapidly declining, with thousands of smaller dairy farms closing for business over the past two decades. In November 2019, The Times reported that at least eight federal lawsuits had been filed against Fairlifefrom across the country, including California, Florida and Indiana. Animal Welfare Experts | Video Update | Fair Oaks Farms Animal Welfare Animal Welfare Experts Video Update Share Both of our Animal Welfare Experts continue to evaluate our existing training programs, our on-boarding process for hiring new employees and the continuous education of employees. The new laws will go into effect on July 1. There's also a virtual reality lab showing how the farm recycles manure to power its machinery. , https://t.co/F5bRlpWmVD This had to be the most disgusting & disturbing thing Ive watched. The animal abuse at Fair Oaks Farms would not be the only potential wrongdoing eligible for action by Newton County prosecutors if a proposal , State leaders so far are staying mum following the release of undercover videos showing animal abuse committed by former Fair Oaks Farms emplo, CROWN POINT Charges filed Tuesday allege a Gary woman dragged a 5-year-old girl by the arm away from a playground and pushed the child to th. The farm, which still has a 4.5-star rating on TripAdvisor, welcomes about 500,000 visitors annually. -- Police are investigating allegations of animal abuse at an Indiana dairy farm, the Newton County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday. FAIR OAKS, Ind. "They recognize the seriousness of this situation as their founding principles are grounded in a strong commitment to sustainability, transparency and the highest standards of animal welfare. But unlike the retailers, it plans to stick with Fairlife. It didn't come from us.". However, before ARM released its footage of Fair Oaks, Fairlife had made plenty of claims in regards to animal welfare. Family Express CEO and founder Gus Olympidis was honored for his distinguished 44-year career in the convenience store business. Fortunately, there are endless options when it comes to non-dairy milk, chocolate milk, yogurt, protein shakes, and more. Jewel-Osco is also dropping Fairlife from its more than 180 stores, including in Dyer, Chesterton and Munster. He said sometimes videos from former investigations will resurface years later but the scope of this reemergence is fairly significant. He released a video statement following the backlash from the Animal Recovery Mission revelations. 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 This video and any future videos will be immediately handed over to the authorities for review and potential prosecution. three times as many greenhouse gas emissions. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. We are proud to report that we have not had another incident on our farm.. 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. All of the brand's beverages are made using a patented, cold-filtration process where milk molecules are separated by different filters and then recombined in a formula with more favorable macro nutrient ratios. Olivia is the morning cops/breaking news reporter at The Times. Parth Raval, the division's chief growth officer, said the CPG giant is exploring different ingredients, packaging formats and flavor offerings to strengthen its dominant presence in the category. 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. Others boycotted dairy entirely, and switched to non-dairy milk, cheese, and ice cream. You can cancel at any time. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit allege that these qualities justified premium prices for the product, which they said they bought the products solely because of the guarantee for "extraordinary animal care. People are starting to do their own homework on this. The fifth person is a truck driver who works for a third party. Please subscribe to keep reading. Family Express, the Valparaiso-based chain of convenience stores and gas stations, was named the best convenience store in the state of Indiana. ARMs Fairlife investigation proved that there is no way to truly know what is happening behind a farm's closed doors. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. In early 2019, an investigator from the animal rights organization Animal Recovery Mission (ARM) went undercover by getting a job as a milker at Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana, which supplies milk to Fairlife (among other companies), according to the organization. Video taken and posted by an animal rights group shows, among other things, dairy calves being body slammed and hit with various objects, including steel rods and branding irons. It's a major reason why Coca-Cola acquired the remainder of Fairlife. | 11 a.m. And when mother cows can no longer lactate, they are of no value to farms so the only financially viable solution is to send them to slaughter. Fair Oaks Political Reaction 061019. "We are proud to report that we have not had another incident on our farm.". After watching the video, the board reviewed compliance records and logs for Fair Oaks Farms and has since been directed to cooperate with authorities. 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. FAIR OAKS Mike McCloskey said he wished an animal activist organization that spent nearly six months clandestinely filming the operations of, FAIR OAKS | Fortune 60 company Coca-Cola is partnering with a Northwest Indiana farm, hoping that a reinvented, more nutrient-rich milk can do. Fair Oaks Farm is partnering with a dairy cooperative and Coca-Cola to launch Fairlife, a cold-filtered milk that has more protein and calcium and no lactose. Green Matters is a registered trademark. In response, multiple stores stopped carrying Fairlife products, and numerous consumers boycotted the brand. The case was opened following the release of a video by Animal . A recent video shows abuse of animals located on one of the farm's properties. Driver in ditch nearly 5 times the legal limit, Porter County police say. 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. The fourth was fired Tuesday, according to Fair Oaks Farms. Check out our guides to the most eco-friendly non-dairy milks, the best non-dairy milks for baking, pea milk, pistachio milk, and oat milk. "We have been in contact with Fairlife about this situation and have full confidence in their management team to urgently address this issue with Fair Oaks Farms, which is a third-party supplier to Fairlife," Coca-Cola said in a statement. 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. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Fair Oaks, she said, is no longer in its supply chain. No court records were available on the remaining defendants. Yesterdays protest outside of @CocaCola headquarters in #Atlanta urging them to drop @Fairlife milk products following @ARMInvestigatios undercover expos of horrific #calf abuse. "I learned about it yesterday," said Richard Couto,Animal Recovery Mission founder. "Furthermore, we requested this be elevated to the attorney general of the State of Indiana.". It was evident to the investigator that it was the normal way to do business at the farm, the document read. The cases were filed after non-profit animal welfare group Animal Recovery Mission released videos from an undercover investigation of Fair Oaks Farms showing animals being mistreated, which . The company cited Fair Oaks Farms' actions in light of the ARM investigation as well, saying Fair Oaks Farms has commissioned an independent auditor to audit practices at the farm and has also committed to conduct independent, random audits. 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. "We've been trying to figure out where this regeneration of the videos has come from. 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. "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. Nearly 50,000 people read a 2-year-old Chicago Tribune story on the alleged animal abuse at Fair Oaks over two days. One cup of regular 2% milk has 120 calories, 11 grams of sugar, 5 grams of fat, 8 grams of protein and 30% of the daily calcium recommendation. Lawsuits are a part of the regular course of business in today's food and beverage industry. A report from a series of focus groups done by precision fermentation startup Formo, Fordham University and Mercy For Animals released in February showed consumers are very enthusiastic and curious about animal-free dairy, with animal welfare being the reason they most want to consume it. The settlement received preliminary approval by an Illinois federal judge on April 27. Ensuring that the animals who provide fairlife dairy products are cared for and cared about is a top priority for fairlife, reads Fairlifes website, while Fair Oaks Farms claims to be "committed to caring for our animals.". Fair Oaks Farms was a popular place Since opening as a tourist attraction in 2004, Fair Oaks Farms has been considered the "Disneyland" of dairy farms. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Fairlife milk products are available nationwide. The Animal Recovery Mission recently released the video, which prompted local law enforcement to launch an investigation. Mike McCloskey owns both Fairlife dairy products and Fair Oaks Farms. The company's response to the first video as well as multiple grocers' quick removal of Fairlife products has signaled a change in public reaction where animals bred for dairy or even meat are concerned. And, when cows died of sickness, their dead bodies were dumped outside out of the view of those attending Fair Oaks Dairy Adventure tours; and once cows could no longer produce milk, they were sent to slaughter for meat or dog food. In the initial statement issued Tuesday on social media, Fair Oaks founder Mike McCloskey said four of the people shown committing alleged abuses were Fair Oaks Farms employees and each had been or were being fired. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says. Because of these laws, there is no way to know for sure what is going on at Fairlifes farms. After a graphic video filmed at Indiana's Fair Oaks Farms one of the country's largest dairy operations was released earlier this month, more consumers are calling for retailers to cut ties with brands that have histories of documented animal abuse. To protest dairys exploitation and unfair treatment of cows (as well as the industrys high methane emissions) the first step is to stop buying dairy products. More than a year after an undercover video campaign revealed animal welfare issues at Fair Oaks Farms, experts say there are important lessons to be learned. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. There is also footage of calves left in. 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. FAIR OAKS The Newton County Sheriff's Department has requested the names of former Fair Oaks Farms employees shown abusing young calves in a video released by an animal rights. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Of the five, four were our employees and one was a 3rd party truck driver who was picking up calves. 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. As for the vet who Fairlife hired as Director of Animal Welfare and Sustainable Farming, theres no way she can observe the daily operations at all 30+ farms that supply milk to Fairlife. One of those men has since been apprehended and arrested. HAMMOND Fair Oaks Farms is facing new demands it pay damages over animal abuse at the agritourism destination. The brand said it has "significantly strengthened our animal care programs and processes since 2019"through camera monitoring, a third-party animal welfare advisory board and increasing the number of unannounced audits at supplying farms. ET 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. Claims like these inspire people to choose these products, because they believe that they are better. Those wishing to report any suspected animal cruelty can call 219-474-5661 or 219-234-7014, the department's tip line. @CocaCola needs to end this partnership & @fairlife needs to take action on there workers and this situation. #boycottfairlife. Mike McCloskey, owner of Fair Oaks, released a video Thursday apologizing after an und FAIR OAKS An audit of the operations of Fair Oaks Farms should likely be completed early next week. But unless a farm is certified organic meaning that farmers must abide by strict legal standards when it comes to the care, breeding and feeding of animals it can be difficult to determine exactly how animals are treated on any property. Four employees were fired and a truck driver who worked for a third-party vendor was banned from the farm. ", Richard Couto, founder of Animal Recovery Mission, said the footage released on Tuesday was the tip of the iceberg. On Wednesday it. One of the sugars, lactose, is eradicated completely making it safe to drink for those who are lactose intolerant. When it entered the national market in 2014, Fairlife quickly garnered a lot of attention for producing a milk with "superior nutrition." However, the spokesperson said the USDA is aware of the video and allegations of animal cruelty must be taken seriously. It is a shock and an eye-opener for us to discover that under our watch, we had employees who showed disregard for our animals, our processes and for the rule of law. The impact of coronavirus and circumstances arising from 2019 have led to the termination of three major executive positions at Fair Oaks Farm. 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. The video posts also appear to show drug possession and use by farm employees. "This resulted in extreme pain and suffering by the calves, and in some cases permanent injury and even death," the statement continued. They are both owned by Mike McCloskey. Our world revolves around making sure that our cows are fed well, treated humanely and live in comfortable, stress-free conditions.. In the video, calves are stomped in the head, kicked, dragged by the tail and ears, hit in the face with plastic milk bottles, thrown out of the back of trucks and into pens, and generally brutalized. On June 12, 2019, ARM released a cut of the investigators footage documenting cruelty on the dairy farm, which was taken with a hidden body camera. A University of Oxford study found that on average, cows milk produces about three times as many greenhouse gas emissions than vegan milks. Sour Milk. When reached by TODAY via email, a Fair Oaks Farms representative provided the following statement: "This is the same video that was released and covered last week, which includes footage that took place several months ago. We have been flooded with emails to ask if we are still undercover with the dairy industry and asking about Fair Oaks Farms. Topics covered: manufacturing, packaging, new products, R&D, and much more. Though videos showing animal abuse across different types of farms are not new, the initial Fair Oaks video release sparked a substantial outcry due to the company's history of promoting its own sustainable farming practices and animal welfare. Provided. Five workers in the video were identified as participating in the alleged abuse. | 2 p.m. The U.S. Department of Agriculture regulates the treatment of animals under the authority of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act and the Animal Welfare Act. You can also make plans to watch the upcoming documentary Milked, which is all about the dairy industry, its impacts on the environment, and what needs to be done to turn things around. Green Matters is a registered trademark. Fair Oaks Farms animal abuse: After video exposes abuse at Fair Oaks Until these things are in place, Fairlife said no dairy from the video will be used in its products. As ARM noted, both Fair Oaks Farms and Fairlife have built their brands around animal welfare. The undercover video released by nonprofit ARM shows Fair Oaks Farm employees kicking, throwing, stomping on and hitting cows with plastic bottles. The Coca-Cola Company and Fair Oaks owners Mike and Sue McCloskey are named as co-defendants in the suits, which were being consolidated into a single fraud case. The video circulating is from two years ago at one of our former supplying farms, Lisa Lecas, a Fairlife spokeswoman, said in an email Thursday. Three former employees who were seen kicking and throwing calves in the first video released by ARM were charged with animal cruelty last week. 2-year-old animal abuse video goes viral again, renewing calls to Couto said he believes that there is a growing trend of people turning away from dairy and seeking out alternatives like soy milk due to videos like the ones ARM posted about Fair Oaks Farm. Now, the Chicago-based company is being sued for fraud since it promoted the extraordinary care and comfort of its cows on product labels and charged twice as much for its milk products. She spends her time monitoring traffic and weather reports, scanning crime logs and reading court documents. So far, there is no evidence that this kind of accusation creates long-term harm for the brands involved. I am committed to never again have to watch a video of our animals suffering the way that they suffered," McCloskey said June 6, 2019, in a video posted to Fair Oaks Farms' Facebook page. June 12, 2019: 7 things to know about alleged animal abuse at Fair Oaks The above suit has been transferred to the U.S. Northern District of Illinois courts and the case is ongoing. 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. 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. 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. We didn't spur it on but we are glad it happened. Fair Oaks Farms releases emotional response over abuse video. With that said, I am disappointed to learn of potential drug use on our properties. I am disappointed for not being aware of this kind of awful treatment occurring and I take full responsibility for what has happened. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. By Clinton Griffiths June 10, 2019. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. But premium milk comes at a premium price. "Weve always known that the better you treat an animal, the happier and more productive she is," Fair Oaks Farms founder and owner Mike McCloskey said in a 2015 article. ", "Defendants preyed on consumer desire for dairy products sourced from farms that ensure high levels of animal welfare by making animal welfare claims a central tenet of their labeling campaign," one of the lawsuits alleges. It has since received millions of views on a variety of social media platforms. Does Fairlife publicize the audit? A Hammond man reported being robbed of guns and cash in Chesterton park, but police have questions. Fair Oaks Farms reports no further incidents following reemergence of Fairlife, Coca-Cola sued after animal abuse videos exposed at supplier Then I searched for news on this and was surprised it was from 2019. After reviewing the video frame-by-frame, those three employees are responsible for the overwhelming majority of offenses seen in this video. Of the four who were our employees, three had already been terminated prior to us being made aware months ago of the undercover ARM operation, as they were identified by their co-workers as being abusive of our animals and reported to management. That all seems unlikely, since all this happens behind closed doors, and any of those actions could hurt Fairlifes profits. Members worked as employees while wearing a hidden camera. "This is rare," Couto said. He took undercover footage of the dairy farm during his few months working there, providing ARM with undeniable evidence of inherent cruelty subjected daily to dairy cows within industrialized food production systems.. "We have staff in the farm sites regularly," she said. "For any case, we need to review each act individually to determine if it meets the states definition of cruelty or abuse," said Denise Derrer, Public Information Director at the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, who is helping with the investigation. Police also are seeking the name of an individual who may have witnessedthe alleged crimes and failed to report the activity, the sheriff's department said Wednesday. Fairlife dairy gets its milk from Fair Oaks Farms. 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. One of my friends on Facebook shared it. The result is a milk with more protein and calcium, and less fat and sugar, than conventional milk. Let Food Dive's free newsletter keep you informed, straight from your inbox. And I watched the video, said Diane Mason, a reader from Melbourne, Florida, who reached out to the Tribune by email Thursday. Fairlife, which is owned by Coca-Cola, quickly cut ties with the dairy farm after the video first went viral. A Crown Point woman has filed new claims that she has been harmed by animal cruelty at Fair Oaks Farms. Fairlife said it hasimmediately suspend deliveries and will provide more animal welfare training for employees. The farm, which still has a. The cows shown in the video were not in federally inspected slaughter facilities and therefore not under USDA's authority, a spokesperson said. Footage shows Fair Oaks Farms workers dragging calves by their ears, throwing them into small plastic enclosures and hitting them with milk bottles. Conventionally raised cows may spend the majority of their lives in pens or inside barns in cramped quarters. Pittsburgh woman missing for 31 years found alive in Puerto Rico, Alex Murdaugh found guilty of murders of wife and son. FAIR OAKS A second video has been released by undercover animal welfare investigators Friday afternoon, showing what the groups says is "an . Was able to make it through 15 seconds of that fairlife video I will never understand how anyone could hurt an animal. 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. 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.
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