Fairlife dairy gets its milk from Fair Oaks Farms. You can read more about the audits that Fairlife pledged to take on the brands website; however, the brand did claim to already have governance measures in place before the investigation, so many customers may find it difficult to trust these new procedures. , https://t.co/F5bRlpWmVD This had to be the most disgusting & disturbing thing Ive watched. USDA has full confidence that Indiana state and local authorities will investigate this particular case and take appropriate action. Now millions more are becoming aware of these issues.". Family Express, the Valparaiso-based chain of convenience stores and gas stations, was named the best convenience store in the state of Indiana. And if you want to take further action, ARM's website has several suggestions for how to get involved. But this behavior was all observed nearly three years ago so is it still happening? That case is ongoing. We anticipate cooperation from both parties in this matter during this investigation.". 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. But that doesn't mean that all farming operations are large-scale operations like Fair Oaks Farms, which has 37,000 cows and is the largest dairy farm in the state of Indiana. On June 4, 2019, videos depicting employees abusing calves were released by ARM following an undercover investigation by the animal rights group. However, before ARM released its footage of Fair Oaks, Fairlife had made plenty of claims in regards to animal welfare. The Coca-Cola Company and Fair Oaks owners Mike and Sue McCloskey are named as co-defendants in the suits, which are being consolidated into a. You can cancel at any time. Five workers in the video were identified as participating in the alleged abuse. I was exhausted., Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. The admission building at Fair Oaks Farm has the phrase "Your Adventure Starts Here" written across the front. Fairlifes website states that after ARM exposed Fairlifes 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. 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 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. One cup of Fairlife 2% milk has 120 calories, 6 grams of sugar, 4.5 grams of fat, 13 grams of protein and 40% of the daily recommended amount of calcium. The actions depicted on the Animal Recovery Mission video are unacceptable, a USDA spokesperson said. "The expos of animal abuse in the Fair Oaks Farm network is chilling. Cut ties with the supplier? The public on both sides of the controversial video was passionate about what it saw. "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. The impact of coronavirus and circumstances arising from 2019 have led to the termination of three major executive positions at Fair Oaks Farm. The company also promised to increase animal welfare checks and will no longer get dairy from farms that violate its animal abuse policy. As the two months went on, the undercover activist continually observed employees punching, hitting, poking, and shoving cows; he saw them snapping cows tails; and he watched them push, kick, and slap cows in their udders. 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. 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. 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. After all, it's their product and their livelihood at risk since most calves sell for between $500 - $1,000. Fairlife milk products are available nationwide. Temperature readings show it was more than 100 degrees inside their hutches. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says. 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. The farm is located about 75 miles southeast of Chicago. Fairlife is owned by the Coca-Cola Company, and the corporation responded to the undercover footage by stating that Fairlife immediately stopped sourcing milk from Fair Oaks Farms after the footage was released, and that Fairlife planned to launch an animal welfare advisory council of experts. While some stores stopped carrying Fairlife after the 2019 video, it does not appear to be weighing down the dairy brand today. The plants featured in the video are an invasive perennial species that is rampant on farms all over the midwest. ", Richard Couto, founder of Animal Recovery Mission, said the footage released on Tuesday was the tip of the iceberg. Does Fairlife publicize the audit? The product delivery arm of Fair Oaks Farms, Fresh Delivery, is suspending service for a week "to stand with the farm and for the safety of th, FAIR OAKS The Newton County Sheriff's Office has identified three of the men accused of abusing young calves at Fair Oaks Farms, according t, Police are looking for a suspicious man who reportedly approached children at Griffith's Central Park Monday, calling one to come to him and a, FAIR OAKS One of the men accused of abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms was arrested Wednesday, while the other two are still being sought by. FAIR OAKS A second video has been released by undercover animal welfare investigators Friday afternoon, showing what the groups says is "an . 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. In a statement to Food Dive, Fairlife said animal welfare is and will always be a top priority." On Tuesday, the sheriff's office disclosed the suspects' names. In the late 1990s, three dairy producers sat in the cab of a pickup contemplating the future of their farms. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. It also generally costs more. Pittsburgh woman missing for 31 years found alive in Puerto Rico, Alex Murdaugh found guilty of murders of wife and son. But somebody shared the video recently on Facebook and it caught fire again, putting Fairlife and Fair Oaks back on the hot seat. 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. A recent video shows abuse of animals located on one of the farm's properties. Laws vary by state, but many, like Indiana, stipulate that dairy farms undergo a government-led inspection at least twice a year. Consumer fraud lawsuits were filed across the country against Fairlife and later consolidated in Chicago federal court. Jewel-Osco is also dropping Fairlife from its more than 180 stores, including in Dyer, Chesterton and Munster. 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. "Isolated incidents such as this are not indicative of how our countrys dairy farm families operate.". 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 farm, which still has a. Ditching dairy is not only a good move for animal welfare, but also for the environment. May 27 2021, Published 1:51 p.m. Northwest Indiana companies and construction professionals can learn about the latest developments with gas hazards and gas detection technolo, A former social worker turned entrepreneur developed a vegan, plant-based icing that will be available at Strack & Van Til supermarkets in, The Coca-Cola Company and Fair Oaks owners Mike and Sue McCloskey are named as co-defendants in the suits, which are being consolidated into a. According to online federal court records, the next hearing will be a remote status hearing on July 15. They must also sign the Dairy Cattle Care Ethics Agreement on an annual basis. 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. Fair Oaks Farms is the largest dairy farm in Indiana with 37,000 cows, TODAY reported. FAIR OAKS An audit of the operations of Fair Oaks Farms should likely be completed early next week. The new laws will go into effect on July 1. Authorities have arrested one of three people charged with animal cruelty following the release of video showing workers kicking and throwing young calves at a northwestern Indiana dairy . In addition to the state's laws, the board refers to FARM when it comes to industry standards for handling and care. Yesterdays protest outside of @CocaCola headquarters in #Atlanta urging them to drop @Fairlife milk products following @ARMInvestigatios undercover expos of horrific #calf abuse. @CocaCola needs to end this partnership & @fairlife needs to take action on there workers and this situation. #boycottfairlife. Fairlife has since "discontinued the use of milk from Fair Oaks Farms" in its products. 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. FARM mandates that all farm employees who handle animals must complete stockmanship training. Ride along with LaPorte Police Specialist Justin Dyer as he patrols the streets of LaPorte. But that number is rapidly declining, with thousands of smaller dairy farms closing for business over the past two decades. The impact of coronavirus and circumstances arising from 2019 have led to the termination of three major executive positions at Fair Oaks Farm. 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. The suit alleges that this led many consumers to believe they were were paying a premium for that standard of care. Fair Oaks, she said, is no longer in its supply chain. Since the video's widespread release showing young calves being abused by Fair Oaks Farms employees, Strack & Van Til, Jewel-Osco and Family Express announced they are pulling Fairlife products from its shelves. 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. "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. We are proud to report that we have not had another incident on our farm.. "I think people are starting to understand that and diving into the dairy issue for their own physical health, animal abuse and environmental impact. "At Jewel-Osco we strive to maintain high animal welfare standards across all areas of our business and work in partnership with our vendors to ensure those standards are upheld. But unlike the retailers, it plans to stick with Fairlife. ARMs Fairlife investigation proved that there is no way to truly know what is happening behind a farm's closed doors. FAIR OAKS, Ind. Organic dairy farms must also allow their cows to be able to graze outside. 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. None of Fairlife's farms are certified organic but shortly after the company (which was founded by a veterinarian) was formed in partnership with the Coca-Cola Company in 2012, it frequently advertised itself as spoiling its cows and adhering to a higher standard of animal care through sustainable farming practices. "This is a much greater investigation and it's still ongoing," Couto said. "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. Charges have been filed by the Newton County Indiana Sheriff's office for alleged animal cruelty at Fair Oaks Farms. Green Matters is a registered trademark. "With recent events involving Fair Oaks Farms, Strack & Van Til will be removing all Fair Oaks and related products until further notice," he said. "We will work with the Newton County prosecutors office to file charges for any criminal activity the independent investigation revealed. There was a problem saving your notification. 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.. Fair Oaks Farms is based in Fair Oaks, Indiana. Please feel free to contact me if you have any comments or questions. If you were horrified by the actions taken at Fair Oaks Farms, youd probably be horrified if you peaked behind the curtain at any industrial dairy farm or slaughterhouse. Fairlife's 2021 stewardship report said it spent more than $8 million on supporting animal welfare standards at its suppliers and exploring new methods and technologies to improve animal care.. For female cows to produce milk for farmers to take, farmers must first artificially inseminate the cows; once a baby is born, farmers must separate mother and calf, otherwise the calf would nurse from his or her mother. 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. | 2 p.m. The controversy led to businesses dropping Fairlife products, including Stack & Van Til, Jewel-Osco and Tonys Fresh Market. To add insult to injury, the abuse is rampant even at Fairlifes 'flagship farm in Indiana' that customers are urged to visit on the products labels.". Those wishing to report any suspected animal cruelty can call 219-474-5661 or 219-234-7014, the department's tip line. 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. She spends her time monitoring traffic and weather reports, scanning crime logs and reading court documents. Topics covered: manufacturing, packaging, new products, R&D, and much more. 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. Individuals across the country have been recently resharing the videos, calling for a boycott on Fair Oaks Farms and Fairlife products. NEWTON COUNTY One of the three men accused of abusing animals at Fair Oaks Farms is in federal immigration custody, according to police. As they considered what may or may not impact their ability to . You can cancel at any time. Is the Government Really Paying Farmers to Destroy Crops and Kill Animals? The undercover video released by nonprofit ARM shows Fair Oaks Farm employees kicking, throwing, stomping on and hitting cows with plastic bottles. He said some people have recently reached out to him asking if they can feel better about purchasing products from the company since the announcement from McCloskey about changes instated for animal welfare. "This is hardly the response you would expect from an organization that gets it. 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. It was evident to the investigator that it was the normal way to do business at the farm, the document read. He released a video statement following the backlash from the Animal Recovery Mission revelations. We didn't spur it on but we are glad it happened. And while it sounds good that Fairlife is conducting third-party audits of its farms, Fairlife does not state what happens if its auditors observe abuse at a farm. "We are proud to report that we have not had another incident on our farm.". Claims like these inspire people to choose these products, because they believe that they are better. The Newton County prosecutors office charged three men accused of abusing young calves at Fair Oaks Farms: Santiago Ruvalcaba Contreros, 31; Edgar Gardozo Vazquez, 36; and Miguel Angel Navarro Serrano, 38. 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. For further information on the progress of our commitments, visit http://fairoaksfarmsprogress.com.". -- Police are investigating allegations of animal abuse at an Indiana dairy farm, the Newton County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday. ET, Webinar It is our position that any companies that come in contact with transportation of our animals, should be well-versed in and adhere to our industry's animal welfare practices which can be found in FARM. Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts. 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. Soon after the footage came out, many consumers vowed to boycott Fairlife, and buy milk from otherdairy brands instead. I have personally reached out to ARM's founder, Richard Couto, to discuss a more symbiotic relationship but he has yet to reach back. 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. Fairlife said the company is taking this incident very seriously. In a statement, the company said the dairy production seen in the video makes up less than 5% of Fairlife's milk supply, however in light of the footage's findings, the company will be putting its other dairy sources under a magnifying glass. 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. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Criminal charges were filed against at least three of the workers. Warning: the video is very disturbing. Fairlife was launched in 2012 as a partnership between Coca-Cola, which distributes its products, and the Select Milk Producers, a co-op of dairy farms that includes Fair Oaks. No court records were available on the remaining defendants. Driver in ditch nearly 5 times the legal limit, Porter County police say. I am disappointed for not being aware of this kind of awful treatment occurring and I take full responsibility for what has happened. After watching the video, the board reviewed compliance records and logs for Fair Oaks Farms and has since been directed to cooperate with authorities. That all seems unlikely, since all this happens behind closed doors, and any of those actions could hurt Fairlifes profits. (WTHR) The Newton County Sheriff's Office has charged three people in connection with the Fair Oaks Farms animal abuse video. 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. The form however, doesn't specifically define what constitutes abuse. Mar 13, 2020. 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. "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. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. A dozen Chicago-area grocers pulled Fairlife from their shelves amid widespread backlash. 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. Times staff writers Joseph S. Pete and Anna Ortiz contributed to this report. The above suit has been transferred to the U.S. Northern District of Illinois courts and the case is ongoing. People have been drinking cow's milk for thousands of years, but the nature of commercial farming has undergone vast changes in the past century. Here's a look at the top 5 trending stories on nwi.com yesterday. 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. But premium milk comes at a premium price. 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. "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. 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. 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. ", "Going undercover in the dairy industry, we always find the same crimes committed against the animals," he said. Approximately 30 dairies support Fairlife; therefore, we are visiting all supplying dairies in person and conducting independent third-party audits within the next 30 days to verify all animal husbandry practices at the farms, including all training, management and auditing practices, Fairlife said in a statement.
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