Advocacy groups Food & Water Watch Inc. and Organic Consumers have filed a federal lawsuit against Pilgrim's Pride, alleging its practices don't live up to the claims presented in its marketing, reports Bloomberg. According to Pilgrim's Pride's marketing, its chickens are fed "only natural ingredients," treated humanely, and produced in an environmentally responsible way. But in the court documents, the plaintiffs say the birds live in crowded, unsanitary warehouses, are abused by employees, and have debilitating health conditions due to their breed, which was developed to grow fast. Chickens are routinely given antibiotics to speed up their growth and they're fed GMOs, the groups allege.
The advocacy groups are aiming for an injunction and corrective advertising.
In December, the Humane Society of the United States filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission on similar grounds. The organization noted that while the company's website said its birds were being produced "as humanely as possible," in reality, they were not. Pilgrim's Pride removed that wording from several places on its website, but said the change was part of a long-planned update, according to the report. Full Story
Related: Tyson Foods Recalls Chicken Nuggets; Costco Sets Tighter Standards for Antibiotics in Meat.
from Industry Operations http://bit.ly/2TIyR5z
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