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. "We are currently putting actions into place to ensure that this never happens again. The statement that we grow and sell drugs on our farms is false. Fairlife's sales were fast-growing at a time when milk sales have been falling for decades in the United States, and the company just announced in April it planned to build a new $200 million processing plant in Arizona. We anticipate cooperation from both parties in this matter during this investigation.". 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. , Webinar Fairlife, Coca-Cola sued after animal abuse videos exposed at supplier "The expos of animal abuse in the Fair Oaks Farm network is chilling. 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. 219-933-4194, anna.ortiz@nwi.com. However, the spokesperson said the USDA is aware of the video and allegations of animal cruelty must be taken seriously. / CBS News. But somebody shared the video recently on Facebook and it caught fire again, putting Fairlife and Fair Oaks back on the hot seat. "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. Fairlife milk products are available nationwide. The fifth person is a truck driver who works for a third party. The farm is located about 75 miles southeast of Chicago. However, before ARM released its footage of Fair Oaks, Fairlife had made plenty of claims in regards to animal welfare. 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. FAIR OAKS The Newton County Sheriff's Department has requested the names of former Fair Oaks Farms employees shown abusing young calves inavideo released by an animal rights organizationTuesday, according to a department news release. 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. There was a problem saving your notification. Green Matters is a registered trademark. Sour Milk | Successful Farming A roundup of crime stories from throughout the Region during the past 24 hours. He said on Friday, ARM will release another video he described as an hour and a half of consistent abuse.. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. After watching the video, the board reviewed compliance records and logs for Fair Oaks Farms and has since been directed to cooperate with authorities. ", Anna Ortiz is the breaking news/crime reporter for The Times, covering crime, politics, courts and investigative news. Provided. Advancements in reproductive technology have led to more calves being born on farms today, and most conventionally raised cows are now fed a diet of grain versus grass. 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. Because of these laws, there is no way to know for sure what is going on at Fairlifes farms. We will also continue to work with Fair Oaks Farms to ensure specific actions are taken to address this situation and uphold our high standards for animal care.. -- Police are investigating allegations of animal abuse at an Indiana dairy farm, the Newton County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday. Sour Milk. Let Food Dive's free newsletter keep you informed, straight from your inbox. Couto said the next video will allegedly show conversations the undercover investigator had with management acknowledging animal abuse. The video was filmed by a member of Animal Recovery Mission, who got a job at Fair Oaks Farms and went undercover as an employee from August to November of last year, CBS Chicago reports. A Hammond man reported being robbed of guns and cash in Chesterton park, but police have questions. On Tuesday, the sheriff's office disclosed the suspects' names. According to online federal court records, the next hearing will be a remote status hearing on July 15. 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. Fairlife Dairy is facing a new lawsuit after employees were seen abusing calves and cows in undercover footage. ET, Webinar 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.". Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. FAIR OAKS An audit of the operations of Fair Oaks Farms should likely be completed early next week. Charges have been filed by the Newton County Indiana Sheriff's office for alleged animal cruelty at Fair Oaks Farms. 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. A Crown Point woman has filed new claims that she has been harmed by animal cruelty at Fair Oaks Farms. Offers may be subject to change without notice. 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.. The group released the video documenting the alleged animal abuse nearly a year later. In response, multiple stores stopped carrying Fairlife products, and numerous consumers boycotted the brand. (WTHR) The Newton County Sheriff's Office has charged three people in connection with the Fair Oaks Farms animal abuse video. 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The admission building at Fair Oaks Farm has the phrase "Your Adventure Starts Here" written across the front. UPDATE: Criminal probe launched into Fair Oaks Farms employees People are starting to do their own homework on this. Topics covered: R&D, flavor trends, health & nutrition, scientific discoveries, new ingredients, and much more. 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. 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. Fair Oaks Farms is based in Fair Oaks, Indiana. Is the Government Really Paying Farmers to Destroy Crops and Kill Animals? 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. As ARM noted, both Fair Oaks Farms and Fairlife have built their brands around animal welfare. The organization also noticed a surge of interest this week in its nearly 3-year-old Fair Oaks investigation. So far, there is no evidence that this kind of accusation creates long-term harm for the brands involved. They are both owned by Mike McCloskey. After all, it's their product and their livelihood at risk since most calves sell for between $500 - $1,000. Laws vary by state, but many, like Indiana, stipulate that dairy farms undergo a government-led inspection at least twice a year. 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. Provide medical care or rehab for the injured or sick cows? FAIR OAKS, Ind.- Fair Oaks Farms say they will be putting cameras on properties where they have animals. Time passed, and the product found its way back onto store shelves. UPDATE: Criminal probe launched into Fair Oaks Farms employees; companies pull products. 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. "This is rare," Couto said. The dairy sector has seen its share of them. 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. 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. The farm, which promotes itself as an agritourism destination for families and school groups, has documented steps it has taken to improve animal treatment since the video was released. Consumers worried about supporting farms with inhumane practices may look for these brands and labels, which designate dairy producers that comply with the ASPCA's standards. Footage shows Fair Oaks Farms workers dragging calves by their ears, throwing them into small plastic enclosures and hitting them with milk bottles. 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. 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. 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.". "We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience.". There was a problem saving your notification. Family Express CEO and founder Gus Olympidis was honored for his distinguished 44-year career in the convenience store business. 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. Nothing is as important to us as the health and well-being of our animals, read a statement on Fairlifes website at the time of the scandal, as per ARM. Fair Oaks Farms representatives said Saturday no other incidents have happened since the videos were released in 2019. UPDATE: Search for Suspects in Fair Oaks Farm Investigation 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. At Target, a 52-ounce bottle of Fairlife milk sells for $3.39. Fair Oaks Farms owner Mike McCloskey released this statement to WPTV on Wednesday, calling the workers' actions despicable: "This morning I was made aware of an animal abuse video that. 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. three times as many greenhouse gas emissions. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, UPDATE: Death of Winfield woman ruled a homicide, coroner says, 2 Illinois men each sentenced to over 90 years for killing of Portage High School student, UPDATE: Parents discovered battered, deceased Winfield woman; remembered as 'amazing' nurse, KFC is bringing back a fan favorite after a nearly 10-year hiatus, UPDATE: Lake Station police investigating possible homicide; suspect in custody, chief says, Crown Point schools release redistricting maps, History Channel's 'American Pickers' coming back to Indiana, looking for people with antiques, Lake County investigators on scene of death investigation in Winfield, sheriff says, Passed-out motorist found with lit marijuana cigarette, Portage police say, 1 million-square-foot, 'once-in-a-lifetime building' walls erected in new business park, Man found dead from gunshot wound in Munster parking lot, coroner says, Lake Station man charged with murder in connection with deadly shooting, Riverfront district moves forward in St. John. A University of Oxford study found that on average, cows milk produces about three times as many greenhouse gas emissions than vegan milks. It didn't come from us.". "We have staff in the farm sites regularly," she said. The animals depicted in this video do not fall within our authority.. Four employees were fired and a truck driver who worked for a third-party vendor was banned from the farm. According to the USDA, cows raised on organic farms may not be given growth hormones of any type. I also take full responsibility to correct and ensure that every employee understands, embraces and practices the core values on which our organization stands. 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.. It worked. The Newton . As the larger dairy milk category has struggled, premium offerings have largely been a promising growth story. Lawsuits are a part of the regular course of business in today's food and beverage industry. ", "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. 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. On Wednesday, the company issued a new statement on its Facebook page taking "full responsibility" for the matter. WATCH VIDEO Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. By Clinton Griffiths June 10, 2019. Fair Oaks Farms said five people in the video were identified and four of them are employees at the farm. Fairlife is aware of the lawsuit and, in a statement provided to TODAY, said: "We are aware of the lawsuit and are reviewing it. Please enter valid email address to continue. When animals fall within our authorities, USDA acts to prevent animal cruelty such as this. Calumet City mayor taken to hospital after 4-vehicle crash, COVID-19, fallout from animal abuse charges lead to departure of 3 executives at Fair Oaks Farms, document says, New lawsuit filed against Fair Oaks Farms, Ex-Fair Oaks Farms worker gets probation for abusing calves, Plaintiffs suing Fairlife seek class-action status for alleged animal abuse at Fair Oaks Farms, Man accused of abuse at Fair Oaks Farms in ICE custody, police say, Animal welfare group calls claims of investigators encouraging abuse at Fair Oaks Farms 'incredibly false', Moscow reportedly threatened new parents in Ukraine: Register your newborns as Russian or else, The impact of climate change will be felt worse in these three U.S. cities, Scientists reveal hidden corridor in Great Pyramid of Giza, Greece train crash: Public anger grows as death toll rises. , https://t.co/F5bRlpWmVD This had to be the most disgusting & disturbing thing Ive watched. Coca-Cola buys Fairlife, impressed by brand's response to animal abuse USDA has full confidence that Indiana state and local authorities will investigate this particular case and take appropriate action. 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. While the videos and ensuing lawsuits cast negative attention on the Fairlife brand, it has done little to slow its momentum. Farm owner takes 'full responsibility' for alleged animal cruelty - WPTV 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. Fairlife has advertised itself as being high-nutrition, ethically sourced milk, with labels stating that exceptional care was taken "every step of the way," from milking the cows to bottling the final product. 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. "Furthermore, we requested this be elevated to the attorney general of the State of Indiana.". 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.