World's Largest Pork producer Sued for Misleading Customers on Welfare Issues

​worldanimalnews.com/hsus-sues-worlds-largest-pork-producer-smithfield-foods-for-not-eliminating-gestational-crates-as-promised/

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has officially filed a lawsuit against Smithfield Foods, the largest producer of pork on our planet, for intentionally misleading consumers on the use of gestation crates. The company claimed in 2007 that they would eliminate the use of gestation crates for mother pigs within ten years and over the years, claimed to be in the process of doing so. AN investigation revealed that Smithfield Foods had only rotated the mother pigs out of the crates but that they were very much still in use, despite messaging that would suggest otherwise.

Gestation crates are undeniably cruel and have long been an issue within the industry as animal welfare and activism have continued to pick up steam throughout the years. Gestation crates confine mother pigs to a space so small, they are unable to even turn around and can barely move from left to right. These crates confine mother pigs to a space to feed their babies causing both mother and children an insurmountable amount of stress. Babies can't nuzzle their moms or get comfort while mothers can only watch their babies from behind the metal rods of their crates. They cannot comfort their babies or nurture them, and often have to watch in horror as their babies suffer illnesses, diseases, or death.

Ten US states have passed laws to ban or restrict the use of crates while other states have banned the sale of pork products from companies that continue to use the crates. The fact is, gestation crates are animal cruelty and mother pigs suffer tremendously because of these crates. Smithfield Foods has made claims regarding their discontinued use of gestation crates over the years to appease concerned consumers and activists when they in fact, have made almost no changes to their current operations. They are perpetuating a constant cycle of abuse and selling it as new and improved animal welfare. They have spent years capitalizing on concerned consumers while allowing the continued suffering of pigs on their facilities. 

While I would argue that it's a touch hypocritical for a pork consumer to care about how the pigs live prior to their being brutally slaughtered, the fact is that the concerns are there and have been for years regarding gestation crates. Smithfield Foods blatantly advertised that they were phasing them out with absolutely no intention of doing so. I hope this lawsuit brings to light the absurdity of their claims and exposes their lies to their consumers. The fact is, animal agriculture will do anything to continue to profit, even if it means misleading consumers. We should never be surprised when we hear that there were lies from an industry that profits off of the mass suffering of animals.

​I will update this story as more information becomes available.

HAPPY VEG