First published on June 7, 2019 / 12:36 PM. The abuse extends to kicking and beating calves, as well as force-feeding them until they can't breath. The form however, doesn't specifically define what constitutes abuse. Warning: the video is very disturbing. We apologize for any inconvenience," spokeswoman Mary Frances Trucco told CBS Chicago in an email. One of those men has since been apprehended and arrested. 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. On Tuesday, the sheriff's office disclosed the suspects' names. 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. Fair Oaks Farms was the worst abuse towards newborn babies that I have ever seen, Couto said Thursday. 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. 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. With that said, I am disappointed to learn of potential drug use on our properties. 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. 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. Fairlife is aware of the lawsuit and, in a statement provided to TODAY, said: "We are aware of the lawsuit and are reviewing it. 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.. Months ago, when I first learned of the undercover activity, I requested a 3rd party review and we went through a re-training process throughout the dairies. Olivia is the morning cops/breaking news reporter at The Times. Time passed, and the product found its way back onto store shelves. 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 law enforcement. Driver in ditch nearly 5 times the legal limit, Porter County police say. There was a problem saving your notification. Cuoto said, "The answer is no for me. 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. Its signature product is a form of ultrafiltered milk that has more protein and less sugar than traditional milk. All Rights Reserved. We have been flooded with emails to ask if we are still undercover with the dairy industry and asking about Fair Oaks Farms. 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 Farms said five people in the video were identified and four of them are employees at the farm. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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. 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. Family Express, the Valparaiso-based chain of convenience stores and gas stations, was named the best convenience store in the state of Indiana. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. WATCH VIDEO 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 However, this footage was a wake-up call to dairy consumers everywhere. | 11 a.m. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). 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. In response, multiple stores stopped carrying Fairlife products, and numerous consumers boycotted the brand. The group released the video documenting the alleged animal abuse nearly a year later. The video posts also appear to show drug possession and use by farm employees. FAIR OAKS A second video has been released by undercover animal welfare investigators Friday afternoon, showing what the groups says is "an . @CocaCola needs to end this partnership & @fairlife needs to take action on there workers and this situation. #boycottfairlife. FAIR OAKS The Newton County prosecutor says a witness has corroborated allegations from a suspect that an animal welfare investigator encour. In the wake of the first video being released, retailers including Jewel-Osco, Tonys Fresh Market, Casey's and Family Express have stopped selling Fairlife products. UPDATE: Search for Suspects in Fair Oaks Farm Investigation It is heartwarming as investigators to see reemerging interest. The videos showed calves being kicked in the head and being struck with branding irons and iron rods, and dead calves were shown piled in the dirt. {{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, Crown Point schools release redistricting maps, 1 million-square-foot, 'once-in-a-lifetime building' walls erected in new business park, Passed-out motorist found with lit marijuana cigarette, Portage police say, Lake County investigators on scene of death investigation in Winfield, sheriff says, UPDATE: Lake Station police investigating possible homicide; suspect in custody, chief says, Man found dead from gunshot wound in Munster parking lot, coroner says, Kouts nurse practitioner found guilty of dodging federal payroll taxes, Lake Station man charged with murder in connection with deadly shooting, Riverfront district moves forward in St. John. As the larger dairy milk category has struggled, premium offerings have largely been a promising growth story. 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. 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. Claims like these inspire people to choose these products, because they believe that they are better. 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 Farm animal abuse: What we know - The Indianapolis Star "We have staff in the farm sites regularly," she said. A dairy farm in Indiana has come under immense scrutiny after an undercover video released by an animal rights group revealed newborn calves being abused by farm employees. 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. CHICAGO At least eight federal lawsuits have been filed against Fairlife as a result of the alleged animal abuse at Fair Oaks Farms that came to light in early June, and the . 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. "The expos of animal abuse in the Fair Oaks Farm network is chilling. They must also sign the Dairy Cattle Care Ethics Agreement on an annual basis. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. / CBS News. "We've been trying to figure out where this regeneration of the videos has come from. While some stores stopped carrying Fairlife after the 2019 video, it does not appear to be weighing down the dairy brand today. Fair Oaks Farms said five people in the video were identified and four of them are employees at the farm. "I learned about it yesterday," said Richard Couto,Animal Recovery Mission founder. According to the USDA, cows raised on organic farms may not be given growth hormones of any type. 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. "This is a much greater investigation and it's still ongoing," Couto said. So far, there is no evidence that this kind of accusation creates long-term harm for the brands involved. 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 . Fair Oaks Farms is based in Fair Oaks, Indiana. It didn't come from us.". FAIR OAKS An audit of the operations of Fair Oaks Farms should likely be completed early next week. "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. Fortunately, there are endless options when it comes to non-dairy milk, chocolate milk, yogurt, protein shakes, and more. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. That case is ongoing. After watching the video, the board reviewed compliance records and logs for Fair Oaks Farms and has since been directed to cooperate with authorities. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Fairlife Milk: Why Animal Abuse Investigation Prompted Boycotts Fair Oaks Farms said that people were harassing the business and its staff via phone calls, messages, social media and in person during deliveries. 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. While Fairlife has cut ties with Fair Oaks, Couto said eliminating one supplier doesnt eliminate the problem. According to online federal court records, the next hearing will be a remote status hearing on July 15. Dead calves were dumped in mass grave sites by employees, the video shows. A recent video shows abuse of animals located on one of the farm's properties. Farm owner takes 'full responsibility' for alleged animal cruelty - WPTV Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Couto said the videos have now been going viral across all social media platforms, including newer sites like TikTok. In addition to individuals and companies boycotting the business and its products, in June 2019 delivery services were temporarily suspended. Dozens of new signatures popped up on a 2-year-old Change.org petition calling on retailers to drop Fairlife for using Fair Oaks as a supplier, and thousands shared the video. Laws vary by state, but many, like Indiana, stipulate that dairy farms undergo a government-led inspection at least twice a year. 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. You have permission to edit this article. June 7, 2019 / 12:36 PM