Butterball faces Thanksgiving boycott after PETA raises turkey abuse allegations
Butterball is facing renewed allegations of abuse, prompting some Americans to boycott the largest turkey producer just days before Thanksgiving.
As millions of people across the United States prepare their full Thanksgiving menus, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) drew attention to its undercover investigation of a Butterball manufacturing plant in Ozark, Arkansas, which took place between -April and July 2006. .
On November 5, the non-profit organization posted a clip of an interview with an anonymous investigator, who said he witnessed incidents of sexual abuse of live turkeys at the Butterball factory.
In the graphic video, an undercover employee accused a Butterball employee of sticking a finger in the turkey’s cloaca, or genitalia. Another employee allegedly “exploded” the turkey when it was blocked.
The clip then cuts to a photo of the Butterball plant, which PETA has reported “slaughters about 50,000 birds each day.”
The leaked footage also showed an employee sitting on a turkey, while another clip showed an employee kicking the bird. “I took the f*** out of the motherf***er,” they said.
Some Americans are boycotting Butterball turkey this Thanksgiving amid resurgent abuse allegations (Getty Images)
In the coroner’s witness statement, he said he saw Butterball workers “hitting live birds with handcuffs,” and another worker “choked a bird to death.”
“One worker said he likes to kill birds for ‘fun,’ and pointed to one he had hit in the face,” he wrote in the witness statement, as another note read: “The worker violently chained the birds and caught one. around his neck, another worker growled a bird whose legs and head were tied to a chain.”
This resurfaced photo has caused many people on social media to announce that they will no longer buy Butterball turkey for their Thanksgiving dinner.
“This BREAKS MY HEART,” one TikTok user commented under a reposted clip of the PETA investigation.
“I just bought a Butterball turkey today and will definitely be returning it tomorrow first thing in the morning,” another person wrote.
Meanwhile, a woman posted a TikTok video of her returning the Butterball turkey she bought “after allegations of (sexual abuse) in South Africa.”
PETA Rereleases Videos From 2006 Undercover Investigation of Butterball Factory in Arkansas (PETA)
Talking to Daily MailAmber Canavan – PETA’s vegan campaign project manager – explained that the online response from people boycotting Butterball “is exactly what any animal advocate wants to see right before Thanksgiving.”
“We’re just seeing a lot of people rushing around this year,” he said. “It’s never too late to go out and grab that roast beef.” Avoid that turkey from the horrors of the slaughterhouse.”
However, Butterball has since denied PETA’s efforts to boycott the manufacturer’s turkey, specifically pointing out that the undercover investigation took place nearly 20 years ago.
“We are aware of a video from almost 20 years ago, which is being re-shared on social media. “This video is not current and does not reflect our animal welfare policies,” a Butterball spokesperson said in a statement. The Independent.
“Animal care and welfare is central to who we are as a company, and we are committed to properly caring for our herds. That means maintaining the health and well-being of our turkeys is an ongoing effort. “
A spokesperson explained that Butterball has an annual third-party audit to ensure facilities comply with “200+ science-based best practice standards for turkey care.”
An estimated 293.5 million Americans plan to eat turkey this Thanksgiving (Getty Images)
They added: “Butterball was the first and still the only Turkish company to be certified American Humane. We are proud to be one of the three turkeys on the table this Thanksgiving. “
The US Department of Agriculture estimates that 46 million turkeys are eaten on Thanksgiving. That’s about 21 percent of the 216.5 million turkeys produced in the US each year.
According to the 2024 Butterball Togetherness Report, 87 percent of Americans host a Thanksgiving dinner with a turkey. This means that approximately 293.5 million people will eat turkey on Thanksgiving in 2024.
Despite the fact that the turkey takes center stage on many Thanksgiving dinner tables, some Americans have declared that this bird is their favorite Thanksgiving meal.
In a survey conducted by Vacationer, which asked 1,042 American adults what traditional Thanksgiving food they liked and disliked, nearly 35 percent of Americans considered turkey to be their least favorite.
Stuffing or dressing ranked second favorite with at least 32 percent of participants, followed by ham at about 32 percent.
