POM to stop testing beverages on animals

[Pansypuss]

Has anyone read this?
http://www.caringconsumer.com/products_juice.asp

[harpy]

Yes, I have just written to complain. I sometimes bought that POM Wonderful stuff, overpriced as it is, but no more, until they change their tune.

[pixeequeen]

That's interesting: Sunny delight are listed as a good company. I thought I'd heard they were animal testers so never have bought the stuff. Did I make this up then?

Orange juice makes me want to yak anyway, but on the offchance I get a craving for fruity sugar juice or sugary fruit juice

[Maisiepaisie]

Sunny Delight is made by Procter & Gamble so I don't get why its listed either

[aubergine]

Sunny Delight should be avoided if you like your health too. probably the only soft drink that has more sugar than coke.

[Gorilla]

i read about this in PETA's Animal Times magazine. i also thought it was strange that they were listing Sunny D as a fruit juice made by a non-animal testing company, as i always thought it was made by P&G. i was totally disgusted by the whole thing and even though a couple of the companies say they don't test any more, i don't think i could forgive them for inflicting such pointless suffering on these animals and i still won't buy their products.

[Imapeach]

That is shocking!

I heard once that Australian made apple juice was not vegan because Green Tree Frogs would fall into the barrels as the apples were being picked and then get mushed up with the fruit! But I searched and searched for info on this and found nada. In the end I figured out that it was somebody trying to sell a certain brand of apple juice who'd made this story up and this was their way of marketing it to gullible people But for a short time there I was off apple juice!

[Roxy]

Thank you Pansypuss, for posting this info. I had no idea that this type of thing happened

I have sent an email to POM and forwarded the action alert to friends and family, in the hope that they will boycott POM and send an email also.

[IndigoSea]

URCH!!
I used to LOVE PomWonderful! D:

Never ever buying any of their products EVER again!

[Pansypuss]

Hope we make a difference. I wrote to them and said I was going to broadcast what they were doing to a wide audience. Will it be enough to get it stopped? What else can be done? Unfortunately it seems to me that when it comes to trying to make things better we take 3 steps back for every two steps forward.

[Roxy]

I guess we can try and look on the bright side. Other companies such as Welch's and Ocean Spray, no longer conduct animal testing - so given enough pressure, hopefully Pom will change their ways too. It's all about the mighty dollar - and if enough people stop buying their products AND let them know why they don't buy them anymore........well you never know.

[Sheila]

I'm still waiting on my response from POM?

[Daffy]

How repulsive.

There is no legitimate reason fruit juice needs to be tested on animals.

I don't buy it anyway, and I'm certainly not about to start.

[Angel]

It crazy how there are companies that will test anything and everything on animals.
What the heck is wrong with people?!
Animal testing should be banned everywhere.

[IndigoSea]

Loving that graphic! Did you make it?

[Sheila]

Loving that graphic! Did you make it?

No. I got that from one of my friends.

[harpy]

I haven't heard back from them either, Sheila, but I wouldn't necessarily expect to

For what it's worth, I think it's a good idea when writing these letters to mention that you are, or used to be, a loyal customer but that you're not going to buy their products any more until they change their policy - perfectly true in my case. If you weren't a customer anyway they're less likely to take notice, is my theory.

[lozza]

its strange that peta listed sunny delite as one of the good guys, since its owned by procter & gamble.

but i've noticed peta tends to get it wrong sometimes. they listed nivea as an ethical non-testing company *rolls eyes*

how many people went out & bought sunny d after reading their website, i wonder.


edit:
i've just had a thought. perhaps p+g dont test that particular product on animals? highly unlikely, i know but possible.

[Sheila]

I haven't heard back from them either, Sheila, but I wouldn't necessarily expect to

For what it's worth, I think it's a good idea when writing these letters to mention that you are, or used to be, a loyal customer but that you're not going to buy their products any more until they change their policy - perfectly true in my case. If you weren't a customer anyway they're less likely to take notice, is my theory.

I hate not getting a reply from a company so I sent them another request stating that I could not resume purchasing their product until I knew for sure that they didn't test. I'll just keep re-forwarding the same email until someone answers me.

[keykeypie]

Oh....if you're emailing them, why not send a link to this discussion on these boards????

[Sheila]

Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns with us. Kindly refer to the letter below which was sent to PETA regarding POM Wonderful and animal testing:

Dear Mr. Benjamin:
Thank you for sharing your concerns about our medical research program in your letter dated June 1, 2006. We have read and appreciate your opinion and would like to take this opportunity to share our company’s position on this important topic.
PETA is asking POM Wonderful to join the ranks of companies like Sunny Delight, SunSweet, Welch’s, Old Orchard, and Campbell’s in signing PETA’s statement renouncing animal research. However, there is an important difference between our products and theirs: POM Wonderful pomegranate juice offers uniquely potent, scientifically-proven health benefits that are worthy of continued medical research.
POM Wonderful is proud to offer the highest quality natural products that enable people to live healthy lives. And we are committed to supporting rigorous scientific research aimed at discovering the truth about how pomegranates affect human health.
It now appears that pomegranate juice may play an important role in significantly improving prostate health. According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, prostate cancer affects 1 in 6 males in the US, and a man dies from prostate cancer every 19 minutes. At the May, 2005 annual meeting of the American Urological Association, researchers from UCLA presented stunning results from an ongoing study that follows 48 men with advanced prostate who drink pomegranate juice daily. The researchers found that it took significantly longer for PSA (the biological marker for prostate cancer) levels to double, indicating that cancer growth had slowed. Further phases of this study have shown even more promising results.
This is one example of how pomegranate products may offer significant health benefits. We will not turn our backs on the opportunity to help improve people’s lives, and therefore we believe it is essential to support sound scientific research aimed at learning how pomegranates benefit human health.
Our research program provides funding to the world’s leading academic and medical institutions whose researchers follow a comprehensive, scientific investigation process.
This process starts with basic test-tube research and then progresses to controlled studies in both animals and humans. Only by completing this comprehensive range of research activities can scientists confirm that a product is both safe and truly effective at promoting good health.
As a matter of principle, we avoid funding animal testing wherever possible. However, there are situations in which animal studies can help scientists better understand the powerful health benefits of pomegranates. In the case of prostate cancer, for example, researchers need to learn why pomegranate juice works more powerfully in some men versus others, and animal testing can provide unique clues to the mechanisms of action.
Where it is scientifically justified to proceed with animal studies, we only provide funding to institutions accredited by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of the Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC) or by an equivalent body. Researchers must treat the animals humanely, and they must strictly comply with local, state and federal regulations and guidelines related to animal studies. Additionally, we have never funded research studies that use dogs, cats, or primates. Furthermore, POM Wonderful is not pursuing any new health studies that involve feeding animals pomegranate juice.
In recognition of the importance of humane animal treatment, we have decided to initiate an audit of all funded research institutions to ensure that they are in full compliance with AAALAC and regulatory requirements.
Pomegranate juice may offer health benefits in areas that where only animal studies can provide researchers the information they need. For example, as published in Pediatric Research (June, 2005), researchers concluded that consuming pomegranate juice during pregnancy may protect newborns from brain damage caused by lack of blood and oxygen during premature and other irregular births. These findings were made possible by mice studies that could not be conducted on human infants.
Our organization is made up of passionate people who care deeply about improving the world around us. We care about human health and wellness, the environment, and animal welfare. In fact many of us are devoted pet owners, and many of our pets are themselves rescue animals. Although we aim to avoid animal studies whenever possible, we do choose to fund such research when we believe that it will help to improve the human health condition. We are not ashamed of this fact.
We hope that you can respect our company’s position on this issue, just as we respect yours. Further, we ask that should you wish to share our views with your members, you reproduce the entirety of this letter so that your members can benefit from the full context of our statement.
With best regards,
POM Wonderful




From: Sheila Vegan [mailto:info@vegancharlotte.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 05, 2006 10:09 AM
To: POM - Customer Service
Subject: Customer Inquiry


I am still waiting on a response from someone about whether you test on animals or not. I have loved your juice but cannot purchase it not knowing if you are testing on animals or not. The following graphic is what is being circulated on the Internet. Would you please confirm this?







Thank you,

Sheila Jenkins

Charlotte, NC

[Sheila]

My Response:

Dear Sirs,

Thank you for responding.

As you have made your decision so have I. I will never purchase your products again. I will also be posting this email in it's entirety on my web sites so that every other caring consumer who reads it will know where you stand.

I will also be sure to share with everyone I know what a wonderful company you are.

Sincerely,
Sheila Jenkins

[Sheila]

Their Response,

Thank you for taking the time to read through our letter to PETA. Please feel free to fwd it on to your friends, or print it out for those concerned or interested in our position with this matter. Again, thanks for taking the time to read the letter in its entirety.
Sincerely,
POM Wonderful Customer Service

I just don't get some companies?

[Tigerlily]

This makes me angry! On the news last night, there was a segment on how wonderful this juice was. They only mentioned POM brand, it was like a freaking 10 minute commercial pretty much. My mom seemed really interested, especially since they said it helped cancer patients (my aunt recently passed away from cancer). I hope my mom doesn't buy POM. I should mention something to her but I doubt she'd get it. She doesn't even understand why we should use recycled toilet paper!

[tsunami]

Used to love that juice until we found out that they did testing...it's so pointless. Most of the things they "discover" were already known for an extremely long time by the people who lived in regions where they grew. Why not ask the people and test it on sick people instead of making innocent lives suffer... At least some companies got smart changed for the better.

[harpy]

To me that's funding animal testing for marketing purposes, so that they can say that their product cures x illness. (I don't suppose they will be warning people with the wrong kind of prostate cancer that they're wasting their time drinking it ). So they can put their pomegranate juice where the sun don't shine as far as I'm concerned.

At least they replied. Wonder what they mean "Furthermore, POM Wonderful is not pursuing any new health studies that involve feeding animals pomegranate juice." Does that mean they're going to stop doing animal testing when the tests they're already funding end? Doesn't seem to square with the rest of what they're written .

[Sheila]

They are not going to stop. I think if there is even a hint that they can bolster their health claims with some new animal test they'll do it!

The problem is that they are not testing on cats and dogs. Don't take that wrong. If a person in the general population can associate a company testing on their pet (dog/cat) they might get upset and there would at least be a chance of an outcry.

Most people out there think well it's only a mouse/rat and rodents are nasty anyway. They don't get upset and really just don't give a sh*t.

Sheila

[Melanie]

Have sent an e-mail. Ughh

[Tigerlily]

I don't know if this was mentioned already in this thread but I boycott POM Wonderful products now (juices, iced teas, and the real pomegranate fruits they supply).

[harpy]

I don't buy their pomegranate juice any more - not sure I've seen any of their other stuff here but if I did I wouldn't buy it either

[Tigerlily]

I know! Plus they over charge!

I went to the Middle Eastern store and picked up some pomegranate juice (Middle Eastern brand) that was twice as much as POM juice bottles and only $3!

[Roxy]

Yes, I wouldn't buy POM either. Unfortunately, my boyfriend, who manages a produce department of a grocery store, tells me that it's very popular

I told him about their animal testing and he wants to stop carrying it, but his company won't allow it

I've never tried pomegranate juice. I'm going to make an effort to. There's a middle eastern store opened up just behind my building - maybe I'll see what they've got.

[Tigerlily]

It has a strong taste. Sometimes I like and sometimes I don't. I reminds me of a cross between prune juice and cranberry juice. It's a good source of iron, though.

[Roxy]

Is it thick like a nectar or thin like a juice?

[Tigerlily]

It's not thick like a nectar but it's not thin. I can't see through a glass of it. Thick like prune juice...if you ever had it.

[Roxy]

I've never had prune juice, but I know what you mean. I think I'll give it a go.

[Tigerlily]

Good, prune juice is nasty.

[harpy]

I'm sure we have got a thread about this company somewhere but I can't find it. Mods, could you very kindly put this post where it belongs?

For what it's worth I think the sabotage business was deplorable, even if it was a hoax, but I'm glad they've stopped doing the tests.

http://cbs5.com/business/local_story_018014431.html

Jan 17, 2007 10:43 pm US/Pacific

POM To Stop Testing Beverages On Animals
(CBS 5) LOS ANGELES POM Wonderful, the maker of pomegranate juice and teas, said Wednesday it would stop testing its products on animals in response to growing pressure from animal activists and an ultimatum from Whole Foods Market Inc., the nation's largest natural-foods grocery chain.

POM Wonderful claims its beverage products can help with everything from heart conditions to aging, but critics said that the animal testing the company used to arrive at those claims amounts to death in a bottle for animals.

Hours after Whole Foods Market threatened to yank POM products from store shelves Wednesday, the Los Angeles-based beverage company said it would halt further animal testing.

"We feel it is important for you to know that POM Wonderful pomegranate juice has ceased all animal testing, and we have no plans to do so in the future," said POM owners Lynda and Stewart Resnick in a statement.

The move comes after Wild Oats Markets Inc., another natural-foods grocer, pulled POM products from its shelves in December after an animal rights group claimed to have poisoned nearly 500 bottles of pomegranate juice.

The group charged that POM Wonderful deprived mice of oxygen and cut rabbits' arteries in order to test the juice's health benefits.

"Those who drink the contaminated juice won't die like the animals in POM labs, but the diarrhea, vomiting and headaches will hopefully send a strong message," read a letter posted as a "communique" on the Web site of the North American Animal Liberation Press Office.

The message was apparently received.

At a Whole Foods store in Campbell, orders for POM Wonderful had already been discontinued Wednesday, months in advance of the grocer's April 1 ultimatum to POM to stop testing on animals or be pulled from the shelves.

(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

[fiamma]

For what it's worth I think the sabotage business was deplorable, even if it was a hoax

I agree harpy. That's great news though

[Bic]

Why someone would test pomegranate juice on animals in such sick ways is beyond me.
I'm glad they're no longer going to be doing tests, but I still won't buy their products. Partly because I despise their ethics in general, but also because pomegranate juice that I've had from other brands tastes like vomit to me.

[harpy]

I do like pomegranate juice, and I used to buy POM Wonderful until I heard about the animal testing business, but I've gone right off the company because of all this

I suppose campaigns like this are predicated on the idea that if they stop doing what you don't like you will resume buying the product, but irrationally enough I don't want to in this case.

Whole Food Markets seems to come out of it OK. They are the ones who've bought Fresh & Wild (UK wholefood chain) I think?

[fiamma]

It's not irrational at all, harpy. If a company stoops low enough as to test their products on animals, then changes policy just because their sales will suffer if they don't, doesn't smack of great ethics to me. That's not a company I'd want to support.

[harpy]

I agree, Fiamma, but if everyone took that line than the campaigns wouldn't work because the company would have lost the sales whatever they did, if you see what I mean.

Still, to take a wider view the whole thing may send a bit of a message to companies about completely pointless animal testing of consumer products

[karmadust]

while i agree that a company who stops testing because they will lose business isn't necessarily ethical, i think it's important to show support when decisions like that are made. if sales continue to drop, they may start using animals again. or on the other hand (and this is what i'm always trying to take into consideration) if similar companies see that sales go up when animal testing stops, they are much more likely to stop testing themselves (and make a big deal out of it for the media's sake, which will in turn impact other companies).

companies in a capitalistic system are all about making money, that's just the way it goes...no one is going to be able to change that without creating an entirely new economical system, and since that's unlikely to happen, i think it's important to support companies that can find a way to increase sales without harming animals.

if you strongly disagree with this concept of money money money, i suggest going freegan and stop supporting capitalism alltogether.

[snaffler]

Hitting a company in the pocket is non-violent direct action and the most effective way to show a company that consumers will not support pain and suffering over profit. I support this form of protest 100% it's peaceful protest.

[rantipole]

I don't think that the unsuspecting person who got diarrhea from this protest would find it very peaceful. It's crap like this that give the animal rights movement a bad name. By all means, protest an unethical company, but leave innocent people out of it.

Cheers,
rant

[karmadust]

i am totally supportive of non-violent direct action - although this forum will not allow discussion of anything outside the system, so there's not much we can say about it - but i do think that making innocent people ill who probably have no idea that the product is tested on animals, isn't the best course of action.

HOWEVER, having said that - were the drinks *actually* poisoned? if not, then i would say this was a pretty brilliant and effective strategy. no one was hurt, a ton of publicity was raised, and the company was scared into changing its policies.

[harpy]

Either they poisoned the drinks, or they lied. Either way, I don't want to live in a society where decisions are made on the basis of such actions.

[Mahk]

Harpy, I agree. The actions of these people are what gets those "AETA" laws passed so quickly and easily, in the US. A few "bad apples" out there make the whole AR movement look like all of us are jerks.

P.S. On a slightly unrelated matter, am I the first person to point out that the acronym "AETA" is obviously designed to invoke thoughts of "PETA"?

[Roxy]

It's really a form of terrorism isn't it? Using threatening behaviour to try and intimidate. I don't agree with it.

Whilst I think it's absolutely fantastic that POM are going to stop their animal testing practices, I still won't be buying from them. Not just because of their previous ill treatment of animals, but also because their products are a rip-off!