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ISRAEL OUTLAWS ANIMAL TESTING 06/25/07
I just read an interesting article that states that Israel has passed a law outlawing all animal testing within Israel
for cosmetic and cleaning products. Isn't that fantastic? The law will go into effect immediately. MK Gideon Sa'ar, a
political representative in Israel, proposed the law, saying that "This is an important law that reflects how our society
is changing its regard for animal rights." Unfortunately, while this will save the lives of 2,00-3,000 rats, mice, and
rabbits (cats? dogs? ferrets? who knows?), numerous animals will still be used within Israel
in tests for health/medical industry products. Though at least these animals are (I hope) at least being tortured and/or killed
to save human lives. Also according to the article, Gideon Sa'ar proposed the bill at the urging of his 16-year-old
daughter Daniella, who convinced him that this was a bill that needed to be passed, because the "new generation wants a more
humane society." So, Gideon and Daneilla Sa'ar - you're wonderful people! Thank you so very, very much! I can only hope
that one day, the U.S. will pass this sort of legislation. Anat Refua, the director of Let the Animals Live, a pro-animal
welfare group in Israel, is quoted as saying that she thinks this will keep Israel from becoming the "backyard of cosmetic
companies wanting to test their products." The article suggests that this will keep Israel's policies on animal testing in
line with the EU's policies on animal testing - the EU has already started a process of banning animal testing that will
go into effect in 2013. Unfortunately, while this is a fantastic event, it is not enough. Cosmetics companies that
base their animal testing facilities within Israel will just move their animal testing from Israel to the Philippines
and Vietnam, where animal testing for cosmetics and cleaning products will still be legal, and turn around and sell their
products back to Israel. Luckily, Gideon Sa'ar has also sworn to advance a second bill that will ban the importation of
products tested on animals. He already tried to pass that bill once, but it was defeated by one vote. I really hope this
bill goes through - it will encourage companies not to outsource their animal testing, but instead to create new, more
humane toxicology testing procedures that do not use animals, otherwise they will not be able to sell any products to people
living in Israel. If they want to profit from the Israel market, they will have to not use animal testing. It will also
set an example to the rest of the world. Oddly enough, the article suggests that the U.S. has policies banning animal
testing. This is news to me - I've heard nothing of the U.S. banning animal testing, and I've searched google news and
the API for a few hours now. Maybe I'm just out of the loop though? Maybe the U.S. already bans animal testing for cosmetics
and cleaning products within U.S. borders, and that's why so many are outsourcing their animal testing to places like
Israel? I shall go read lots of fine print on animal testing. Honestly, I'd be thrilled to learn that that is the case,
that the U.S. does ban animal testing (though of course, it's a half-measure, since companies just outsource their animal
testing to other countries). But . . . I really doubt that's the case. In the meantime, as Anat Refua pointed
out, it is important for people living in Israel (and elsewhere!) to "vote with their dollar and check to make sure the
products they purchase are not tested on animals." Not only will this support companies that do not torture animals, it will
encourage the innovation of non-animal-using toxicology methods. http://livingcrueltyfree.wordpress.com/2007/06/24/israel-is-going-to-ban-animal-testing-for-cosmetic-and-cleaning-products/
STOP ANIMAL PATENTS
PETA Goes
After Juice Maker POM For Useless Testing on Rabbits
POM is inserting balloons and inflating them in live rabbits' arteries to test erectile dysfunction and
then killing them. The FDA does not require tests on live animals for food on beverage. POM is doing this only
as a marketing gimmick.
VICTORY!
POM calls off animal testing 3:36 PM, January 26, 2007
VICTORY: POM Promises to End Deadly Animal Tests! Last year, PETA discovered that POM was funding
outrageous experiments on animals in order to make health claims about its products. It's hard to imagine why a company
that makes pomegranate juice would be testing on animals, but what we learned was shocking. In one experiment, balloons
were inflated into live rabbits to study erectile dysfunction! In another experiment, baby mice were suffocated to
the point of brain damage and then had their heads cut off. Those are just a couple of the tests that POM was funding. We
immediately contacted POM, urging the company to abandon all tests using animals, but after being told by the company
that it would continue to fund animal tests, we had no choice but to launch a full-fledged boycott campaign. After
enduring just a few months of PETA's public education campaign about POM's deadly tests, POM has decided to stop funding
and conducting animal tests. In a letter to PETA, Matt Tupper, POM president and CEO, stated: "Neither POM Wonderful
nor its related entities provide funding for ongoing animal testing on POM Juice (or POM Tea). Moreover, there are
no plans to do so in the future." This is a huge victory for animals who are being tortured and killed in laboratories,
and it exposes just how ridiculous the vivisection industry is as a whole-torturing animals to promote fruit juice! With
this announcement, POM joins other compassionate juice companies like Welch's, Naked, Frutzzo, Old Orchard, Lakewood,
and many others that have provided written assurances to PETA affirming that they do not fund or conduct any experiments
on animals. Please thank POM for making the compassionate decision to end all animal tests and for showing that
good health never has to come at the expense of animals' suffering in labs: Matt Tupper, President and CEO POM
Wonderful, LLC 11444 W. Olympic Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90064 310-966-5800 customerservice@pomwonderful.com
POM WONDERFUL Pomegranate Juice Not So Wonderful
PETA's Response:
“POM Wonderful” is the only pomegranate juice
maker that tests on animals, and the tests the company funds are truly hideous.
www.POMHorrible.com
POM Kills Animals
When PETA learned that POM was funding deadly experiments
on animals, we immediately asked the company to meet with us to discuss accurate non-animal test methods such as human clinical
trials. POM refused to abandon animal testing, instead preferring to continue conducting useless experiments that require
researchers to torment and kill animals in laboratories.
Other companies, such as Naked Juice, Frutzzo, Old
Orchard, and Lakewood, make delicious and healthy 100 percent pomegranate juice without harming a single animal—yet
POM has paid experimenters to do the following:
1. Lock week-old mouse pups—whose mothers were fed pomegranate juice—in a chamber
with almost no oxygen for 45 minutes in order to induce severe brain damage. The babies were decapitated, and their brains
were removed for study.
2. Critically
damage the arteries of rabbits in order to simulate erectile dysfunction—a bizarre attempt to suggest that drinking
pomegranate juice might alleviate this ailment.
3. Induce
heart disease (atherosclerosis) in mice who were fed POM—the mice were then killed and cut open to examine their hearts.
[VIDEO]
Studies to determine the health benefits of pomegranate
juice can easily be conducted on willing human volunteers. It has been proved time and time again that non-animal test methods
are more reliable, accurate, and applicable to humans than animal tests are—and more than 20 of POM’s competitors do not fund any experiments on animals.
What You Can Do
1. Refuse to buy POM’s juices or teas until the company
agrees to permanently end animal experiments. If you’re buying pomegranate juice, stick with any of POM’s competitors,
which do not fund animal experiments.
2. Forward this anti-POM video to your e-mail list and ask everyone you know
to join you in boycotting POM.
3. Send POM an e-mail telling the company that you won’t buy while animals die.
4. Call POM’s headquarters at 310-966-5800 and tell
the company what you think about its lethal animal experiments.
5. Help us
spread the “POM Horrible” video around by posting it on your MySpace profile, YouTube page, blog, or personal
Web page. Stream this on your page.
6. Find out if your local health-food store carries POM. If not, thank the store and ask
it to pledge not to carry POM juice until the company ends its deadly tests. If the store agrees, please let us know.
7. If any
health-food store near you does carry POM, meet with the store manager and ask him or her to pull POM from its shelves
until the company agrees to stop funding animal tests. Many stores have already agreed to do so; if you need help, please
let us know.
8. If the
store manager refuses, please collect signatures on this petition and present it to him or her.
9. Spend an hour leafleting outside your local health-food store or any busy area that has lots of foot traffic.
E-mail PETA to request a pack of “POM Horrible” stickers and leaflets
to help spread the word about POM’s deadly experiments on animals.
10. Wear your support!
Check out the new “POM Horrible” apparel at CafePress.com.
11. Spread the word! Forward this page to a friend and encourage everyone you know to boycott POM until the company stops
funding animal tests.
“With the broad range of research alternatives
available today, we at Welch’s have determined that we can remain committed to scientific research … without the
further funding of animal research.”
—Welchs.com
ANONYMOUS ARTICLE ABOUT POM WONDERFUL
POM's wonderfully misleading "snake oil" juice
While surfing the web yesterday I stumbled across a story about
animal rights terrorists possibly poisoning POM Wonderful pomegranate juice. The article stated the Animal Rights Militia
perpetrated this act to send a message to the company that people will not tolerate their unnecessary and inhumane research
on animals. My first reaction was "why would animal activists poison healthy juice sold in organic markets?" I could not fathom
their motivation so I did a little research and I was shocked at what I uncovered. What I uncovered has nothing to do with
animals at all.
It seems the already mega-wealthy owners of the company Stewart and Lynda Resnick bought a farm back
in 1987 that just happened to have a pomegranate orchard on the property. They did nothing with it for years until Lynda decided
that all their orchard really needed was a snazzy health oriented marketing plan to sell pomegranate juice in a sexy bottle.
She developed the familiar looking figure eight juice bottle then plastered photos of the bottle with wild health claims all
over Los Angeles where the company is based. She had her celebrity friends hold bottles for photo ops, gave away free juice
at fashion shows, made a snazzy website and generally did a fantastic job pushing her product as a sexy panacea for the ills
of the modern world. Then she ran into a little trouble from the law, the Federal Trade Commission Act specifically.
The
act stats "advertising must be truthful, not deceptive" and they "must be able to back up their claims." In the Better Business
Bureau's National Advertising Division complaint reports made in 2005 and again in 2006 it seems POM made "advertising claims
that suggest drinking eight ounces of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice each day prolongs life and protects against illnesses
that include heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer." Their ads stated that you could "cheat death" and
their juice could even make you "younger" and even "save your life." I don't know why they didn't add that it could probably
bring about world peace while they were at it.
The NAD stated that "NAD is sensitive to the vulnerability of the target
audience and is committed to ensuring that information is conveyed in a manner that does not overstate the scientific findings
or exaggerate the performance benefits of any food or dietary supplement product.” The result of their report was
"NAD determined that the headlines and photographs that anchor the advertising campaign are" "beyond the realm of puffery
and hyperbole." The end result was that "NAD recommends that POM Wonderful modify or discontinue claims
regarding its Pomegranate
Juice." NAD Director Andrea Levine even stated "These were probably the strongest health-related claims that I'd ever seen"
for a food product. POM Wonderful responded by saying they disagreed with the reports, that their ads were meant to be "humorous"
and "over the top" but in deference to NAD they would change their advertising.
If you go to their POMWonderful.com
website and check out their ads, you can see that they are still using the same over the top "cheat death," "forever young"
and "the antioxidant superpower" ads. This is over a year after their first warning and six months after their last warning.
POM Wonderful seems to believe that they are above the law. Instead of changing their advertising as requested by the Better
Business Bureau, they launched into doing "research" to try to back up
their wild claims.
As per a recent article
it was stated that POM made $91,000,000 annually spending $17,000,000 on research and $12,000,000 on marketing and advertising.
They had carried out 21 research projects and had 44 more in the works. That sounds like a responsible way to back up their
health claims but is it really? So far the research that they've carried out has been very limited human and animal studies.
In order for a research project to be considered legitimate in the scientific
world it would have to be a double blind
study of at least 1,000 subjects. In going through POM's "research," I see a few "studies" of only a handful of human subjects.
I see a few studies with a few animal subjects. These studies have been preliminary studies. The result of these studies has
been "more research is needed." So they intentionally did studies on animals which they had to kill all the while knowing
the results would be meaningless for their claims? I'm no PETA fan but I am against the unnecessary testing and killing
of animals. If it's for a
drug that could save my life, do it. But if it's just for some silly juice claims, no thanks.
They killed rabbits and mice for juice?
Now I'm sitting here scratching my head. They funded studies which they knew
would not give them significant results to back up their wildly exaggerated health claims. That seems like a waste of money
in my book but then I'm not a marketing genius like Resnick here. She realizes that most people will go "They did research?
It could help my health? I'll try it. What's the harm. It's just juice. It's good for me anyway, right?" No one bothers to
read the fine print hidden deep in their website. Then I thought I should take a look to see if pomegranate juice is really
that good for you after all.
Yes, pomegranate juice has antioxidants and other things which have been shown to be good
for your health. But guess what, eating the actual fruit is better for you than POM's highly processed reconstituted juice.
One eight ounce bottle of POM juice has 160 calories and contains 34 grams of sugar, nothing else. One serving of fruit, a
piece of actual pomegranate, is only 80 calories and contains only 15 grams of sugar plus protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals
missing in the
relatively unhealthy POM product. And another thing, pomegranate juice has more calories per ounce than
other fruit juices, sometimes two or three times as many calories, all from sugar. Are extra calories, sugar, processed, reconstituted
foods good for you? Of course not. In one of their human studies they gave sugary processed POM juice to sick, elderly patients.
Was that medically responsible?
Okay, the myth is blown, our eyes are wide open. POM juice is just pomegranate juice
like all the other pomegranate juice that people have drunk for ages. It's not that great for you but why not drink it if
you're going to drink reconstituted processed sugary high caloric pomegranate juice anyway? Well, it seems that POM's fancy
bottle, advertising, research and marketing campaigns don't come cheap. That sexy eight ounce bottle of POM juice sells for
up to $5 or 63 cents an ounce. Walmart sells the same juice for 12 cents/ounce, Costco 10 cents/ounce and Knudsen has their
own juice for 25 cents/ounce. POM juice costs up to six times as much as other similar pomegranate juices.
Finally,
back to the Animal Rights Militia that started my investigation into POM juice. They sent a communiqué that stated they contaminated
POM juice in three stores on the east coast. What did POM do? They sent out a press release stating it was just a hoax and
the press shouldn't spread the story around. Do they know that for sure? No. They haven't even tested any of the juice yet.
Do they tell people not to drink their juice? Do they offer a refund or exchange in case
you already bought juice from
that store? Do they post any information about the threat on their website? Do they even answer emails or phone calls about
how one can tell if their juice bottle had been tampered with? No! It seems they care more about money than people.
I'm
sitting here really confused. Why are people drinking POM juice? Their advertising is misleading. They have no research to
back up their wildly exaggerated health claims. Eating actual fruit is much better for you than drinking high calorie processed
sugary juice. It's more expensive than just about any other brand. Bunnies and mice were treated inhumanely and killed
for no reason. They care more about making money than saving people's lives. What am I missing here? I guess we consumers
are as stupid as Resnick thinks. She's making millions off this stuff. She could sell yellow snow to Eskimos. Resnick is definitely
a modern day snake oil saleswoman extraordinaire.
POM Wonderful company sues people who speak out against them so I
won't be signing my name.
POM UPDATE:
John’s Garden Fresh Takes Action After Learning From PETA That POM
Wonderful
Is ‘POM Horrible’ for Rabbits and Mice
For Immediate Release:
January 4, 2007
Contact:
Shalin
Gala 757-622-7382
Malibu, Calif. — Malibu-based John’s Garden Fresh is putting the
squeeze on juicemaker
POM Wonderful and has pulled POM products from
its shelves. The store will not resume selling the drink until POM
stops
supporting painful and deadly tests on rabbits and mice. John’s
Garden Fresh is joined by longtime PETA pal Pamela
Anderson, who posted
a graphic PETA video about animal experimentation on her hugely popular
Web site, PamelaAnderson.com,
and is urging her legions of fans to
boycott POM. John’s Garden Fresh is the latest health-food store to
join
PETA’s national "POM Horrible" campaign.
In one experiment that POM funded, mother mice were fed POM juice and
their
week-old babies were locked in a chamber with almost no oxygen
for 45 minutes, causing severe brain damage. The babies
were then
killed so that experimenters could dissect their brains. In another
experiment, rabbits’ arteries were
severed in order to cause impotence;
the rabbits were then fed POM juice so that the researchers could study
erectile
dysfunction.
More than 20 of POM’s competitors—including pomegranate-juice makers
Naked Juice, Lakewood,
Old Orchard, and Frutzzo—do not and will not
conduct or fund animal experiments. In addition, Welch’s and Ocean
Spray
recently publicly announced their decisions to stop funding all
experiments on animals following negotiations with PETA.
Juice giant
Welch’s states on its Web site, "With the broad range of research
alternatives available today, we
at Welch’s have determined that we can
remain committed to scientific research … without the further funding
of
animal research."
"POM’s customers will be horrified to find out about these deadly
experiments, and since
none of POM’s pomegranate-juice competitors is
tormenting animals in laboratories, it’s going to be easy to
convince
people to switch brands," says PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich. "We
commend John’s Garden Fresh for
dumping POM and letting the company
know that no ‘health drink’ is worth suffering and dying for."
For Immediate Release
January 4, 2007
POM Wonderful Vice-President Resigns Under Siege
Animal Activists Applaud Her Decision to
No Longer Advocate For Animal Abuse
LOS ANGELES - In an email to the North American Animal Liberation Press Office last week, POM Wonderful's
new public relations firm, Sitrick and Company, announced from Century City, California that Vice President Fiona Posell has
decided to resign and "pursue other interests." Because the company engages in animal testing in order to make health claims
about pomegranate juice, POM has seen legal demonstrations at the homes of its executives in Los Angeles as well as recent
claims alleging product tampering on the East Coast, where an anonymous communique stated that 487 bottles of POM juice had
been tainted.
(full communique at http://www.animalliberationpressoffice.org/communiques/2006-12-14_pom.htm) The Press Office has also received information from the National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Better Business
Bureau, which has recommended POM Wonderful discontinue its "puffery" and hyperbolic health claims regarding its pomegranate
juice. NAD Director Andrea Levine reported that the claims were the strongest she'd ever seen for a food product; yet POM
continues to make outrageous claims that its juice benefits cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's. Two inexplicable
animal experiments which originally alerted People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) involved POM personnel placing
newborn mice in oxygen-deficient chambers to induce brain damage and severing the penile arteries of rabbits in order to claim
that POM juice oxygenates tissues and cures erectile dysfunction. In its own Press Release, POM states that Ms. Possell
cites animal rights activists as the reason for her resignation - but there appear to be obvious professional obligations
to avoid embarrassing the company with an admission that her conscience will no longer tolerate complicity in animal abuse.
Press Officer Lindy Greene states, "When compassionate activists legally exercise their constitutional rights to demonstrate
and speak freely in order to educate the public about a company's immoral business practices, its executives often see the
light and make the ethical choice to leave its employ. I congratulate Ms. Posell on recognizing that vivisection and fruit
juice are an immiscible combination and wish her well in her future endeavors."
From Gentle Strength Cooperative (Tempe AZ) director Nancy Ryan.
What we do for the well-being of all creatures, we do for ourselves.
January, 2007
The co-op pulled POM products from its shelves. A
PETA member (and a Gentle Strength) alerted the Co-op about this problem. She also informed us that the response
from Whole Foods regarding POM was that it would not pull the product from their shelves because customers had other
products to choose from.
I think that says it all. The Co-op again supports its mission
statement of people over profits.
In line with this, be aware of the tinkering by the USDA
with its petitions from growers to use synthetics. We can expect these organic standards to be watered down
to a level where it no longer can be considered organic. Because of this, the Co-op has increased its diligence
in locating sources of produce and products that exceed the USDA certification standards.
http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/pom_horrible
Ask POM to Tell the Truth About Its Animal-Testing Plan
In response to public outcry over crude animal tests conducted by POM and the decision by more than 20 retailers to pull its products from
their shelves, the juice company has issued a statement to retailers claiming that it "has ceased all animal testing" and
it has "no plans to do so in the future." While we hope this is true, PETA is dubious about this claim for a couple of reasons.
First, we know that POM had made a commitment with the U.S. Department
of Agriculture to fund an animal experiment through June 30, 2007, that involves forcing elderly rats to balance on a spinning
rod and find a hidden platform submerged in a water maze to try not to drown. POM's reported funding of this experiment calls
into question the assertion by the company's owners that "[a]ll animal testing for POM Wonderful pomegranate juice ended last
year."
Second, in a meeting with a PETA representative last summer, POM president
Matt Tupper said that POM could deceive the public by declaring itself "cruelty-free," while animal testing on its behalf
could continue to be funded by the Stewart and Lynda Resnick Trust, an affiliate set up by the company's owners.
Rest assured that PETA will not call off its campaign until POM signs PETA's
assurance statement or states in writing that neither POM nor its affiliates will fund experiments on animals for its products,
including its juices, teas, and supplements.
Click here to read PETA's January 18, 2007, letter to POM.
Please tell POM that you won't buy its products until it permanently bans
all experiments on animals, including those conducted on its behalf by the Stewart and Lynda Resnick Trust.
Click here to take action:
http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/pom_horrible
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