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Morrissey sang that meat is murder, and PETA couldn't agree more. But shoppers at Whole Foods could long console themselves that their cuts came from friendlier farms than most. Now People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is suing the posh supermarket chain, claiming that its humane meat rating system is a farce.
PETA, in a class action lawsuit filed in California on Monday, says that Whole Foods barely surpasses national meat standards and is deceiving shoppers. Animals are living in poor conditions, despite the five-step rating system which grades suppliers based on their creatures' quality of life, among other factors. Whole Foods, meanwhile, believes that PETA manipulated a pig farm video posted to prove the suit's validity.
To put PETA's claims in perspective, Whole Foods spokesman, Michael Silverman, recalled the activist group's ambitions. "It is important to remember that PETA's mission is a total end to animal agriculture and animal meat consumption," he wrote in an email to the Guardian.
But the supermarket chain cannot afford to be too disdainful, as activist tendencies are strong in its shoppers, too. People pay more for meat that gets better grades. The meat rating system at Whole Foods is meant to reassure shoppers that the animals they eat are treated well and live happily before becoming barbecue.
Whole Foods upholds six steps in its meat grading system:
Whole Foods stores boast posters noting the hundreds of hoops that farmers jump through to be certified by the supermarket. These signs are designed to reassure caring carnivores that they are paying for the highest standards possible.
PETA says it filed the class action lawsuit on behalf of such aggrieved high-end meat eaters. The class is seeking damages for the difference in price between the quality of meat they thought they bought and the price of factory farmed cuts.
According to Jared Goodman, director of animal law for PETA, "We just want Whole Foods to stop this misleading advertising and give consumers the opportunity to make this educated decision."
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