Nestlé Announces Big Changes To Animal Welfare Practices

Nestlé, the largest food company in the world by revenue, has announced industry-leading changes to its animal welfare program intended to eliminate "many controversial-yet-currently-standard practices within its worldwide food supply chain," the company announced on Thursday, August 21.

The company's products include baby food, breakfast and dairy products, ice cream, frozen food, pet food, and others. Among its most valuable properties are Nespresso, Nescafé, Kit Kat, Poland Spring, San Pellegrino, and Nestlé Purina Pet Care.

In particular, Nestlé has pledged to overhaul the following practices: "confinement of sows in gestation crates, calves in veal crates and egg-laying chickens in cages; the forced rapid growth of chickens used for meat products; and the harsh cutting of the horns, tails, and genitals of farm animals without painkillers."

Furthermore, Nestlé will begin promoting the Meatless Monday movement on its Lean Cuisine product packaging.

With these new animal welfare reforms, Nestlé has promised to usher in the end of "selective breeding practices that compromise the health of animals in order to achieve accelerated growth," and move the global company away from a production system "that is callous and unforgiving toward animals," Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, announced in a blog post. 

"We are pleased to work with our colleagues in the field on such a major advance in farm animal welfare and sustainable agriculture," wrote Pacelle. "We applaud Nestlé's leadership for this game-changing commitment."