Second largest Israeli food and beverage company bans animal testing
Following criticism regarding a recent study in which mice were starved, killed and dissected, Strauss Group announced that it is banning animal testing.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFA supporter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) lies on the pavement next to the Centre Pompidou modern art museum, also known as Beaubourg, to raise awareness on World Vegan Day, in Paris, France, November 1, 2017.(photo credit: REUTERS)
Following criticism regarding a recent study in which mice were starved, killed and dissected, Strauss Group announced that it is banning animal testing after discussions with the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) organization.Strauss group is the second-largest food and beverage company in Israel and co-owner of the hummus brand Sabra. The controversial test that spurred the band included feeding mice a low-fat, high-fat, and ketogenic diet, later starving them 12 hours before killing and dissecting them. Some of the mice were starved for 20 hours each day for eight weeks.PETA's complaint came due to the fact that the ingredients used in the test were common and non-toxic, which could have been done on human volunteers and through other non-animal methods.PETA Senior Vice President of International Campaigns, Jason Baker, thanked Strauss Group for banning animal testing, saying that "Strauss Group did the right thing by ending cruel experiments in which gentle animals are starved, poisoned, and killed and which are irrelevant to human health. PETA is calling on food and beverage companies still clinging to cruel and archaic animal tests to follow Strauss Group's example and leave these unsavory practices behind."Strauss Group joins a list of major food companies that have banned animal testing, which among others include: Barilla, The Coca-Cola Company, General Mills, The Hershey Company, House Foods, Kellogg Company, Kikkoman, Lipton, Ocean Spray, PepsiCo, POM Wonderful LLC, and Welch's.PETA is a well known animal rights organizations aimed at countering speciesism, the notion that humans are superior to animals.
