UNITED STATES-NO TO ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS-An animal-rights group unsuccessfully tried Tuesday to get Hormel Foods Corp. to label all of its meat packages with information on the greenhouse-gas emissions "footprint" caused by making the products.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals representative Stephanie Downs read a statement in support of PETA’s resolution during Hormel Foods’ annual stockholders meeting Tuesday night at Austin High School.
Downs urged shareholders to pass the labeling resolution to "bring transparency about Hormel’s environmental impact."
Stockholders voted to oppose the resolution by PETA, which owns 100 shares of stock in Hormel and typically has a representative read a statement at the annual meeting.
Hormel officials plan to give the vote tally later.
In its resolution, PETA stated that meat production is the leading cause of climate change, and some food companies already have started labeling products with per-serving greenhouse-gas emissions information, according to a news release from the group.
Hormel chief executive officer Jeffrey M. Ettinger said the company has stated publicly its goal to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions from the production and delivery of its products.
"We are unable to provide accurate, reliable information on the impact of greenhouse gases per food product due to the lack of universally accepted standards," Ettinger said.
If Hormel agreed to PETA’s request, competing food processors wouldn’t be held to comparable labeling standards because federal agencies don’t have greenhouse gas labeling standards, Ettinger said. That likely would result in confusing, misleading information being provided to consumers, he said.
According to studies cited by PETA, raising animals for food generates more greenhouse-gas emissions than all of the cars, SUVs, trucks and planes in the world combined. Switching to a vegan diet also is more effective in countering climate change than changing from a standard car to a Toyota Prius, according to the group’s release.
"If meat is on the menu, so is a hefty serving of greenhouse gases," PETA senior vice president Tracy Reiman said in the release. "Consumers have a right to know how much Hormel’s conversion of animals into meat is contributing to climate change."
