Last year, PETA discovered that Welch’s 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 grape juice would be testing on animals, but what we learned was shocking. In one experiment, dogs’ chests were cut open to induce massive blood clotting, and a tube was then attached to their stomachs in order to pump them full of grape juice. Afterward, the experimenter collected blood samples by “fresh puncture” of the dogs’ hearts. In another experiment, hundreds of rats were poisoned with toxic chemicals, fed grape juice, and cut up to observe the effect that it had on their bodies. Those are just a few of the tests that were conducted on innocent dogs, monkeys, rabbits, and rats.
Welch’s New Scientific Research Policy
“As scientific research capability is advancing rapidly, we believe it is appropriate to adopt the following formal policy on Welch’s scientific research … Welch’s will not fund animal research.”
We were horrified to find out that a seemingly wholesome, family-friendly company like Welch’s would fund this kind of cruelty. We immediately wrote to Welch’s urging the company to abandon all tests using animals, but after receiving no positive response from the company, we had no choice but to consider launching a full-fledged boycott campaign. On May 5, PETA sent another letter to Welch’s giving the company one more chance to discontinue all support for animal tests. On May 16, PETA received a statement from the company saying that it would no longer fund or conduct any animal tests.
This is a huge victory for animals who are being tortured and killed in laboratories, and it exposes how ridiculous the vivisection industry is as a whole—torturing dogs and monkeys to promote fruit juice! With this announcement, Welch’s joins other compassionate juice companies like Sunny D, Old Orchard, SunSweet, and many others that have signed PETA’s statement of assurance affirming that they do not fund or conduct any experiments on animals.
Please thank Welch’s 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:
Daniel P. Dillon, President and CEO
Welch Foods Inc.
3 Concord Farms
575 Virginia Rd.
Concord, MA 01742
978-371-1000
askwelchs@welchs.com
You Can Help Create More Victories for Animals
Even though more sophisticated, accurate, and humane alternatives exist, some companies have refused to abandon their funding of cruel animal tests. PETA is urging Ocean Spray, POM Wonderful, and Tahitian Noni to follow in the footsteps of Welch’s and put an end to their outrageous experiments that kill animals.
Please contact these companies and let them know that you won’t support them until they take a stand and stop funding animal experiments:
Contact Ocean Spray
Contact POM Wonderful
Contact Tahitian Noni
More Ways You Can Help
1. Help PETA stop the abuse and suffering of animals in laboratories—and help promote cruelty-free products—by becoming a PETA member today.
2. Watch our video about animal experimentation “Testing … One, Two, Three,” and forward the video link to your friends and family members. Sign PETA’s pledge to only support companies that do not test their products on animals.