ALDF Files Lawsuit Against Hormel over “Natural” Claims

The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) has reportedly filed a lawsuit against Hormel Foods challenging the company’s Natural Choice®
brand of lunch meats and bacon, which it advertises as “100% Natural” and “All-Natural.” In a June 30, 2016, press release, an ALDF attorney argued that the Natural Choice® meats “come from the same pigs and the same giant, factory slaughterhouses that are used for the company’s canned Spam® products” and that the products are treated with “acid starter culture” to produce artificial preservatives.

“Meat companies like Hormel have been quick to pounce on misconceptions about what ‘natural’ means,” Animal Legal Defense Fund Executive Director Stephen Wells was quoted as saying in the press release. “As an organization dedicated to transparency in animal agriculture and truth in meat advertising, the Animal Legal Defense Fund is standing up to vindicate the rights of deceived consumers and to prevent Hormel from wrongfully gaining an advantage over more humane farms.” See Animal Legal Defense Fund Press Release and
Bloomberg, June 30, 2016.

Issue 610