HSUS files FTC complaint against NPPC

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) filed a complaint at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) last week asserting that the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) has been engaged in "deceptive advertising" related to animal welfare claims in violation of FTC rules. HSUS said the complaint states that NPPC's "Pork Quality Assurance Plus" (PQA Plus) and "We Care" initiatives "are riddled" with false and misleading claims that all swine receive humane care and handling. PQA Plus and We Care "are fundamentally inconsistent" with those claims, HSUS said, pointing specifically to the confinement of gestating sows in narrow stalls and "painful procedures" such as tail docking that are normally performed without any form of pain relief. The pork sector spends millions of dollars misleading the public about its animal welfare record, HSUS senior counsel for animal protection litigation Jonathon Lovvorn said. NPPC "is betting the farm on a deceptive public relations campaign," he said.  HSUS said its complaint asks for prompt FTC action to stop NPPC from deceiving consumers with this campaign. NPPC, in a statement, said it has yet to receive the complaint but will analyze the complaint when it is served and "will vigorously defend" itself against what are "absolutely false claims made by HSUS."...more