Plainville Farms says it is investigating a situation in which a video circulated by animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) shows turkeys being mistreated.
The video shows turkeys being thrown, kicked and picked up by the neck, as well as other forms of mistreatment.
In a press release, PETA called out Plainville Farms and other entities with which it is affiliated, as Plainville Farms Turkey is certified by the Global Animal Partnership, and the company claims its birds are raised in a manner that Plainville describes as “stress-free,” “comfortable” and “free from harm.”
Plainville Farms, in a message on its website, said what was shown in the video is not reflective of the company’s values.
“You may have seen the horrific video of animal abuse that is being circulated in the news and online. What is shown is horrific, despicable and goes against everything this company stands for,” the company stated.
“It’s important for incidents like this to come to light, and we have already launched an internal investigation, from the top down. If any of our employees were involved, they will be held accountable.”
Plainville Farms asserted in that animal welfare is the company’s No. 1 priority and it remains “committed to setting the gold standard for the health and well-being” of its turkeys. The company further stated that it will do “whatever it takes to achieve that goal and make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”
Previously part of Hain Celestial’s Hain Pure Protein segment, Plainville Farms was acquired in 2019 by a newly-formed investor group known as Plainville Brands LLC.
Hain Celestial later sold the remainder of its poultry operations, FreeBird and Empire Kosher, to exit the industry.
Plainville Farms slaughtered 141 million pounds of live turkeys in 2020, but the company projected that production would increase to 146 million pounds in 2021.
