Group Will Pay for Ad on Truck to Counter California Milk Board's 'Bogus' Cow's Milk Campaign
For
Immediate Release:
February
28, 2012
Contact:
Kristin
Richards 202-483-7382
San Clemente, Calif. -- Prompted by reports that an old-fashioned Orange County–based milk-delivery service is on the verge of a shutdown because of rapidly rising gas prices, PETA has written to milkman Jimmy Pastor with an offer that will help keep his business in the black: Deliver a tempting variety of dairy-free milks and cheeses, and PETA will pay to place an ad on his truck that services San Clemente, where the California Milk Processor Board (CMPB) is based. PETA's proposed ad would address the CMPB's ad campaign claiming that "Real Milk Comes From Cows" by depicting a cow half-sunk in manure-laden mud next to the words "'Real Milk' Comes From Real Sick Cows. Try Soy Milk." The ad also reminds people that "[u]p to 50 percent of cows on dairy farms have infected udders."
"'Real milk' means real suffering for real cows kept on filthy factory farms," says PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. "'Real milk' is waning in popularity—so by expanding his inventory of vegan milks and cheeses, Jimmy Pastor would be making a great investment."
In addition to udder infections, cows on dairy farms commonly suffer from painfully swollen knees and hoof disorders—including foot rot, ulcers, and abscesses—that can result in lameness and premature death. Consumption of cow's milk has been linked to prostate cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports a steady decline in U.S. consumption of cow's milk in the last few decades. While soy milk is the most popular plant-based milk, almond milk sales increased by a whopping 79 percent in 2011, and sales of other vegan milks, such as oat and hemp, are also on the rise. Fortified plant milks contain high levels of essential nutrients, including calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12 and have none of the cholesterol, hormones, or cruelty associated with cow's milk.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.