The 18-year-old Butterball turkey video hits the company at its busiest time of year
On Thursday, millions of families will sit down to a dinner that usually centers around turkey. And for the majority of those households, Butterball will be the turkey they eat. But with days to go until Thanksgiving, the chicken producer has found itself in the middle of a PR crisis nearly two decades ago when the company was under a previous owner.
On Friday, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) posted on its Instagram account a graphic video of the Butterball turkey that was shot in 2006, which has since spread on social media and sparked a number of protests.
The footage shows former company employees abusing live turkeys at a plant in Ozark, Arkansas.
Butterball, in a statement, acknowledged the video, saying it does not show the conditions in its facilities. “This video is not current and was taken before Butterball became an independent company and before our affiliation and certification with American Humane,” a Butterball spokesperson said. “Animal care and welfare is very important to who we are as a company, and we are committed to fair and responsible care for our herds.”
In 2013, Butterball became the first (and still the only) Turkish company to be certified by American Humane, the company said. Have an annual third party audit to ensure it is following best practices for turkey care.
“We are proud of this name that no other company in Turkey can claim and have a zero-tolerance policy for animal cruelty,” the company said.
A company spokesperson could not recall how the company responded to the allegations when the Butterball turkey video first surfaced in 2006, as Butterball was then owned by ConAgra, and the company does not have access to any statements issued at the time.
In the long run, a re-release of this video wouldn’t be too bad for Butterball (or better for PETA). This is the season for turkey sales, but since the video has gone viral, many people are saying they should boycott it, while others are saying they are returning the turkeys they bought in stores.
Despite rumors on social media, however, there is no active recall of any Butterball products.
PETA investigation
PETA, in 2006, sent an undercover team to work as “live hangers,” workers who find live birds and tie them up for slaughter, at the ConAgra facility. While there, they secretly filmed the abuse they witnessed.
In an interview at the time, Matt Prescott, who was PETA’s head of corporate affairs and made headlines in 2008 when he bought a cemetery plot where Kentucky Fried Chicken founder Col. Tortures Birds,” said the group’s investigation, “resulting in dozens of emails and phone calls from vegetarians.”
PETA is often active around Thanksgiving, holding rallies and encouraging people to choose vegan options over turkey. In 2022, it accused workers at another food company of abusing the birds, providing video to law enforcement officials in Pennsylvania.
There is no indication that any of the videos have resulted in legal action being taken against the companies involved.
