Is POM Trying to Pull a Fast One?

Posted at 07:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)

UPDATE: Victory! POM Promises to End Deadly Animal Tests. Check it.

The recent statement by POM Wonderful's owners Stewart and Lynda Resnick that "POM Wonderful pomegranate juice has ceased all animal testing and we have no plans to do so in the future" seems pretty great, until you read the fine print.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's website, POM made a commitment through June 2007 to an experiment that involves forcing elderly rats to balance on a spinning rod and find a hidden platform in a water maze in order to try not to drown. I'll get back to you on whether those experiments are still going forward, but so far, POM's not getting back to us about it, which is ominous—coming from a company that has professed a desire to get out of the whole sordid animal-testing game. And it's especially ominous when you take into account the fact that POM's president told a PETA rep last summer that his company could deceive the public by declaring itself "cruelty-free," while continuing to test on animals through an affiliate set up by the company's owners.

Why might a company that apparently sees nothing even faintly ridiculous about drowning rats to judge “The Effects of Pomegranate Juice on Cognitive and Motor Deficits in Aging” consider misleading consumers about whether it funds animal tests? My guess is that it has something to do with the fact that Whole Foods threatened to stop selling the juice if POM continued to kill animals in pointless experiments. Whatever the reason, if POM's intention is indeed to mislead customers who are making a good-faith effort to buy cruelty-free products, they can be certain that we're not going to just sit back and watch. PETA's campaign against POM Wonderful will continue until the company signs PETA’s assurance statement pledging an end to all animal tests—something that the company has refused to do so far. Go figure.

You can read PETA VP Bruce Friedrich's letter to POM here.
And for more information and ways to help, click here.

Comments

Well I used to like POM. Whether or not animal testing is stopped I will never buy POM or from any company that sells the product.

Posted by: Jason Winters | January 19, 2007 10:58 PM

This makes me sick... Why test on animals? Why not just give pomegranate juice to a population of elderly Americans, compare them to a control, and see if they report any improvement in day to day functioning? It wouldn't hurt anyone or anyTHING to give up animal testing completely.

Posted by: Lena | January 20, 2007 01:01 PM

Sounds shady.. which is why I'll be sending a message over there right now.

I also have a question on Peta's Action Center message sender.. when we type in our e-mail, does it automatically include our name or do we have to put our information in ourselves?

Posted by: K | January 21, 2007 04:44 PM

Thank Goodness for PETA!

Posted by: Tony Waters | January 21, 2007 05:02 PM

POM: I thoughI thought this might have been over and done with, but you apparently still test on animals. This really saddens me because I know you can do better.

Posted by: Andre Inglis | January 22, 2007 12:28 AM

Eager to encourage a cruelty-free economy, I'd give a company that in good faith promised to reform another chance. Recalcitrant Poms, though, is now off my shopping list for good.

Posted by: Carl A | January 22, 2007 02:05 AM

Fuck it, they're only rats

Posted by: gunther | January 22, 2007 06:44 AM

Hey K,
Yeah, the action center includes your name in the letter it sends. Thanks for taking the time to write to POM!

-Jack

Posted by: Jack | January 22, 2007 09:25 AM

rats dont deserve 2 be drowned 4 dumbass experiments

Posted by: autum | January 22, 2007 10:36 AM

The Resnicks also own Franklin Mint (yes, the plates and eggs and etc), Teleflora, and Fiji Water. They also supply at least 20 percent of the citrus for Sunkist.

Those are companies i will NOT be supporting

Posted by: kelly | January 22, 2007 04:39 PM

what the hells wrong with that if its going to improve the product?

Posted by: Lucas | January 23, 2007 02:05 PM

(whoops, PETA was meant to be in all caps) :)

Oh great.. I've been putting my name at the end of the message !

Posted by: K | January 23, 2007 09:02 PM

Woo hoo! I persuaded my mother to let me send back the POM bottles she purchased to request a refund, and she is even willing to write a letter to the company telling them we will be joining the boycott until they stop testing on animals!

Posted by: K | January 23, 2007 09:38 PM

Is there some way to really make sure they aren't conducting animal experiments?

Posted by: K | January 29, 2007 05:33 PM

After the POM campaign, when you put up the "HISTORY of PeTA 2007", you can put up all the spoof ads and leafelets to remind web-visitors about how POM changes from a "heartless" head on animal tests to a now humane juice company.

(Speaking of which... it almost traumatised me. *SHUDDERS*)

Sorry about that.

Posted by: RabidLeroy | February 22, 2007 02:05 AM

Well now I'm rather worried, although I've never drunk POM itself, i have drunk Pomegreat, can anybody fill me in on details of their animal testing status?

Posted by: Jimmy | February 22, 2007 06:38 AM

I am so against animal testing but rats are icky and thus I'm sorry to say that doesn't bother me, I mean they're elderly rats!!

Posted by: Melanie | April 10, 2007 02:51 PM

There has come winter :(
It became cold and cloudy!
Mood very bad :(
Depression Begins

Posted by: DDDepressionnn | November 20, 2008 12:51 PM

I very much love summer :)
Someone very much loves winter :(
I Wish to know whom more :)
For what you love winter?
For what you love summer? Let's argue :)

Posted by: wintervssummer | November 29, 2008 09:45 AM