Los Angeles-based animal rights group is heaping praise on Denver-based Foods for its updated animal treatment policies. As the world鈥檚 largest maker of mozzarella cheese, the company supplies some of the country鈥檚 largest restaurant chains, like Pizza Hut, Domino鈥檚 and Papa John鈥檚.
The changes will affect a large number of Colorado dairy farmers, many of whom send milk to Leprino factories in Greeley and Fort Morgan, selling through the dairy cooperative Dairy Farmers of America.
In September 2014 an undercover activist documented cattle at a New Mexico dairy farm that supplied the company with milk. The farm was subsequently shut down.
In response, Leprino announced a zero tolerance policy for any farm where employees are found willfully abusing animals, using a third-party auditing firm to carry out on-farm inspections. The company鈥檚 new Leprino Quality Animal Care program will also require farmers to provide pain relief while dehorning dairy cattle, and will phase out by the end of 2016 where a cow鈥檚 tail is removed called docking.
A spokesperson for Leprino declined an interview for this story, but said in a statement the company is committed to ethics.
