Chicago-Based Upton’s Naturals Pledges No Animal Tests, Earning PETA Praise

For Immediate Release:
July 13, 2026

Contact:
Tasgola Bruner 202-483-7382

Upton’s Naturals, a Chicago-based food company that specializes in vegan meat products, receives kudos from PETA today for signing on to a groundbreaking new Eat Without Experiments program that helps shoppers identify food and beverage companies that don’t test on animals.

The Eat Without Experiments website features food and beverage companies categorized by their policies on animal experimentation—from those that test on animals to those, such as Upton’s Naturals, that have signed PETA’s pledge for no animal testing.

“Upton’s Naturals’ statement of assurance will give it a leg up with consumers who want to support businesses that do not test on animals,” says PETA Vice President Shalin Gala. “Upton’s Naturals is making it easier for consumers to make compassionate choices, and PETA urges other food companies that fund cruel and useless tests on animals to take note.”

“Upton’s Naturals is happy to participate in PETA’s Eat Without Experiments program,” says Upton’s Naturals’ founder Daniel Staackmann. “As a vegan-owned brand, we could not in good conscience participate in cruelty to animals simply to bring a product to market. We’ve proudly made cruelty-free plant-based foods without the need for animal experimentation for 20 years, and will continue to do so for the lifespan of our business.” 

Just as the cosmetics industry has moved away from animal testing through programs like PETA’s Ultimate Cruelty-Free List, PETA is pushing for the same shift in the food industry, where testing involves invasive, painful experiments that include force-feeding, chemical injections, physical restraint, and killing animals for dissection. These experiments are typically conducted to make dubious health claims for marketing or due to outdated industry practices. They are not legally required.

Customers spend money according to what a company represents. According to global market research, companies that don’t align with customer beliefs pay the price: 42 percent of consumers walk away, and one in five never return. A survey of 30,000 consumers found that 74 percent crave greater transparency regarding companies’ stances on important issues such as animal testing. Companies signing PETA’s pro-animal pledge forward their brands in the minds of a new wave of ethics-conscious consumers. 

Upton’s Naturals joins many companies—including Ferrero International, Bacardi Limited, Amy’s Kitchen, Heineken, and Unilever—that have already signed PETA’s Eat Without Experiments pledge.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to experiment on”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.