James Cromwell Spot Condemning ‘Humane Meat’ Myth Hits Whole Foods’ Hometown Ahead of Easter
For Immediate Release:
April 15, 2025
Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382
“There’s no forgiving you. Oh, for the love of God, we have to draw the line somewhere!” That’s the message Babe and Succession star James Cromwell delivers while playing the role of a priest who refuses to absolve the man who invented “humane meat” marketing schemes in a PETA video spot that’s airing ahead of Easter on TV stations in Austin—home to Whole Foods, which sells deceptively labeled “animal welfare certified” meat, eggs, and dairy.
The spot takes aim at misleading labels used to hoodwink kind consumers into paying more for the same old cruelty, like the humane-washing scheme behind the labels at Whole Foods stores, which are stamped on animal products from factory farms and slaughterhouses rife with abuse and neglect, including one where workers left pigs to suffer from baseball-size rectal prolapses.
“Well-intentioned Whole Foods shoppers are being duped into paying premium prices for meat, eggs, and dairy from animals who endured the same suffering and violent death they would have at any other filthy factory farm,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA urges consumers to remember that the only truly humane meal is a vegan one and encourages everyone to leave animals off their plates this Easter and beyond.”
PETA investigators documented widespread, systemic cruelty at all 12 “animal welfare certified” facilities they visited, including the notorious Plainville Farms, where workers kicked, beat, and threw turkeys and left sick and injured birds to suffer without treatment. As a result of the investigation, former workers at Plainville Farms were charged with six felonies and a total of 141 counts of cruelty to animals—the largest number in any factory-farmed animal case in U.S. history—and 10 workers have been convicted so far.
PETA notes that with an abundance of delicious vegan roasts—including Tofurky’s Ham-Style Roast with Amber Glaze and Vegetarian Plus’s Ham Roll with Apricot Plum Glaze—available in stores and online, celebrating Easter with kindness has never been easier.
PETA’s TV spot is running on KEYE (CBS), KTCB (FOX), and KXAN (NBC) through April 19.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help those looking to make the switch. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
