Yoplait’s Real Milk Yogurt

A Yoplait ad showed a man talking to a cow in a pristine grassy meadow, thanking it for the milk that went into producing the Yoplait yogurt he was enjoying.

However, the reality may not be so wonderful for most milk-producing cows, as a reader noted in an email to TINA.org. Most milk-producing cows in the U.S. spend the majority of their lives inside CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) that restrict their movement, according to EthicalFoods.com. This is in complete contrast to the idyllic setting cows enjoy in the Yoplait commercial.

They are also fed a mixture of different grains that contain fillers and concentrates, and not naturally grass fed, according to EthicalFoods:

Many of these concentrates are made from animal by-products such as chicken manure. In Canada the use of chicken manure in this way has been banned, but in the United States it is still permitted.

General Mills, Yoplait’s parent company, said its milk comes from co-ops that participate in a comprehensive animal management program called FARM – Farmers Assuring Responsible Management.

And the company’s Animal Welfare Policy states: “General Mills encourages all suppliers in our dairy supply chain to support industry-wide efforts that promote the humane treatment of cattle.”

But a company spokesman said the ad was not “intended to depict a real life situation.” The company also stated that they do not have specifics on what the cows are fed, and that it differs from farm to farm.

General Mills isn’t the only company trying to appeal to consumers worried about how cows are treated. Coke also advertises its Fairlife milk as a “from grass to glass” product, but the cows’ diet aren’t as green as consumers may think.

Don’t let dairy advertisers milk good feelings from you. Do your own research, and read more here.