Actress Pamela Anderson has sent a letter to Sofina Foods, blasting the company for its turkey-slaughtering practices after the release last week of undercover footage shot at Lilydale Food Products in Abbotsford.
Anderson, who runs a foundation in support of animal and environmental rights, sent the letter this morning to Micheal Latifi, chairman and CEO of Sofina, Lilydale’s parent company.
She addressed the video released last week by Mercy for Animals, which says that the turkeys are “shackled, shocked, cut open and scalded alive” while being prepared for the food market, and that this is typical for the industry.
The organization called on Sofina to adopt “less-cruel animal welfare policies” such as “controlled atmosphere stunning (CAS),” which removes oxygen from the birds’ atmosphere while they are still in their transport crates.
The oxygen is then slowly replaced with a non-poisonous gas, resulting in the birds’ deaths before they are removed from their crates.
In her letter, Anderson supports Mercy for Animals in calling for Sofina’s use of a CAS system.
“I stopped eating turkeys and other animals a long time ago because I know they are as intelligent and friendly as the dogs and cats we all know and love, and they deserve to be protected from needless cruelty and violence,” she wrote.
“But even people who eat meat can agree that animals shouldn’t be tortured to death. Yet that’s exactly what’s happening at Lilydale.”
Sofina posted a statement on its website last week, saying its first CAS system is due for delivery in the new year.
Anderson is a B.C.-born actress best known for her role as C.J. Parker on Baywatch. In recent years, she has focused heavily on animal and environmental rights activism through her work with organizations such as PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and the Pamela Anderson Foundation.
Anderson’s full letter to Sofina can be viewed here.