Nestle is forgoing the usual procedure of amputating the tails of dairy cows in attempts to improve the welfare of the animals.
Dairy cows often have their tails docked - or amputated - to keep their udders clean. However, the docking is painful and it disables the animal to swat away the flies that often swarm them, according to MPBN News.
"We know that our consumers care about the welfare of farm animals and we, as a company, are committed to ensuring the highest possible levels of farm animal welfare across our global supply chain," Benjamin Ware, the company's Manager of Responsible Sourcing, said in a statement on the company's website.
The change comes six months after four dairy farm workers were caught on camera beating, whipping and cutting animals at a Wisconsin farm liked to Nestle, reports LA Times.
Now the company is partnering with World Animal Protection, and, according to MPHN News, they are the first major food company to form an international partnership with an animal welfare non-governmental organization.
Nestle says they will begin the changes by monitoring their dairy suppliers to see who is practicing bad animal welfare. However, Nestle did not give a deadline to the suppliers as to when they need to make the changes, thus far, according to MPHN News.
