'Never Have I Ever' Star Richa Moorjani Sheds Light on the Dairy Industry With Undercover Footage by Animal Equality

LOS ANGELES, June 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On Thursday, Animal Equality, an international animal protection organization, released a new undercover investigation into dairy production. The investigation features celebrated actress and activist Richa Moorjani, who presents the findings as a look inside the global dairy industry.

The actress, who has been vegan now for several years, notes that the issues uncovered during this investigation extend far past India's borders where the footage was captured.

"A few years ago, I watched a documentary about the dairy industry in this country, and it changed my life. My eyes were opened that day to how cows, and all animals, suffer from unimaginable cruelty and horrific living conditions in the animal agriculture/factory farming industry," shared Moorjani in a statement. "These are not just isolated instances of abuse. This is evidence of an unsustainable and powerful global industry trying to hide how it exploits and abuses animals for profit, all behind false 'humane' marketing and images of happy cows."

As reported by Animal Equality, the practices uncovered during their investigation are likely being supported by unsuspecting consumers, including Americans. As the world's largest producer of dairy, India produces over 20% of the world's dairy products.

"I'm asking you not to ignore the cruelty or disturbing reality behind every glass of milk or dairy product," Moorjani pleads with the viewer at the beginning of the video released yesterday. Animal Equality deems the findings among the most "shocking evidence of cruelty endured by animals used for dairy."

Moorjani describes how, "like humans," cows and buffaloes only produce milk after giving birth. A few hours after birth, the calf is separated to preserve the mother's milk. Footage reveals how male calves are then sold for slaughter or starved to death.

After being separated from their calf, female cows begin to produce less milk. Farm workers resort to extreme methods to increase production: "To continue taking the milk from these mothers, workers stuff calf carcasses with hay, trying to make the animals believe they need to continue nursing," describes Moorjani.

Animal Equality filmed farm workers administering injections of oxytocin, a hormone that stimulates milk production. This drug was banned in 2018 by India's Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act due to its effects on the animals and the humans who consume products laced with it. Oxytocin remains legal for use on U.S. farms, including use on "organic" farms.

Moorjani goes on to explain how animals who are no longer able to produce milk are sent to markets to be sold for slaughter.

"This investigation is simply a glimpse into a larger reality where millions of animals suffer for dairy—suffering that Animal Equality has documented extensively around the world," Moorjani shares with the viewer before going on to present evidence captured by the organization on dairy farms in the United States, U.K. and Mexico.

"There is no humane way to forcibly impregnate a cow and then separate her from her baby right after giving birth, to then send her for slaughter after repeating this cycle until she can barely stand up anymore," Moorjani added in a statement. "I hope with the undercover investigations by organizations like Animal Equality, the whole world will wake up to the cruel reality behind every glass of milk and demand justice for these intelligent, emotional and innocent animals."

"The cruelty towards the animals in this new investigation is shocking but not abnormal when you look at the global dairy industry, including here in the United States," shares Animal Equality's President Sharon Núñez in a statement. "It is more critical than ever that consumers are aware of who exactly is behind dairy products and make responsible choices that protect animals."

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Claire Roberson
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ABOUT ANIMAL EQUALITY:
Animal Equality is an international organization working with society, governments, and companies to end cruelty to farmed animals. Animal Equality works effectively for animals through investigations, corporate campaigns and legal advocacy in the United States, UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, and India.

SOURCE Animal Equality