The last time we checked on the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the group was at the center of a blue-vs-blue drama after it hired a bikini clad women to hand out non-dairy treats to the crowd at Wimbledon. Feminists were angry, claiming the organization was objectifying women.
Now, in response to pressure from PETA, Mondelez International (the parent company of Nabisco), has redesigned the packaging of its Barnum’s Animals crackers to “free” them from cages.
PETA, which has been protesting the use of animals in circuses for more than 30 years, wrote a letter to Mondelez in the spring of 2016 calling for a redesign.“Given the egregious cruelty inherent in circuses that use animals and the public’s swelling opposition to the exploitation of animals used for entertainment, we urge Nabisco to update its packaging in order to show animals who are free to roam in their natural habitats,” PETA said in its letter.
The redesign follows the shuttering of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in May 2017. The circus was the inspiration behind the cookies, which have been a staple of childhood.
Instead of animals caged in a boxcar on their way to a circus, the animals are now roaming free — side-by-side in a grassland.Barnum’s Animal Crackers brand has been around for more than 115 years. The change is a result of evolution, says the company that makes the snack.”Throughout our history, we have leveraged and evolved our classic design to drive awareness around key animal and environmental issues,” Kimberly Fontes, spokeswoman for Nabisco’s parent company Mondelēz International, told CNN.”To continue to make the brand relevant for years to come, we felt this was the right time for the next evolution in our design, now showing the animals in a natural habitat.”
I can attest to the fact that the cookies are as tasty now as they were when I was young! However, other consumers have concerns.
Others put the importance of this protest in its proper perspective.
As always, a realist offers the last word on this development.
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