An undercover inquiry uncovered violations of animal welfare at Woodcrest Dairy, which the report indicated was, at least at one point, a supplier to Coca-Cola’s Fairlife milk brand.
As reported by World Animal News, the Animal Recovery Mission (ARM) documented numerous instances of animal abuse at the Woodcrest facility in New Mexico between December 2024 and March 2025.
Employees were recorded forcibly extracting unborn calves from cows not yet in labor utilizing chains. Newborn calves were left to endure suffering and die from blunt force trauma and neglect.
Investigators also captured footage of pregnant and ailing cows being whipped, punched, kicked, and battered with metal implements, including shovels, wrenches, and pipes. The maltreatment was perpetrated by various personnel, including proprietors, managers, and ranch workers.
In a statement to The Cool Down, a Coca-Cola representative mentioned that the company has not procured milk from Woodcrest since 2023 and that it was never a principal supplier, clarifying that the company ceased sourcing milk from other farms following previous investigations by ARM.
“Fairlife is dedicated to ensuring robust animal welfare at supplying farms and maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards animal abuse,” the spokesperson stated. “Woodcrest Dairy in New Mexico is not a supplier to Fairlife, and upon becoming aware of the incident in Arizona in February, Fairlife stopped accepting milk from those farms and has not received milk from them since. As a milk processor, Fairlife does not own farms or cows and mandates that all farms supplying milk for Fairlife products adhere to rigorous animal care standards and comply with regular third-party audits. ”
This represents the ninth instance in which ARM has identified abuse at a Fairlife supplier, despite the company’s public assertions regarding sourcing from farms with high animal care standards. Upon learning of these findings, Fairlife has severed ties with Select Milk Producers and discreetly removed animal welfare marketing claims from its website.
ARM founder Richard Couto remarked, “Fairlife milk is now a recurrent offender, and Coca-Cola will be perpetually recognized as the global corporate leader in animal cruelty. ”
The recurring incidents of animal abuse across various Fairlife suppliers indicate systemic issues within Coca-Cola’s oversight of its dairy supply chain. This significantly impacts communities due to consumer deception, as many individuals select Fairlife products based on assurances of ethical treatment.
In February 2025, ARM disclosed two additional investigations from Arizona dairies that are also part of Fairlife’s supply chain, where cows were stabbed, beaten, shot, and electrocuted. Numerous calves were confined in illegal veal crates and left to suffer.
Legal repercussions are accumulating. In 2019, Fairlife agreed to a $21 million class action settlement for false advertising related to its animal welfare assertions after similar abuses were revealed at Indiana dairies. In June 2025, a new class action lawsuit was revised to encompass both the Arizona and New Mexico incidents.
Coca-Cola has made substantial strides in other realms, such as water conservation and commitments to reduce plastic waste through its World Without Waste initiative. Nevertheless, these animal welfare concerns contradict the company’s public assertions regarding responsible sourcing.
