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Tyson Foods has settled a lawsuit filed by nonprofit organization Environmental Working Group (EWG), which alleged that the food company’s claims of “net zero by 2050” or “climate-smart” beef were misleading consumers.
To put an end to the lawsuit, Tyson Foods has committed to no longer broadcasting such statements, EWG said on Monday.
Tyson Foods will also stop the launch of such campaigns for the next five years, unless any such campaign is first approved by an expert selected by both Tyson and EWG, according to the settlement.
The legal complaint, filed in 2024, accuses Tyson of failing to develop a convincing strategy to achieve its net-zero objectives.
The lawsuit pointed to Tyson’s Brazen Beef brand as evidence of deceptive marketing practices. Brazen Beef, as part of Tyson’s “Climate-Smart Beef Program,” is credited by Tyson with a 10 percent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions during manufacturing compared with typical beef.
“This settlement reinforces the principle that consumers deserve honesty and accountability from the corporations shaping our food system,” said Caroline Leary, EWG’s general counsel and chief operating officer.
In the settlement, Tyson rejects the charges and notes that the firm has invested more than $65 million to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with its beef offerings.
“The decision to settle was made solely to avoid the expense and distraction of ongoing litigation and does not represent any admission of wrongdoing by Tyson Foods,” a company spokesperson said.
The settlement comes as a growing number of firms have been accused of “greenwashing,” a marketing strategy in which a brand story is curated around caring about–or benefitting–the environment.
Earlier this month, New York Attorney General Letitia James revealed that JBS USA, a meat processing company, agreed to pay $1.1 million to settle allegations that it misled consumers by claiming it was working toward net-zero emissions by 2040.
Meanwhile, a court in France last month ruled that TotalEnergies, an oil corporation, had deceived buyers in a 2021 advertising campaign claiming the possibility of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050.
Kimberly Hayek is a reporter for The Epoch Times. She covers California news and has worked as an editor and on scene at the U.S.-Mexico border during the 2018 migrant caravan crisis.
