Tyson Foods will no longer use claims about reaching “net-zero by 2050” or producing “climate-smart beef” after settling in a lawsuit brought by the Environmental Working Group (EWG).
EWG filed suit against the company last fall, arguing Tyson’s statements about achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 were false and misleading.
“Achieving these commitments would require radical changes to Tyson’s beef production, and Tyson has no plan and has taken no meaningful steps to achieve this,” EWG contended. As part of the settlement, Tyson will stop making the claims and cannot make new related claims for the next five years, unless an expert concludes they are supported.
The settlement comes shortly after JBS settled with New York Attorney General Letitia James for $1.1 million, agreeing to stop making unsubstantiated claims about reaching net zero emissions. “With JBS and Tyson together producing about 50% of the beef consumed in the United States, these outcomes represent a major step in efforts to protect consumers from false and misleading statements made by the largest beef corporations,” EWG said.
