More and more Americans are switching from dairy milk to soy milk – mostly for the health benefits of soy protein, lactose intolerance, and because it’s frequently in the refrigerators on many television shows and movies. While most people aren’t buying the dairy alternative for ethical reasons, I wonder how many people who do realize that their favorite brand of soy milk is made by the largest dairy processor and distributor in the world.

White Wave Foods (who owns Silk) is a subsidiary of Dean Foods. This means that purchasing the most widely available (at least in the Midwest) meat- and dairy-alternatives is giving money to the unethical treatment of cows in factory farm conditions.

Dean Foods owns many dairy companies, including Horizon Organic who was recently boycotted by many individuals and health food stores for their false claims about organic production running under factory farm conditions. Dean Foods also licenses Land O Lakes products, which is distributed by White Wave as well. Talk about a huge vicious circle.

Other products that play into the Dean Foods/White Wave hands include Hershey’s milk shakes, International Delight creamers, and over 40 brands of milk. They are also a leading supplier of branded and private label pickles, olives, relish, sauces, puddings, and dips. About 80% of store-brand pickles are private labeled Dean Foods products.

Corporate share holders of Dean Foods include Microsoft, Wal-Mart, ExxonMobil, and Coca-Cola. More information about Dean Foods at The Responsible Shopper, FamilyFarmDefenders.org, and PeaceCouncil.net.

The Food Co-op recently introduced Naked Juice after a screaming demand from the public. The on-campus café at the University carries Naked Juice, purportedly sold at $5 a bottle! So, the food co-op now carries the juice at a skinny $3.14 for 15.2 fluid ounces.

I haven’t tried the Naked Juice, and I’m really not tempted to – mostly because they are owned by PepsiCo Products. I’m trying to vote with my food dollars – I don’t really want to give my money to the company that manufactures Doritos, Frito-Lay, Quaker Oats, and Mountain Dew… not to mention who until recently owned Kentucky Fried Chicken (gulp!). Kentucky Fried Chicken (see their website here) is now a division of Yum! Foods (as are Taco Bell and Pizza Hut).

In 1991, PepsiCo partnered with a company in Burma in order to distribute their products there. Turns out, this company was partnered with the Burmese military, allegedly responsible for some of the worst human rights violations in the world. They did eventually break their ties with the company in 1997, but not until after years of protest and boycotting. Even the Coca-Cola company stopped doing business with the military in Burma before PepsiCo.

Speaking of Coca-Cola, when I was in Washington, D.C. earlier this year I purchased an Odwalla juice in one of the senate buildings. To my disgust, it was one of the only non-fried/non-meat items in the cafeteria. I later found out that Naked Juice’s counter-part was owned by PepsiCo’s counter-part. Coca-Cola acquired Odwalla in 2002 – they paid a whopping $180 million for the “healthy juice.” (Here’s an interesting article on Odwalla and Corporate Social Responsibility… ).

Why keep away from Coca-Cola? Coca-Cola is the largest manufacturer and distributor of nonalcoholic beverage concentrates in the world. Technically, Coca-Cola only manufactures their concentrated sugar syrup, which is then sold to franchises. They supply to Nestea (joined with Nestlé), they have a huge foot in the bottled water industry (see: 5 Reasons Not to Drink Bottled Water), and they have been strongly criticized for their labor practices.

Sure, Coca-Cola and Pepsi have both made some nice charitable donations. But any giant corporation has to do that to keep their public image (and keep their tax write-offs).

It’s hard to support family-owned companies. Chances are most things in an avid food co-op shopper’s pantry are owned by Nestlé, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, or Cargill. Another example- Stacy’s Pita Chips: Frito-Lay: Coca-Cola.