Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is lauding Dairy Industries Jamaica Ltd (DIJL) for reportedly supporting a new fund created by the University of Wisconsin–Madison Food Research Institute that allows corporate sponsors of research that is entirely animal-free.

According to a release by PETA, the Kingston-based producer joined two other companies – Wisconsin-based Old Fashioned Cheese and Ohio-based Great Lakes Cheese –that redirected financial support from animal testing to the new fund, following lobbying efforts by PETA which has labeled experiments on animals as “cruel and pointless”.

A vegan organisation, PETA stopped short of endorsing the three companies, noting that it would continue to encourage a switch to dairy-free products.

“Thanks to the swift action of these three companies, the Food Research Institute has fewer dollars to squander on cruel tests on animals that help no one,” said PETA Vice President Shalin Gala in a release.

The PETA vice president used the opportunity to call on other companies to follow the example set by the three companies.

University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Food Research Institute in February created an animal-free research fund that allows sponsors to direct their donations away from animal testing towards other forms of research.