Jason Bateman Slammed by PETA for Advertising Dairy Company on Podcast

Jason Bateman is facing the ire of PETA after doing an ad read for a dairy company on his podcast -- and they're none too pleased with him ... TMZ has learned.

In a new letter -- obtained by TMZ -- the actor is slammed by the animal rights org for spreading what they call "false and misleading marketing claims" on a March episode of his "Smartless" podcast.

Specifically, PETA takes issue with Jason claiming Organic Valley -- a company that pumps out dairy products like milk -- sells items that are ethically sourced from small family farms ... as they claim the cows used for dairy production are harmed in the collection process.

PETA adds ... "Cows used for mass consumption dairy products are typically hooked up to machines and milked two or more times per day, rather than being allowed to suckle their calves. To ensure a constant supply of milk, these cows are repeatedly and artificially impregnated -- not a pleasant experience -- to ensure milk production."

The nonprofit slams this process as a "vicious cycle," which ultimately puts the cows in question through trauma. PETA accuses the dairy industry of frequent mistreatment of cows -- which they say causes respiratory issues, udder infections, etc.

The org is worried about Jason's ad ... since they feel it might mislead the public, and are asking Jason to no longer run the promotion on his podcast.

This isn't the first time Jason has been at odds with PETA. In 2019, PETA slammed a Hyundai Super Bowl ad starring Jason ... in which a vegan dinner party was mocked as gross.