Cranswick pig farm suspended after welfare abuse claims

Meat processor Cranswick is carrying out a detailed investigation at one of its pig farms and has suspended all staff at the location, after significant animal welfare concerns were exposed.

Undercover footage filmed by animal rights activists at North Moor Farm in Lincolnshire, which houses about 6,000 pigs, showed various welfare breaches, including the use of “blunt force trauma” to dispatch piglets.

Tesco’s, Sainsburys and Morrisons have all reportedly cut ties with the farm following the findings, and Cranswick’s share price fell as much as 8% on the London stock exchange on Monday 12 May.

See also: Norfolk planners spurn Cranswick’s pig and poultry mega farm

A Cranswick spokesman said: “The welfare of the animals we rear is of the utmost importance and we are extremely disappointed to see the unacceptable lapse of welfare standards captured at North Moor Farm.

“As soon as we saw the footage, we immediately suspended the team working at the farm and we are conducting an urgent and thorough investigation.

“We have also suspended the farm from supplying any pigs until the investigation is completed.”

Red Tractor told Farmers Weekly the farm’s Red Tractor certification had been suspended while an independent investigation took place.

A spokesman commented: “The footage shows unacceptable treatment of pigs. Red Tractor’s standards require that all farms comply with UK animal welfare legislation.

“Our standards also require that animals are handled with care and that anyone performing euthanasia is trained, deemed competent by their vet, and reassessed regularly.

“The disregard of the standards shown by the workers in the footage does a disservice to an industry which works hard to uphold animal welfare requirements.

“The farm will remain unassured if Red Tractor is not satisfied these standards are met.”

Trauma

Dr Alick Simmons, a former UK deputy chief veterinary officer, determined that the footage showed repeated and ineffective attempts to kill piglets using blunt force trauma.

Dr Simmons said: “A humane killer was not used and no assessments were made to confirm death. At least one piglet appeared to continue breathing after the attempted kill.

“That such practices are taking place on a large, commercial farm highlights a serious failure in training, management and oversight.”

The undercover exposé by the Animal Justice Project will come as another blow to the meat processor, after Cranswick’s plans for a pig and poultry “mega-farm” in Norfolk were turned down by planners last month.