Cranswick has expressed its dismay over shocking footage depicting serious and illegal breaches of animal welfare at one of its farms, and insisted it does not reflect its overall standards.
An undercover exposé showed newborn piglets being swung by their legs and slammed against concrete, routine mutilations, botched shootings and neglect at Northmoor Farm in Lincolnshire.
The revelations, published last weekend by Animal Justice Project, wiped £200m off Cranswick’s share price. The likes of Tesco and Morrisons suspended supplies from the farm.
Cranswick stressed the recording was captured between January and March 2024, just a few months after it purchased Elsham Linc, the company responsible for operating the farm.
The meat processor insisted the farm did not reflect the standards demanded by Cranswick and the ”culture within the wider pig farming business”.
The business also continued to “invest in new systems to improve animal welfare, such as flexible farrowing for pigs and reduced stocking density for chickens, far exceeding the minimum required standards of welfare in the UK”.
As soon as the footage was seen, a thorough investigation was launched, said Cranswick, while practices had since changed at the farm.
“The welfare of the animals we rear is of the utmost importance and we are extremely concerned to see the unacceptable lapses of welfare standards and the poor handling of pigs captured at Northmoor Farm,” said a spokesperson.
Read more: Supermarkets suspend Cranswick pig farm supplies following violent animal abuse claims
Video showed evidence of piglets slammed against concrete floors and killed using blunt force trauma, with some seen gasping for breath minutes after the attempted kill, having been discarded still alive.
Barrister Ayesha Smart has filed a formal complaint to Trading Standards, citing multiple breaches of the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015 (WATOK) and consumer law.
“The use of blunt force trauma to kill piglets is banned – yet it appears to be used routinely and without restraint,” said Smart. “This isn’t just shocking, it’s unlawful.”
All staff employed at the farm were immediately suspended and a full disciplinary process was instigated.
Cranswick also undertook a full vet-led review of the footage, identifying areas of concern with those findings highlighted in all staff training.
The footage will also be shared with all farm-based teams who are also being rebriefed on all welfare standards and specific expectations regarding livestock handling.
Read more: Animal welfare is in crisis. Now is the time to be proactive
Cranswick operates 150 pig farms from breeding to finishing for both Red Tractor and RSPCA Assured. It also works with 250 third paty producers. All farms are independently audited on an annual basis.
No comments yet