Cranswick has apologised ‘unreservedly’ for ‘unacceptable’ footage from 2024 exhibiting pigs being badly mistreated on one in every of its farms.
The footage, revealed by the Mail on Sunday, was collected from Somerby Prime Farm in Lincolnshire, ‘underneath the quilt of darkness’ between Might 2024 and January 2025 by the Animal Justice Venture.
The footage confirmed quite a few disturbing practices and incidents, together with ‘extended cannibalism’, with pigs left with out intervention till demise, violent dealing with throughout loading for slaughter, negligent welfare checks and unfit animals transported in breach of authorized tips. AJP stated its footage additionally confirmed lighting violations, with pigs stored underneath fixed synthetic gentle for as much as 50 hours.
This newest exposé on a Cranswick-owned, Purple Tractor-assured, pig fattening facility comes simply three months after the publication of damaging footage from the corporate’s North Moor Farm, in Lincolnshire, a breeding unit that despatched pigs to Somerby Prime for fattening.
Each items had been acquired by the corporate in late 2023 – and Cranswick stated the administration staff at each farms has been modified and employees proven within the footage had been suspended instantly and now not work for the enterprise.
The North Moor exposé prompted Cranswick, the UK’s greatest pork producer, to launch a evaluate into welfare practices.
Cranswick response
A Cranswick spokesperson stated: “The well being and welfare of our pigs is our highest precedence and we had been horrified to see this unacceptable historic footage, filmed at Somerby Prime farm.
“As with the North Moor Farm footage, launched in Might 2025, the content material was recorded a number of months in the past however has solely very not too long ago been shared with us.
“We discover the therapy of the pigs within the footage distressing to observe and we apologise unreservedly for this lapse in our requirements. It doesn’t in any method replicate the working practices at our farms at this time.
“Since Might, now we have been implementing main adjustments throughout all of our farming companies to handle the challenges raised throughout the footage.
“We have now recruited 5 new full time welfare officers. All of our farm colleagues have been retrained in livestock dealing with, with a robust concentrate on animal well being and welfare.
“We’re at the moment putting in AI enabled CCTV in any respect of our indoor farms to allow us to observe the well being of our pigs and the behaviour of our colleagues, in actual time, to make sure our exacting requirements are persistently met.
“Following the discharge of the North Moor Farm footage and as beforehand introduced, now we have commissioned a full evaluate of our on-farm practices, which is being accomplished by an impartial veterinarian skilled. We are going to share the outcomes of this investigation when it’s full.”
Purple Tractor assertion
AJP stated its investigators entered the location at night time to put in hidden cameras and movie contained in the sheds earlier than and after a Purple Tractor audit. They claimed circumstances remained the identical – in some instances worse – after the inspection.
“The farm’s Purple Tractor certification has been suspended with speedy impact and a full investigation is underway.
A Purple Tractor spokesperson stated: “This footage is deeply distressing. Purple Tractor is taking this clear breach of animal welfare requirements extraordinarily significantly.
“Purple Tractor is conducting an intensive evaluate of each present and historic footage, compliance and staffing on the farm. The farm will stay unassured if Purple Tractor just isn’t glad our requirements are met. We have now additionally referred the case to the federal government animal welfare regulator, APHA.
“It’s necessary to notice that this footage was taken between Might 2024 and January 2025, with proof and allegations solely being offered to Purple Tractor in August 2025.
“This delay is regarding and means that these activists have prioritised ideology over defending animal welfare. Purple Tractor supplies a free nameless whistle-blowing service, and we actively encourage anybody with issues to lift these in order that we will examine instantly.
“The disregard of animal welfare requirements proven within the footage does a disservice to an business which works arduous to uphold animal welfare necessities.”
Purple Tractor additionally supplied an replace on North Moor Farm, which had its certification suspended following the Might exposé.
“Following a full investigation, the farm’s Purple Tractor certificates was reinstated supplied strict circumstances are met,” the spokesperson stated.
The farm is now topic to common unannounced spot checks, was required to right away retrain employees in animal welfare and should share common regulatory experiences with Purple Tractor. It was additionally required to put in CCTV, and that footage is commonly reviewed by impartial welfare consultants.
NPA remark
NPA chief government Lizzie Wilson stated: “The behaviour depicted within the footage is wholly unacceptable and can’t be condoned in any method. We’re horrified to see pigs handled on this method – and proceed to work with others throughout the business to make sure excessive requirements are maintained always.
“We should additionally stress that this kind of behaviour can also be not consultant of the care pig farmers present to their animals throughout the nation every day.
“We wish to spotlight that this footage of Somerby Prime Farm is from between Might 2024 and January 2025 and NPA is conscious that Cranswick has already applied a complete suite of actions following the discharge of footage from their North Moor unit.
“Moreover, regardless of AJP being conscious of the behaviour of some people on farm for a lot of months, they evidently didn’t alert the related authorities and due to this fact these people have been permitted to proceed to work with the pigs for all that point.”
