Animal Welfare Crisis Deepens at Major UK Pork Producer Cranswick
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Major UK supermarkets including Tesco, Asda and Morrisons have suspended their relationship with pork supplier Cranswick after undercover footage revealed animal cruelty at a third farm owned by Britain's largest pig producer. The footage, captured by animal rights activists at Mere Farm in Barton-upon-Humber, Lincolnshire, shows workers illegally killing piglets by slamming them against concrete floors using a practice known as "thumping" or blunt-force trauma.
The incident marks the third Cranswick farm where such practices have been documented within five months, despite the company's public commitment to ban the technique following previous revelations. According to activists from Animal Justice Project, some piglets were left writhing in agony for extended periods, with one animal reportedly showing signs of life 20 minutes after being struck. The organization has submitted its findings to Lincolnshire Trading Standards and the Animal & Plant Health Agency.
Cranswick has responded by sacking four staff members involved in the Mere Farm incident and implementing what it describes as comprehensive changes to address animal welfare concerns. The company has installed hundreds of surveillance cameras across its 45 farms and initiated staff retraining programs. However, questions remain about the effectiveness of these measures, as one worker featured in the latest footage had completed his training approximately ten days prior to the incident.
The timing of the latest abuse allegations raises particular concerns, as some of the documented incidents occurred shortly after Cranswick publicly discussed its ban on thumping at its July annual general meeting. This pattern follows similar incidents at North Moor Farm in May and Somerby Top Farm in August, where workers were observed hitting pigs with boards, paddles and fists. The repeated nature of these violations suggests systemic challenges in enforcing animal welfare standards throughout Cranswick's operations, despite the company's stated commitments to improvement.
