Supermarkets suspend Cranswick pig farm supplies amid animal cruelty investigation

Footage appearing to show disturbing scenes of animal abuse at a pig farm owned by Cranswick have prompted major UK supermarkets to suspend supplies from the facility.

Captured covertly by the Animal Justice Project (AJP), the material shows piglets being violently killed using methods that are both illegal and inhumane at Northmoor Farm, a supplier to one of the UK’s largest pork producers.

First reported by the Mail on Sunday, the undercover recordings depict workers swinging piglets by their legs and slamming them onto concrete – a practice known as “piglet thumping,” which has been banned under UK law.

The investigation, carried out over several weeks last year, also shows pigs being beaten, kicked and jabbed with metal bars and shovels, while piglets were kept in overcrowded conditions. 

Undermining previous commitments

Following the footage and allegations, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Morrisons have all suspended their supplies from Northmoor Farm. A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “These allegations involve unacceptable treatment of animals, which has no place in our supply chain.”

The incident comes just over a month after Sainsbury’s and Cranswick announced a 10-year partnership aimed at enhancing animal welfare. The partnership, worth £61 million, was designed to “facilitate improved welfare standards,” with Cranswick’s marketing and website emphasising its commitment to high welfare and sustainability. However, the recent footage undermines these claims.

In response to the investigation, Cranswick stated that it had suspended the team working at the farm and halted its supply of pigs from the facility until a full investigation is completed. The farm is operated by Elsham Linc Ltd, which has been owned by Cranswick since 2023, and was Red Tractor certified.

A spokesperson for Cranswick 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.”

Outrage and calls for change

Several experts and animal welfare groups have condemned the footage at North Moor Farm as ‘disturbing’ and ‘unlawful’.

Claire Palmer, founder of Animal Justice Project, said: “We are demanding immediate enforcement of the ban on blunt force trauma and the prosecution of Cranswick. There must be an independent public inquiry into pig farming practices and regulatory failures. Ultimately, we’re calling for a legislative phase-out of pig farming in favour of a food system that no longer depends on animal suffering.”

Annie Evans, UK Farming Campaign Delivery Manager at World Animal Protection, told New Food: “What happened at this Cranswick pig farm is deeply disturbing – but sadly, it’s not an isolated incident. Cranswick has a troubling history of animal cruelty, yet it continues to supply major UK supermarkets.

“Inside Cranswick’s factory farms, pigs – intelligent and sensitive animals – are treated as soulless cogs in a machine. This farming model prioritises profit over welfare, causing immense suffering. We urge supermarkets and the UK government to stop supporting factory farming and champion a transition to high-welfare, sustainable farming systems that protect animals, support farmers, and safeguard our planet.”

Legal proceedings

While piglets are regularly killed as part of the meat production process  – if they are considered weak, sick or not growing fast enough to be profitable – UK law stipulates that it must be done humanely.

The use of blunt force trauma on piglets was banned in 2022 following recommendations from the UK’s Animal Welfare Committee and the EU’s Reference Centre for Animal Welfare. Both of which deemed the practice unreliable, inhumane and unnecessary given available alternatives, including shotguns and captive bolt guns.

The AJP’s barrister, Ayesha Smart has filed a formal complaint to Trading Standards on behalf of the group, accusing the farm of multiple breaches of the 2015 Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing Regulations.

“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.”