
Supermarket meals provider Cranswick has suspended operations at considered one of its farms after pictures emerged showing to turn staff abusing piglets.
The Hull-based company mentioned “the team” at Northmoor Farm close to Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, were suspended, including that “an urgent and thorough investigation” was once below method.
Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco have suspended use of the farm.
A spokesperson for Cranswick mentioned: “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 Northmoor Farm.”
The pictures was once filmed by means of Animal Justice Project (AJP).
According to AJP, staff had been filmed protecting piglets by means of their hind legs and slamming them to the bottom, the use of a banned means of killing the animals referred to as “piglet thumping”.
Other pictures, first reported by means of the Mail on Sunday newspaper, seemed to display the botched killing of a sow that left the animal screaming.
A sow was once additionally proven it sounds as if being overwhelmed with steel bars.
AJP claimed a employee who did not kill a sow the use of a bolt gun advised an undercover employee: “Don’t let nobody see you doing like what we did.”
A Cranswick spokesperson mentioned: “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 additionally suspended the farm from supplying any pigs till the investigation is done.”

Tesco said it expected all its suppliers to “adhere to our prime welfare requirements”, while a Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “These allegations contain unacceptable remedy of animals, which has no position in our provide chain.”
A Morrisons spokesperson said: “We care deeply about animal welfare and those are stunning and regarding allegations.”
AJP has lodged a criminal grievance with buying and selling requirements bringing up more than one breaches of the Welfare of Animals on the Time of Killing laws by means of the farm.
Under the legislation, using blunt trauma to kill pigs is illegal in England.
In a letter, AJP’s barrister Ayesha Smart urged trading standards to investigate the incident and “put into effect any breaches of legislation to make sure that animal welfare requirements in our society are upheld and that those that wilfully fail to remember them are held responsible”.
Emma Milligan, trading standards operational delivery manager, said they were reviewing footage captured at Northmoor Farm.
“We take stories of cruelty in opposition to cattle extraordinarily severely and we paintings with companions, together with Lincolnshire Police and the Animal and Plant Health Agency to research and take motion to give protection to cattle,” she mentioned.

Claire Palmer, AJP’s founder, said: “There will have to be an impartial public inquiry into pig farming practices and regulatory screw ups.
“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.”
The National Pig Association has been approached for a remark.