Cranswick takes action in pig abuse case

Finisher pigs on a UK farm - this one was not involved in the cases described in this article. Photo: Henk Riswick

UK’s pork producer Cranswick has responded and taken swift action after an animal rights group accused the company – for a second time – of animal abuse in one of its largest pig units.

In a long statement, the company said, “The health and welfare of our pigs is our highest priority and we were horrified to see this unacceptable footage. We have been implementing major changes across all of our farming businesses to address the challenges raised within the footage.”

Cancelling pork supply contract

A group called Animal Justice Project released a 6-minute video showing piglets being kicked and hit with boards and paddles at the company’s Somerby Top Farm in Lincolnshire, one of the largest premises. Cranswick acquired the farm late 2023.

Following the release, most major British supermarkets (Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons) cancelled their pork supply contract from the farm, while assurance organisation Red Tractor suspended its certification. The case followed similar accusations in May about another Cranswick location, Northmoor Farm.

Cranswick, listed on the London Stock Exchange, earlier said that it manages a pig herd of roughly 900,000 pigs. It further stated: “We have changed the management team at these farms and staff shown in the footage no longer work for the business. We have recruited 5 new fulltime welfare officers. All of our farm colleagues have been retrained in livestock handling, with a strong focus on animal health and welfare. We are currently installing AI-enabled CCTV at all of our indoor farms to enable us to monitor the health of our pigs and the behaviour of our colleagues, in real time, to ensure our exacting standards are consistently met.”

The pork producer also stresses that Red Tractor has re-instated the certificate for North Moor Farm.

Prioritising ideology over animal welfare

Both Cranswick and Red Tractor criticise the animal rights group for not reporting the cases earlier to them or the relevant authorities. Cranswick said, “The footage of North Moor Farm was captured in Jan/Feb 2024 and Somerby Top from May 2024 to January 2025. The footage has been held back by the team at Animal Justice Project until May and August 2025 respectively.”

A spokesman for Red Tractor added: “It’s important to note that this footage was taken between May 2024 and January 2025, with evidence and allegations only being presented to Red Tractor in August 2025. This delay is concerning and suggests that these activists have prioritised ideology over protecting animal welfare.”