HULL PORK GIANT CRANSWICK UNDER FIRE FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY FOOTAGE
Hull pork producer Cranswick is at the centre of fresh animal cruelty allegations following disturbing undercover footage obtained by the Animal Justice Project.The footage, gathered between May 2024 and January 2025, appears to show employees engaging in brutal treatment of pigs, including holding piglets by their back legs and hurling them against the ground, a banned practice known as “piglet thumping.” It also depicts extreme maltreatment, overcrowded conditions, neglect, and routine mutilations.
Cranswick, the UK's largest pork producer, responded by suspending staff involved, initiating vet-led investigations, and implementing improved welfare measures such as new management, staff retraining, and the installation of AI-enabled CCTV across farms.
The company expressed horror at the footage and apologized, emphasizing efforts to address the issues and improve standards.
Despite these measures, new footage from another farm, Somerby Top Farm, shows severe pig cannibalism, involving pigs eating live wounds caused by ruptured hernias, and violent handling during loading.
Animal Justice Project also claimed that inspections of pigs deemed unfit for transport were superficial, lasting only about 90 seconds for 1,000 animals.
Cranswick committed to further investigations and insisted that the treatment shown in the footage does not reflect current farm practices, indicating that those involved have left the business and that the company is actively working to enhance animal welfare, including real-time monitoring through advanced CCTV.
