Major UK supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, and Morrisons have suspended supplies from a pig farm in Lincolnshire following allegations of animal cruelty.

Undercover footage, filmed by the Animal Justice Project (AJP), appears to show workers at Northmoor Farm—owned by Cranswick, one of the UK’s largest pig meat producers—killing piglets using a banned method known as “blunt force trauma.” The video shows piglets being grabbed by the hind legs and slammed onto concrete floors, a practice outlawed in 2022 for its inhumane nature.

Additional footage shows a sow being beaten with metal bars and a failed attempt to kill another animal with a bolt gun, leaving it in visible distress. One worker was recorded advising an undercover investigator not to let anyone witness such actions.

The farm, housing around 6,000 pigs, was investigated over several weeks last year. AJP has since filed a formal complaint with Trading Standards, citing multiple breaches of UK animal welfare regulations during slaughter.

Claire Palmer, founder of AJP, stated that the goal was to expose the "violent realities of pig farming in Britain" and called for immediate legal enforcement, prosecution of Cranswick, and an independent public inquiry into the industry’s practices and oversight.

Cranswick responded by suspending all staff at the farm while investigations are underway. A spokesperson said: “Animal welfare is a top priority, and we are extremely disappointed by the unacceptable standards seen at Northmoor Farm.”

Blunt force trauma to kill piglets under 10kg was banned following guidance from both UK and EU animal welfare authorities, who called the method unreliable and unnecessary given more humane alternatives like captive bolt guns. Photo by kallerna, Wikimedia commons.