The calls follow the release of footage captured by Animal Justice Project at a Cranswick pig farm in Lincolnshire which showed workers hitting pigs with boards, paddles and their fists.
A manger was also recorded stating “I’m the boss, I’ve been here three or four years and it’s f***ing s***, this place”.
In response, grocery retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons have reportedly suspended pork supplies from Somerby Top Farm, a similar action that was taken after animal cruelty was exposed at a different Cranswick farm earlier this year.
Cranswick has said it is “horrified” by the footage and installed CCTV at all its indoor pig farms after the previous footage came to light.
Meanwhile, Red Tractor, which had previously accredited Somerby Top Farm, announced that the farm had been suspended and would face an investigation.
Speaking to Food Manufacture in the days after the footage was released Claire Palmer, director at Animal Justice Project, said that similar horrors will continue to come to the surface as long as pigs and other animals are crammed into industrial sheds for profit.
“Supermarkets may act only when exposed by investigations, but this isn’t about one farm or a few rogue workers,” Palmer added.
“The same cruelty and neglect are found time and again because the pig industry is built on treating living, sentient beings as disposable commodities. From botched killings to animals left to die in agony, these abuses are not exceptions – they are the rule.”
Abigail Penny, executive director of Animal Equality UK, praised Animal Justice Project for the exposé which she said has left Red Tractor in particular with a red face.
“Its stamp of approval has been exposed as hollow time and time again – it consistently fails to uncover malpractice on the farms it accredits,” Penny told Food Manufacture.
“The UK Government must stop outsourcing farm scrutiny to industry-funded schemes like Red Tractor and start holding animal abusers accountable for their actions.”
Penny added that regulators and accreditation bodies have been shown to be oblivious to the appalling abuse taking place.
“With so few unannounced inspections and virtually no meaningful checks and balances, the chance of this cruelty being caught by official channels is close to zero,” she concluded.
Finally, executive director at The Animal Law Foundation Edie Bowles echoed Palmer while telling Food Manufacture that “these horrifying images of abuse are no exception”.
“While supermarkets have suspended supplies from this farm, and the hope is that the relevant public authorities will investigate and take enforcement action, this is very likely to be happening in other farms which are not being investigated,” Bowles explained.
“Data from The Animal Law Foundation shows only 2.5% of UK farms are inspected by public bodies for animal welfare. With over 1 billion animals farmed in the UK each year, that leaves the vast majority without any regulatory oversight.
“Independent investigations shouldn’t be the only line of defence for these animals. Official safeguards should be in place so that animal protection laws mean something in practice.”
Red Tractor has questioned the motivations behind the timing of the footage’s release, given that it was filmed between May 2024 and January 2025.
“It’s important to note that evidence and allegations [were] presented to Red Tractor in August 2025,” a spokesperson for the body said.
“This delay is concerning and suggests that these activists have prioritised ideology over protecting animal welfare. Red Tractor provides a free anonymous whistle-blowing service and we actively encourage anyone with concerns to raise these so that we can investigate immediately.”
