Tesco and Asda have suspended supplies from Somerby Top Farm in Lincolnshire, operated by British meat producer Cranswick, following an investigation into alleged animal welfare violations.
Footage showed pigs being struck with boards, paddles, and fists, targeting sensitive areas such as snouts and eyes. The content, recorded over a 10-month period by Animal Justice Project, reportedly highlighted incidents including poorly conducted euthanasia and visible injuries overlooked during inspections.
Red Tractor, the UK food chain assurance scheme, suspended the farm’s certification after reviewing the footage and referred the matter to the Animal and Plant Health Agency. Investigations are ongoing, including a review of both current and historical practices, compliance, staffing, and farm management.
Cranswick described the footage as historic and not representative of current operations. The company has replaced farm management, retrained staff in animal handling, recruited five full-time welfare officers, and is installing AI-enabled CCTV across indoor farms to monitor livestock health and colleague behaviour in real time.
This follows similar issues at Northmoor Farm earlier in 2025, where undercover footage led supermarkets to suspend supplies temporarily. Northmoor Farm has since met conditions for reinstatement, including staff retraining, CCTV monitoring, and regular unannounced welfare checks. Cranswick is also conducting an independent review of on-farm practices at all sites.
The incidents have previously affected Cranswick’s share value and prompted wider scrutiny of farm compliance, welfare monitoring, and supply chain assurance across the sector.
