Shocking brutality at East Anglian Pig Co.
revealed by Animal Equality
East Anglian Pig Co. exposed! Animal Equality's investigation spanned from December 2011 to January 2012. An undercover investigator worked at two different sites for a total of 29 days:
Little Thorns Weaner Unit (6 Dec 2011 - 16 Dec 2011)
This is a weaner unit, with approximately 8,000 to 10,000 pigs on site. At Little Thorns, the pigs were bred outdoors in six sheds for a period of 6 to 8 weeks, before being sent to the finishing units.
Didlington, The Piggery (20 Dec 2011 - 6 Jan 2012)
This is a breeding unit, with 3,000 pigs on site and over 700 female pigs. The pigs are raised outdoors, and fattened indoors. Over 300 pigs are sent to the slaughterhouse from this facility each week.
Animal Equality proves once again that, regardless of whether a farm is labeled as being ‘higher welfare’, ‘Quality Assured’ or monitored by the RSPCA, there exists pain, suffering and exploitation on a huge scale.
Animal Equality’s investigation has received statements of support from leading international experts, including a renowned British veterinarian, Professors and animal behaviourists.
To read the statements: click here. ----- Click here to read the investigator's diary
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INVOLVED SUPERMARKETS AND BRANDS
• The East Anglian Pig Company is owned by Cranswick Plc - a leading UK food supplier that manufactures and supplies products to the food service sector, food producers and grocery retailers within the UK, such as Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, The Cooperative Food, Waitrose and ASDA.
• The company produces a range of products, its brands include Jamie Oliver, Weight Watchers,Richard Woodall, The Black Farmer, Red Lion Foods, Reggae Reggae, Simply Sausages andYorkshire Baker.
• Cranswick Pork is also used to make famous dishes served in McDonald's such as the Sausage & Egg McMuffin. Cranswick had been named supplier of the year at the OSI McDonald's Awards on 4th April 2011.
TAKE ACTION!
Please visit the website of Animal Equality and find out how YOU can help!
The RSPCA have confirmed
they WILL NOT be prosecuting East Anglian Pig Co
22 April 2012
The RSPCA says it has serious concerns about the treatment of pigs shown in footage recorded by an animal welfare group at two Norfolk farms.
The Animal Equality action group has produced images of pigs being kicked and hit at the East Anglian Pig (EAP) Company, based near Norwich.
The EAP is approved by the RSPCA's Freedom Food and works within the Red Tractor Assurance Scheme.
Both farms were visited by the RSPCA last week.
Animal Equality said the footage was recorded by an undercover investigator at two of the farms managed by the company; Little Thorns weaner unit near Swaffham and The Piggery at Didlington.
'Cruel treatment'
The images, seen by the BBC, appear to show pigs in overcrowded stalls and a lame pig is seen with a twine muzzle over its snout.
Andrew Knight, a vet speaking on behalf of Animal Equality, said the images showed pigs with large tumours as well as new-born piglets struggling to breathe.
"No reasonable person could fail to be appalled and disgusted by the cruel and callous treatment frequently endured by these highly-intelligent, sensitive animals," he said.
"The public would be shocked if it knew the truth about the conditions in which these pigs were raised."
A spokesman for the EAP said it was carrying out a full internal investigation into the handling of livestock.
'Condemn mistreatment'
But the company said the RSPCA had visited both farms involved in the investigation last week and given each a "clean bill of health".
"We totally condemn and do not tolerate any animal mistreatment or malpractice and operate in accordance with Freedom Food, Red Tractor Assurance Scheme and the Pig Veterinary Society policies and guidelines," the spokesman said.
"The RSPCA has confirmed there are no grounds for prosecution and are engaged in further meetings with the company during this week."
The EAP is approved by the RSPCA's Freedom Food welfare scheme, in which members are inspected by a trained assessor once a year.
A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said an inspector had visited the site at Didlington on Thursday, as soon as the charity was made aware of the footage.
The charity had decided the best way to address concerns was to work with the company and the RSPCA would not be prosecuting the firm, she said.
"We have serious concerns at some of what is shown in the footage taken by Animal Equality," she said.
Urgent meeting
"We believe that some of the sick pigs shown in the footage should also have been culled and there was evidence of poor practice when trying to remove an abscess from a sow.
The RSPCA said it had 'serious concerns' about some of what is shown in the footage"We're also very concerned that a sick sow appeared to have been left in an open area with twine tied around the jaw, but with no evidence that immediate culling was about to take place.
"This clearly requires further investigation of the circumstances."
The spokeswoman said an urgent meeting had been planned with the management of the East Anglian Pig Company, at which RSPCA inspectors would set out "changes that need to be implemented with the utmost urgency to address our concerns".
Source: BBC
Urge RSPCA and DEFRA to prosecute East Anglian Pig Co.
Please SIGN the PETITION
Target: Lee Grant, Chief Executive of the RSPCA's Freedom Food and Jim Paice Minister of State for Agriculture and Food, DEFRA
Animal Equality has released undercover footage from Little Thorns Weaner Unit and Didlington, The Piggery, owned by East Anglian Pig Company. East Anglian Pig Company is a member of the UK farm assurance scheme and food labelling system, ‘Freedom Food’, audited and monitored by the RSPCA. They are also licensed by Red Tractor Farm Assurance scheme.
Animal Equality's undercover footage shows pigs being hit on the head with iron bars, kicked and slapped by workers, stereotypies caused by extreme confinement, pigs being thrown over gates by their back legs, several injuries such as broken legs, prolapses, deep wounds and hernias.
Leading experts have reviewed and supported the findings, such as veterinarian, Andrew Knight, Dr. Katherine van Ekert, President, The Veterinary Institute for Animal Ethics, Lorelei Wakefield, VMD, Founder of the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Animal Welfare Society, and Professor John Sorenson, Chair of the Department of Sociology, Brock University, Canada. The RSPCA have stated that they will NOT be prosecuting, even though Lee Grant, chief executive of the RSPCA's Freedom Food, was quoted saying that he was 'absolutely disgusted' by what he saw on the footage and that it was'absolutely unacceptable'.
We urge the RSPCA and DEFRA not only to investigate the farms exposed by Animal Equality, but to prosecute those who are responsible.
Please click HERE to sign - Thank you!