Two of the UK’s biggest supermarkets, Tesco and Asda, have suspended supplies from a Lincolnshire pig farm after undercover footage revealed alleged shocking acts of animal cruelty.
The farm, Somerby Top in Lincolnshire, is run by British meat giant Cranswick—one of the country’s largest pork producers. It came under fire after a 10-month covert investigation by the animal rights group Animal Justice Project exposed a series of alleged abuses, prompting a swift backlash from retailers and industry regulators.
The footage showed staff members striking pigs with boards, paddles and even their fists—deliberately targeting vulnerable areas such as their snouts and eyes.
The investigation also claimed that vital welfare checks were carried out in a perfunctory manner, with one inspection of 1,000 pigs reportedly taking just 90 seconds. Additionally, the footage allegedly captured multiple botched killings of lame piglets, raising further questions about the farm’s practices.
Some of the most harrowing footage was said to have been filmed just two weeks after Somerby Top was audited by food assurance body Red Tractor, casting doubt on the effectiveness of industry oversight.
In response to the revelations, Tesco and Asda announced they had immediately halted all supplies from the farm pending investigations. A Tesco spokesperson said the supermarket was “shocked” by the footage:
“We take animal welfare extremely seriously and expect all our suppliers to adhere to our high welfare standards. We were shocked by this footage, and we have immediately suspended the farm in question. Our specialist agriculture team is working with the supplier to carry out a full investigation.”
Asda issued a similar response, confirming it had also suspended supply from the farm as soon as the allegations came to light.
Red Tractor, the farm assurance scheme that had previously certified Somerby Top, said it had suspended the farm’s accreditation with immediate effect after viewing the “deeply distressing” footage.
In a statement, the organisation stressed it was conducting a full investigation and had referred the case to the UK Government’s Animal and Plant Health Agency.
“This footage is deeply distressing. Red Tractor is taking this clear breach of animal welfare standards extremely seriously. The farm’s Red Tractor certification has been suspended with immediate effect, and a full investigation is underway. The farm will remain unassured if Red Tractor is not satisfied our standards are met.”
However, Red Tractor also raised concerns about the timing of the evidence. The footage, recorded between May 2024 and January 2025, was only presented to the organisation in August 2025.
The body criticised Animal Justice Project for what it described as a damaging delay in reporting, arguing that the group had “prioritised ideology over protecting animal welfare.” It highlighted that it offers a free and anonymous whistle-blowing service and encourages immediate reporting of concerns to prevent prolonged suffering.
Cranswick, which operates Somerby Top Farm, expressed horror at the footage and apologised “unreservedly.” A spokesperson said: “The health and welfare of our pigs is our highest priority, and we were horrified to see this unacceptable historic footage, filmed at Somerby Top farm. As with the North Moor Farm footage, released in May 2025, the content was recorded several months ago but has only very recently been shared with us. We find the treatment of the pigs in the footage distressing to watch, and we apologise unreservedly for this lapse in our standards. It does not in any way reflect the operating practices at our farms today.”
The company added that it was cooperating fully with both regulators and customers to address the matter and reinforce welfare standards across its operations. The scandal comes at a time when consumer trust in food supply chains is under increasing scrutiny. Supermarkets have faced repeated calls to tighten their supply audits and ensure that animal welfare is not compromised in pursuit of profit.
Animal rights groups have argued that this case illustrates systemic weaknesses in assurance schemes such as Red Tractor, which certify farms as meeting welfare standards but may miss violations that take place outside of scheduled inspections.
For retailers like Tesco and Asda, the reputational risk of being linked to animal cruelty is significant. Both supermarkets moved quickly to distance themselves from the farm, underscoring the pressure that consumer expectations and public scrutiny can exert on supply chains.
Investigations by Red Tractor and the Animal and Plant Health Agency are ongoing, and Somerby Top Farm will remain suspended until regulators are satisfied that welfare standards are being upheld.
Meanwhile, Animal Justice Project has defended its decision to carry out long-term covert filming, arguing that such investigations are necessary to expose what it claims are hidden, systemic abuses within industrial farming.
The fallout from the case is likely to intensify debate around the balance between undercover activism and immediate animal welfare protections, as well as the robustness of certification schemes that supermarkets rely on to reassure customers. For now, the farm’s suspension and the supermarkets’ swift response signal an industry scrambling to contain the damage from one of the most disturbing animal welfare scandals of recent years.
