Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Horror of the duck Slaughterhouse
Footage shows shackled birds in ‘pain’ Birds are destined for major supermarkets
BIRDS were flailing in distress and suffering pain at the UK’S largest supplier of ducks to supermarkets, according to undercover footage.
The ducks were filmed being rammed on to shackles before being sent to an electrical bath to be stunned, practices campaigners say are inhumane.
Gressingham Foods, which owns the slaughterhouse i n Norfolk where the footage was taken, rears around eight million birds each year. This accounts for over half the farmed ducks in the UK. It supplies Red Tractor Assured duck to Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Tesco, Co-op, Asda and Morrisons.
Duck sales are expected to soar this year as the rule of six means families look to cook smaller birds instead of turkeys for Christmas.
The Animal Justice Project, which obtained the footage, say ducks are experiencing “pain and misery” – “intensively reared” in “filthy, barren sheds”.
Spokeswoman Claire Palmer said: “This is the tragic reality of duck farming and slaughter in the UK.”
Investigators said they filmed alleged breaches of EU, UK government and Red
Tractor guidelines over one day.
They said they witnessed ducks being grabbed roughly by workers from crates, hung upside down and sent along a shackle line into an electrical water bath – the first time these ducks will have seen water, claims the organisation. Live shackling has long been condemned by the Farm Animal Welfare Committee. In 2009, it said it “may cause considerable pain and distress”, and pre-slaughter inversion and shackling for poultry should be phased out.
The electrical bath, used by Gressingham to stun ducks before their throats are cut, is also condemned. The Humane Slaughter Association said it is difficult to submerge birds fully. Campaigners said t h i s mea n s th e y wi l l of t e n not be adequately stunned. Professor of animal welfare and ethics Andrew Knight said: “Shackling involves hanging birds upside down. This unnatural position exerts considerable force on bones and soft tissues of legs and feet. This
TERRIFYING Workers yell and swear while grabbing the birds
This can and does result in fractures and other injuries and is extremely stressful PROF ANDREW KNIGHT ON INHUMANE PRACTICE OF SHACKLING
can and does result in fractures and other injuries, and is extremely stressful. It is an inhumane way to treat birds of any species. No organisation should be certifying practices that are inhumane.”
The footage captured staf f shouting while roughly handling the panicked birds.
Workers used excessive force and left them hanging for more than 14 minutes and another load for 12 minutes, well over the maximum two minutes specified by law, say Animal Justice Project.
“This breach is likely to have serious welfare consequences for terrified, hanging ducks,” they said.
Ducks were seen on camera being grabbed by their heads and necks, while some arrived dead in crates after being transported from the farm to the slaughterhouse.
In 2017 the firm had to cull 55,000 birds after bird f lu was detected at a Suffolk breeding site.
Claire Palmer, Animal Justice Project spokeswoman, added: “It is a catalogue of disaster.
Gressingham is utilising practices well known to be inhumane, even by the Government’s own animal welfare council.
“Most water that Gressingham ducks will experience is when they hit the electric water bath inside this slaughterhouse.
“Subjected to terrifying and brutal handling by workers who scream at each other, and shackling whilst fully conscious, follows a dismal life for ducks inside filthy, barren sheds.
“Consumers need to know their choices in the run-up to Christmas and beyond can have a huge impact on animals’ lives.
“We urge them to have a truly compassionate Christmas.”
Shackling and water baths are accepted industry practices.
The Co-op said Gressingham does not supply their own brand products and added: “Animal welfare is an absolute priority and we are investigating this distressing footage as a matter of urgency.”
Food assurance scheme Red Tractor, Tesco and Sainsbury’s also said they are investigating.
Gressingham Food s said: “Th e majority of footage shows processes that are indicative of a we l l - r u n , h i g h welfare poultry processing plant.
“There is no clear evidence of abuse or neglect by staff.
“There are actions not representative of the high standards expected of our f a c t o r y, they will be fully investigated in conjunction with external auditors and appropriate actions taken. The welfare of our birds is an absolute priority.”
Consumers need to know their choices have a huge impact CLAIRE PALMER OF THE ANIMAL JUSTICE PROJECT