A joint investigation by Animal Justice Project and AGtivist has revealed the presence of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” in the supply chains of major UK supermarkets and food companies, exposing a potential public health risk. Government records published under Freedom of Information (FOI) laws show pork meat products – and some pig farms – contaminated with drug-resistant strains of salmonella, a common cause of food poisoning.
The findings have prompted condemnation from leading experts, including Dr Steven McCulloch, European Veterinary Specialist in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law; Dr Ron Daniels, NHS consultant and founder of The UK Sepsis Trust; and Dr Alice Brough, a former commercial pig veterinarian turned animal welfare advocate.
Shocking Footage and Government Data
Footage obtained at four farms found to have been contaminated with salmonella – and identified in the government data – exposes filthy, crowded sheds, apparent neglect, and the use of controversial antibiotics – including some substances classified as Highest Priority Critically Important Antibiotics (HPCIAs) for human medicine.
While this investigation reveals practices and antibiotic-resistant pathogens in Northern Ireland’s pig meat supply chains, this investigation is relevant to the whole country, as the meat can be sold across the UK, and similar conditions have been found in pig farms across the country — including on farms operated by the same companies investigated.
Key scenes include:
– Widespread deaths and decomposing carcasses – including piglets and adult pigs found in walkways, skips, and farrowing crates.
– Severe untreated injuries – pigs with open wounds, head injuries, convulsions, and an emaciated sow left to suffer in a walkway.
– Bloodied dead piglets
– Sows confined overnight in insemination crates – unable to turn around.
– Unsanitary conditions – animals born into excrement, built-up faeces, and dilapidated facilities.
– Controversial antibiotic use – via medicated feed and drinking water, and injections, as well as use of Highest Priority Critically Important Antibiotics (HPCIAs).
FOI Data: Drug-Resistant Salmonella
Data published by the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) in Northern Ireland on its website following a freedom of information request details test results conducted between 2021 and 2024. Among the key findings reported by AFBI:
– More than 200 salmonella-positive samples from products (meat and carcasses) processed by Karro Foods, Finnebrogue, and Cranswick.
– At least 140 samples, overall, resistant to at least one antibiotic, and more than 120 resistant to multiple antibiotics.
– Drug-resistant salmonella found in pork products produced for Asda, Aldi, M&S, and Booker (part of the Tesco group).
– Monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium – a major cause of foodborne illness – among the most common resistant strains.
A Mounting Public Health Crisis
The use of antibiotics in intensive farming drives the development of bacteria resistant to life-saving drugs. These superbugs can infect humans via contaminated meat, contact with farm environments, or runoff into waterways and farmland.
In 2023 alone, the UK recorded 66,730 serious antibiotic-resistant infections and 2,200 related deaths, costing the NHS £180 million annually. Whilst use and overuse of antibiotics in human medicine is the major driver of the issue, usage of antibiotics on farms is a growing concern, particularly in relation to the development and spread of resistant variants of food-borne illnesses such as salmonella, e.coli and campylobacter.
“This investigation exposes the filthy, crowded conditions behind supermarket pork, where suffering is routine and antibiotics – including those vital to human health – are used to sustain a broken system. Intensive farming is fuelling antibiotic-resistant superbugs and endangering public health. The only way to end this deadly crisis is to shut down pig farming and for the public to adopt plant-based diets.”
– Claire Palmer, Director, Animal Justice Project
