‘Humanewashing’: Inside the reality of PQA-approved pig farms
The certification is intended to assure consumers the certified meat is high-quality and safe. However, the findings reveal that dire conditions and inhumane treatment of pigs are commonplace in the pork industry.
Credit: Mercy for Animals
An undercover investigation has revealed horrific animal suffering at a pig farm, despite the facility being certified under the Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) Plus certification.
PQA guidelines mandate that pigs be euthanized in a “humane and timely manner.” However, footage, documented by Mercy For Animals (MFA) shows a mother pig being repeatedly shot in the head with a defective captive-bolt gun, causing her to writhe on the floor as she suffers extreme pain, fear and a slow, agonizing death.
“A mother pig at the farm was shot in the head three times with a defective bolt gun before she was killed, causing unimaginable fear and pain.”
The investigation further revealed pigs with painful prolapses being slapped, kneed, and struck with paddles; days-old piglets having their testicles torn out and tails cut off without any pain relief; sick and injured piglets piled together with dead and dying animals; and pigs confined to gestation crates, unable to turn around.
The footage also shows that piglets who were either too small or sick - and considered a waste - were slammed headfirst into the ground. Many of these piglets endured extreme and prolonged suffering as a result, according to the undercover investigator.
Credit: Mercy for Animals
The animal protection organization reports that these findings are not isolated incidents. “When animals are hidden away in factory farms, the most devastating horrors become routine. Marketing labels meant to reassure the public often amount to empty promises,” said Tejeda-Moncrief.
In addition to the investigation, Mercy For Animals released a white paper analyzing 10 years of undercover footage from both Mercy For Animals and Animal Outlook. The report details PQA Plus violations in numerous PQA Plus-certified facilities.
Currently, the National Pork Board oversees the Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) Plus certification program, which the pork industry uses to assure consumers that its certified meat is high-quality and safe.
Now, the white paper shows that the program’s certification may be largely unreliable, as it does not prevent systemic cruelty or ensure adherence to even basic standards.
Animal campaigners argue that these findings reveal the dire conditions and inhumane treatment pigs endure in the pork industry are a systemic issue.
“Animal welfare science shows that industrial pig production is detrimental to the health and welfare of millions of pigs farmed each year in the United States,” said Dr. Walter Sánchez-Suárez, an animal welfare scientist at Mercy For Animals and a veterinarian. “This activity also raises significant concerns about zoonotic diseases, food security and environmental sustainability.
“Despite the industry’s claims, evidence shows that the Pork Quality Assurance Plus program is not an effective tool for mitigating these issues, he continued. “As a result, the program is prone to misleading consumers through humanewashing.”
Credit: Mercy for Animals
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