Waitrose has dumped its duck supplier after under-cover footage revealed “inhumane” conditions and cruel treatment of the birds on one of its free-range farms.
Secret filming released by Sky News earlier this week showed workers throwing ducks around by their necks and kicking the birds at Hall Farm in Hingham, Norfolk, which is contracted by a firm called Green Label, which supplies free-range ducks to Waitrose .
Waitrose said it was appalled by the footage, which was made by staff from Norfolk-based Hillside Animal Sanctuary, and confirmed that it had since terminated its contract with the farm.
A spokesman for the supermarket chain said: “The behaviour seen on the film is totally unacceptable and completely goes against the high welfare standards Waitrose expects of its farmers.
“As soon as we saw it, we suspended the supplier and sent in a vet. We have now ended our relationship with the farmer and they no longer supply Waitrose .”
“We are also reviewing our processes to make sure we do everything we can to ensure nothing like this can ever happen again.”
A spokesman for Green Label said: “We have launched an inquiry to review procedures and the farm has been suspended until the investigation has been completed. As part of this process we have also suspended all of the contract catchers who worked on the farm.”
In a statement Hall Farm said it had also launched its own inquiry and suspended all those responsible, adding that it takes matters of animal health and welfare “very seriously”.
