Allegations of animal cruelty at Johnston's pig-processing plant in Chilliwack are the focus of an undercover video released by Animal Justice.
The animal rights group claims the footage shows "the truth behind your holiday ham" with video clips recorded by an "anonymous whistleblower" at the slaughterhouse facility that handles 500 pigs per day.
Animal Justice reps filed complaints with the BC SPCA, the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, calling for an investigation.
“This is the first time in Canada that pig slaughter has been caught on hidden camera, and it has led to incredibly disturbing revelations,” said Animal Justice executive director Camille Labchuk.
They are alleging "blatant violations of animal protection laws" and "appalling conditions" by the company.
The BC SPCA confirmed Wednesday it opened an investigation file after receiving the complaint.
"We will be reviewing the footage to determine whether there is evidence that a violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act has occurred," said Kaila Butler Wolf, senior manager of communications for BC SPCA.
Analyzing the footage and retaining experts can take time.
"As we just received the complaint last week, it will be some time until we have a further update that can be shared," the BC SPCA rep said. "As with any open investigation, we are limited in what information can be publicly provided at this time, but we take all such complaints seriously and will ensure a thorough investigation is conducted."
The Animal Justice video asks the viewer to "imagine the horror of being slaughtered while fully conscious, being viscerally aware of everything that is happening in these terrifying final moments of your life.”
They claim the footage shows improper use of stunning equipment, "with pigs left in agony, cut open while still alert and conscious at the slaughterhouse."
Dr. Izzy Hirji, a veterinarian asked by the group to review the video said that while muscle spasms are not uncommon after an animal is stunned, some of the pigs showed signs of consciousness.
“You see some animals in these videos (who) are blinking in response to touch stimuli or moving in response to touch stimuli, there were other scenarios where the animal was blinking in response to a knife … and if you watch the pattern of that blinking it didn't match the rest of the body's rhythmic contractions that were happening from the stunning,” Dr. Hirji said.
The video is eight minutes of heavily-edited images of blood-filled floors and pigs backing away with contrasting content from Johnston's own promotional material. It also includes clips from the likes of celebrity chefs Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay.
The voiceover asks viewers to think about their holiday ham and to share the video with friends and family.
Animal Justice describes itself as "Canada’s only national animal law advocacy organization."
The Chilliwack Progress reached out Johnston's officials for comment but did not hear back by publication time. They do answer the question of how they process pigs on their website in the 'Frequently Asked Questions' section.
"Johnston’s takes humane care very seriously. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it makes for high quality pork.
"It would do no one (including the animals) any good if humane care and handling was not a top priority and therefore humane practices are a priority right through the entire process, from birth to processing. In addition, not only do we work closely with our own vets, we are a fully government-inspected plant."
They say humane handling practices and animal welfare are "extremely important" in the production of high quality pork.
"Fear and stress produces inferior pork, which includes being tough, watery, bland tasting with limited shelf life. Johnston’s practices of proper animal handling produces our high quality pork, which provides for tasty, tender, and beautifully coloured pork."
There are "very strict rules" and standards for B.C. producers around animal care and handling and they extend from the farm, to transportation, to the plant.
WARNING: The following video contains graphic content.
