Pig gassing: Diamond Valley Pork under investigation

Diamond Valley Pork, which processes 13,500 pigs a week, is under investigation by federal authorities over animal welfare claims.

Farm Transparency Project animal activists hid cameras in three Victorian slaughterhouses to record the gas stunning of pigs. Picture: Farm Transparency Project

Victoria’s largest pig abattoir – Diamond Valley Pork – is under investigation by the federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry following animal activists releasing footage of pigs being gassed inside the company’s Laverton plant.

A DAFF spokeswoman said it took “allegations of animal welfare noncompliance seriously” and had “received a formal complaint and accompanying information in relation to DVP”.

“The department is investigating the complaint against the export establishments requirements under legislation, including compliance with the Australian Standard for the Hygienic Production and Transportation of Meat and Meat Products for Human Consumption (Meat Standard AS4696:2007),” she said.

“The department has yet not finalised investigations into the matter.”

The Farm Transparency Project’s animal activists collected footage from hidden cameras inside DVP and two smaller plants, showing pigs thrashing about and gasping for air as they were stunned with CO2.

The footage gained nationwide media coverage and led to PrimeSafe Victoria launching investigations into the two smaller abattoirs – the Australian Food Group at Laverton and CA Sinclair’s abattoir at Benalla.

AFG has since closed down its killing floor, with the loss of 16 jobs, after PrimeSafe told the company it was considering varying its licence to require the installation of CCTV in and near the carbon dioxide gas chambers, so it could monitor the process safely.

AFG executive chairman Darren Vincent failed to respond to calls and texts on the matter, but Stephen Sutton, who claims to have worked at the plant, contacted The Weekly Times stating the company “closed the slaughter floor permanently” last Monday.

“Please convey my thanks to the activists and PrimeSafe for putting me and 15 of my work colleagues out of a good job. Well done,” he said.

PrimeSafe is also investigating workers’ use of electric prodders at Colin Sinclair’s abattoir at Benalla, which has also been subject to animal activist incursions.

Australian Pork Limited, the nation’s peak pig industry body, continues to back gas stunning, issuing a statement that “we continue to recommend global best practice drawing on CO2 stunning (as) the most humane and effective method of managing pig welfare during processing”.

APL stated it did “not condone any behaviour that shows animal cruelty in poor handling or through the incorrect use of infrastructure”.

“We fully support the regulators in investigating any individual or business that has done the wrong thing.

“The majority of Australian abattoirs that process pork have moved to invest in improved infrastructure and implement best practice like group wide stunning.”