The Truth Behind the Swine Welfare Assurance Program

When questioned about their treatment of pigs, the major pig-flesh companies routinely respond by talking about the National Pork Producers Council’s Swine Welfare Assurance Program (SWAP) label. Sadly, like the United Egg Producers Certified label on eggs, the SWAP guidelines are a complete farce, endorsing practices so cruel that they’re illegal in many countries and would warrant felony cruelty-to-animals charges if the victims were dogs or cats. SWAP allows factory farmers to cut pigs’ testicles from their scrotums, use the equivalent of a hole punch to mutilate their ears, and chop off their tails, all without the use of painkillers. SWAP also allows factory farmers to cram mother pigs into filthy crates so small that they can’t even turn around, pump the animals so full of drugs that many become crippled, and kill sick pigs using blunt trauma (i.e., cracking their heads against the concrete floor), gunshots, and electrocution.²⁸

Most consumers would agree that the flesh of animals who were subjected to these types of cruelty shouldn’t be stamped with a “welfare” label, but this hasn’t stopped the National Pork Producers Council from continuing to con consumers with the SWAP logo.

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²⁸ National Pork Board.