Dear John,

LCA is releasing a new investigation today into the italian pig farms that supply the prosciutto industry. LCA obtained undercover footage of three pig farms located in north-central Italy.

The footage, from early 2023, shows horrendous conditions and animal neglect at three separate pig farms authorized to breed pigs and supply ham for Prosciutto di Parma. 

One of the farms was convicted of animal cruelty in 2021. At all three farms, totaling 38,000 pigs, there is blatant disregard for animal suffering.

 Watch the investigation video here.

The farms are authorized by an independent agency that certifies the high-quality standard of production guidelines provided by the Parma Ham industry. 

Prosciutto di Parma is supposed to be documented, from the birth of the pigs to the final product, and fully monitored. 

Undercover footage shows potential sanitation and animal welfare violations.

The footage documents:

• Rat infestation on farms, rat poison found close to pigs and pigs eating dead rats
• Pigs in pens covered in feces
• Pigs convulsing from injuries and illnesses
• Workers throwing pigs and dragging pigs by their legs
• Worker ignoring and running over seriously injured piglet with food cart
• Pigs getting stuck in feeding troughs 
• Pigs eating dead pigs
• Cockroach infestation on farms
• Dead pigs found piled in non-working refrigerator
• Sick pigs and piglets abandoned and left to die

The U.S. is the biggest importer of Prosciutto di Parma, importing over 11 million pounds in 2021.

This is an international scandal that harms animals and deceives the public. Prosciutto di Parma’s high-quality claims mislead consumers who assume the overall production of Italy’s famous brand does not involve animal cruelty.

LCA’s investigation release shows animal suffering behind the “gold standard of Italian prosciutto.” The strict standards for producing Prosciutto di Parma have little impact, if any, on the conditions for animals on pig farms.

It’s time to start asking tough questions of the Prosciutto di Parma industry and holding them accountable for the animal cruelty on pig breeding farms.