2 Sisters

A 2021 investigation into a Somerset farm supplying 2 Sisters found numerous dead and decaying birds. Many of those still living had painful skin burns caused by sitting in ammonia-sodden litter on the floor.⁴

It found deformed, injured, and filthy birds, and the use of “Frankenchickens” – birds genetically manipulated to grow so fast that their hearts, respiratory systems, and skeletons are placed under enormous pressure.⁵

A 2023 investigation into a Lincolnshire farm supplying the company revealed that birds were run over and killed by a forklift while being transported.⁶

In 2013, 700,000 birds drowned in a tidal surge,⁷ which is what tends to happen when you build your factory farm in an area prone to flooding.

At three of their four slaughterhouses, 2 Sisters’ workers were unable to spare the animals avoidable pain, suffering, or distress during their latest routine audits, with the breach described as “major”.⁸ There were several other major breaches in welfare laws, too, including relating to how the animals were moved.⁹

The company began building a mega factory farm in a Norfolk community, apparently without bothering to get planning permission first.¹⁰ Local residents are protesting, fearing the increase in ammonia will harm the local environment and their own health.¹¹

Astonishingly, MPs who were investigating food safety breaches at the company’s processing plants were sent festive boxes of biscuits as a gift,¹² which is insulting on at least two levels.

Despite its £2.4 billion turnover, when it had to pay more to its workers, it is said to have passed all those costs to the consumer.¹³

2 Sisters’ factory farms produce an eye-watering 4,050 tonnes of chicken waste every single day but the company does not make publicly available any policy for how it deals with this waste to avoid water pollution.¹⁴ Where does it all go? No one knows, and if they do, they’re not saying.

In 2020, Greenpeace said the company was either “unwilling or unable to answer even the simplest questions about its meat sales and soya footprint.”¹⁵ Soy in chicken feed is linked to deforestation in the Amazon and elsewhere.¹⁶

By 2023, only 56% of the soy meal used in 2 Sisters’ chicken feed was certified deforestation-free.¹⁷

And even this claim should be taken with a pinch of salt as the accounting method they use has been criticised as being highly dubious,¹⁸ which is unlikely to surprise many people.

Undercover filming by The Guardian and ITV showed workers altering slaughter dates on batches of chickens, making the meat appear “fresher” than it really was, and putting poultry back on the production line after it had been dropped on the floor.¹⁹

The investigation triggered a Food Standards Agency investigation, which revealed poor hygiene, bad practice, and inadequate cleaning procedures at 2 Sisters slaughterhouses.²⁰

A quality assurance inspector reported being physically pushed out of the way when trying to prevent unsuitable chicken from being loaded onto a lorry for dispatch. They had been called away by a supervisor and when they returned, they found that the crates of unsuitable chicken they had tried to hold back had actually been packed for dispatch.²¹

The four slaughterhouses operated by 2 Sisters managed to amass an impressive 41 hygiene and food safety breaches between them when assessed at their latest audits. The company seems very relaxed about contamination, particularly how to manage the discarded and diseased bits of animals.²²

In 2019, the company was fined £1.4 million after a worker’s torso was crushed while unblocking a machine in a 2 Sisters’ slaughterhouse. He sustained a punctured lung, fractures to his back, and several fractured ribs. Investigators found it was common practice to clear blockages while the machine was still running.²³

That same year, the company was fined £274,000 after two workers sustained hand injuries in separate incidents. One hour after being shown how to remove intestines from a carcass, one man’s thumb became severed as he tried to do just that. Six months later, another man’s finger was severed by the exact same machine.²⁴

Former 2 Sisters workers are still pursuing legal action alleging negligence over 200 cases of Covid at one of the company’s processing plants.²⁵

Among the job reviews by 2 Sisters’ workers are: “toxic”, “avoid”, “dreadful last resort job”, “slave labour”, “worse than being in prison”, “worst place I have ever worked” and “just don’t”.²⁶ We imagine the billionaire owner enjoys his work a bit better.