Animal Equality Italy published “100% Italian Chicken“, an investigation that unveiled chilling behind-the-scenes slaughterhouse and factory farm footage of the country’s chicken meat industry. The footage exposed a very different reality from what the Italian meat industry markets towards consumers.

Animal Equality’s investigation into chicken farms in India exposed practices that still were going on despite violating the most basic animal welfare and food safety standards. Birds were transported for days without access to food or water, suffered for minutes during slaughter before dying, and their bodies were de-feathered in filthy conditions.

At Niedersachsen chicken farm in Germany, hidden cameras documented animals in buckets being disposed of alive. One chick, named Finn by the investigator, was hit repeatedly with a shovel by a worker. Hours later, Finn was found still alive and suffering. Finn’s story prompted media coverage that was seen by millions.

Animal Equality studied Indian cattle markets across seven states and found that the animals were denied food and water, and were often abused. Cows were prodded with sticks and had hot chilli rubbed in their eyes to make them move. Child labor was also documented in the cattle markets.

Out Investigation team went into one of the biggest duck fattening farms in Germany to document the terrible living conditions of the animals. Ducks, who are naturally semi-aquatic animals, were denied everything that’s natural and meaningful to them, such as swimming or being outdoors.

Animal Equality released the first-ever investigation into Brazil’s egg industry, showing that one of the country’s top egg suppliers kept hens in rows of feces-covered cages stuffed with panicked birds, many with cracked and deformed feet from standing on the wire floor and wings caught in the cage wires.

Animal Equality investigated two chicken farms in Lower Saxony, Germany. These farms breed chickens for their meat for Germany’s two market-leading chicken meat producers, Wiesenhof and Rothkötter. Our investigators witnessed the cruel and illegal treatment of chickens on ten separate occasions and denounce it to the authorities to file charges against the workers.

An Animal Equality UK investigation exposed a dairy farm that supplied Marks & Spencer (M&S), a well-known supermarket chain in the United Kingdom that promotes itself as a leader in animal welfare standards. Calves were confined in pens so small that they could barely take a step forward.

This investigation into Mexican dairy farms showed that the dairy industry in both Mexican and the United States causes unimaginable suffering for cows. In México, this was one of our most shocking and shared investigations, inspiring thousands of people to sign our pledge and take action.

An investigation presented by Animal Equality Italy brought to light the shocking truth behind egg production. The images showed the standards within the egg industry and revealed the terrible conditions in which more than half of all egg-laying hens live in the country.