BOOS reports abuses at pig farms bearing Beter Leven mark
The programme reports abuses at four pig farms awarded one star under the certification scheme.
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The programme BOOS is publishing footage on Tuesday from four pig farms awarded one star under the Beter Leven certification scheme. According to the editorial team, it shows that statutory rules and certification requirements are not always being followed.
The footage comes from the investigative group Ongehoord and, according to BOOS, was checked by the editorial team for authenticity and reliability. The programme says that at four farms with one star under the scheme, various forms of animal abuse and breaches of regulations are visible.
BOOS cites, among other things, violence against pigs, the cutting off of piglets’ tails and animals not being killed correctly. De Vector reports these descriptions as claims made by the programme; the footage and the full responses from the companies involved have not been independently investigated by us.
The Dierenbescherming describes on its website the management of the Beter Leven certification scheme and the introduction of revised criteria for pigs this year. According to the Dierenbescherming, those criteria were finalised on 29 January, published on 2 February and came into force after a transition period on 2 May. They include new requirements concerning tails and farrowing pens.
A certification mark is not a general guarantee that every action is carried out correctly at every moment. The Dierenbescherming writes that participants must comply with the criteria and that inspections can be announced or unannounced. The new programme therefore primarily raises the question of how breaches are detected and punished.
The issue is relevant to supermarkets, slaughterhouses and livestock farmers that use the certification mark in their supply chains and communications. If certification is withdrawn or inspections tightened, this could affect contracts, costs and the availability of one-star products.
At the time of publication, the public sources did not make clear which specific sanctions had been imposed on the four companies or whether regulators had launched separate investigations. That makes the programme newsworthy, but leaves the scale of the problem across the sector open.
Also show where in Europe and in the world
Both sides of the figures
▲ Bright spots
- The revised criteria provide livestock farmers with a fixed framework for investments and inspections, according to the Dierenbescherming.
▼ Concerns
- Tightened requirements may create costs for livestock farmers and supply-chain companies; the Dierenbescherming refers to transition periods to make implementation possible.
Critical note
The programme says something about possible compliance at four companies, but not about the scale of breaches across the sector. Without publicly available inspection results and information about any sanctions, consumers may find it difficult to assess how a particular company complies with the certification requirements.
Who notices what
- Businesses
- Livestock farmers and supply-chain companies may face additional inspections, remedial measures or loss of certification.
- Households
- Consumers may have less confidence in the certification mark or see changes in the price and availability of one-star products.
- Government
- Regulators may be called upon to explain the balance between statutory enforcement and private certification.
Every point comes from the article’s sources and was included in the fact check.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- BOOS published a programme on 10 November about four pig farms awarded one star.
- The certification scheme introduced revised criteria for pigs in 2026.
- At the time of publication, the public sources named no specific sanctions against the companies.
Left
Arguments According to this perspective, the footage shows that voluntary certification schemes and self-regulation offer insufficient protection; statutory minimum standards and independent oversight should carry greater weight.
Values Animal welfare, transparency and protection against misleading consumer communications.
Consequences There may be a need for more inspections, publication of breaches and stricter statutory requirements.
Centre
Arguments A certification mark can improve animal welfare, but only if inspections are effective and breaches demonstrably lead to corrective action or loss of certification.
Values Verifiability, proportionality and practical feasibility.
Consequences The priority is independent investigation, clear sanctions and improving the existing inspection system.
Right
Arguments Farmers who do follow the rules should not collectively be held responsible for possible breaches by individual companies; rules should be clear and achievable.
Values Legal certainty, entrepreneurship and fair competition.
Consequences Targeted enforcement and transparent procedures are preferable to general bans or ever higher requirements without financial backing.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The text clearly distinguishes between what BOOS reports and what has been independently established. The background on the revised criteria comes from the Dierenbescherming.
- confirmed BOOS is publishing footage from four pig farms awarded one star under the Beter Leven certification scheme. — Reported in the official BNNVARA announcement. source
- confirmed The revised pig criteria were adopted on 29 January and came into force on 2 May. — The timeline is set out on the certification scheme’s website. source
- uncertain It is not publicly known what sanctions were imposed on the four companies. — No specific sanctions were mentioned in the public sources consulted. source
Editor's note
The programme and the tightened criteria have been confirmed. The factual breaches were described in public sources only by BOOS; sanctions and independent regulatory investigations were not yet known.Sources
- BOOS toont ernstige misstanden bij varkenshouderijen met Beter Leven keurmerk — BNNVARA
- Vastgestelde criteria BLk Varken — Dierenbescherming
- Varkens - Beter Leven keurmerk Zakelijk — Dierenbescherming
More on this in Dutch media
- de Volkskrant — „beter leven”
- RTL Nieuws — „beter leven”
- NOS — „beter leven”