Several major U.K. grocery chains have pledged to phase out the sourcing of shrimp slaughtered by eyestalk ablation and/or ice slurry methods, but Aldi UK has yet to make any similar commitments.
In response, protestors associated with the International Council for Animal Welfare (ICAW), the Animal Activism Collective, and other local activists recently entered Aldi UK headquarters in Atherstone, U.K., staging a filmed statement inside the office and calling on Aldi UK CEO Giles Hurley to “end cruel practices in shrimp farming.”
The organizations also formally invited Aldi leadership to attend negotiations, ICAW said.
However, an Aldi UK spokesperson told SeafoodSource that while “a number of protesters came to our Head Office unannounced and left soon afterward,” the retailer did not receive a formal meeting request.
Eyestalk ablation involves cutting off one or both eyes of female breeding shrimp in an attempt to increase egg production. Research has found that this process may be unnecessary to produce results and may not even be beneficial, and experts have suggested that alternative, more humane, methods of slaughter may be cost neutral or even save farmers money in the long run.
Ice-slurry slaughter, meanwhile, involves immobilizing shrimp by placing them in ice water before harvesting. According to ICAW, this method leaves animals conscious and suffering unnecessarily.
“Scientific reviews have found shrimp and other decapod crustaceans to be capable of experiencing pain and distress,” the organization said.
ICAW claims that Aldi still sources shrimp slaughtered using both methods and said that there is no end in sight without a firm commitment.
“Investigation footage from farms linked to Aldi suggests that shrimp have their eyes cut off while others suffocate to death,” ICAW Head of Invertebrate Welfare Policy Jonas Becker said. “While the majority of U.K. supermarkets have already banned these outdated practices, Aldi fails to act and deliver a clear timeline.”
U.K. supermarkets that have pledged to ban one or both practices include Tesco, Morrisons, and Co-op.
In July 2025, Deeside, Wales-headquartered grocery store chain Iceland also said it would eliminate eyestalk ablation from the prawn supply chain of its own-label prawn products by the end of 2027. The company also said it will transition to the use of electric stunning as a harvesting method for its own-label products during the same time frame.
“That means eliminating eyestalk ablation and integrating electrical stunning in a way that is practical, science-led, and supports long-term supplier partnerships while continuing to provide quality, affordable food for families across the country,” Iceland Director of Product, Packaging, and Sustainability Stuart Lendrum said at the time.
