Lidl GB bans eyestalk ablation for farmed prawns, joining nine other U.K. retailers

Lidl GB becomes the tenth of the U.K.’s 11 largest supermarkets to adopt time-bound animal welfare commitments for prawns

German discount retailer Lidl’s U.K. division, Lidl GB, has confirmed it has eliminated eyestalk ablation from its core own-brand farmed prawn range, marking the latest move by a major retailer to adopt new animal welfare standards in shrimp supply chains.

The change took effect in January 2026, and the company said it plans to implement electrical stunning for prawns by the end of the year.

With the announcement, Lidl becomes the tenth of the U.K.’s eleven largest supermarkets to set time-bound commitments on prawn welfare. Other retailers with similar policies include Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, Ocado, Waitrose, Co-op, Morrisons, Iceland and Asda, leaving Aldi as the only major supermarket without a time-bound commitment.

“In just over two years, prawn welfare has gone from a niche concern to becoming the new industry standard across the UK,” said Justine Audemard, head of negotiations at the International Council for Animal Welfare (ICAW).

Just two years ago, no major U.K. supermarket had a time-bound policy on prawn stunning. Since Tesco introduced the first commitment in 2024, other retailers in the U.K. and Europe have followed. With Asda committing in February 2026 and Lidl GB confirming its policy this week, ten of the country’s 11 largest supermarkets now have time-bound prawn welfare commitments.

Another UK supermarket chain makes shrimp sourcing commitments regarding eyestalk ablation and electrical stunning

Prawns are the most consumed farmed animal in the U.K., with more than 1.2 billion individuals sold each year. Research from the London School of Economics and the University of Stirling has found that prawns are sentient and capable of feeling pain, raising concerns about common industry practices such as eyestalk ablation – in which breeding females have one eyestalk removed to increase egg production – and ice slurry stunning, where prawns are placed in ice-water baths that may leave animals conscious while they suffocate.

Electrical stunning systems are already commercially available, and studies suggest hatcheries can move away from eyestalk ablation without reducing productivity.

ICAW said it continues to raise awareness of prawn welfare among Aldi customers and the broader public. Aldi has acknowledged that electrical stunning is considered best practice for shrimp, but has not set a timeline for adoption. ICAW is calling on the retailer to commit to ending eyestalk ablation and implementing electrical stunning for all farmed prawns by 2030.

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