EU and UK law requires enrichment materials for pigs, yet enforcement remains patchy and welfare science shows most legal minimums fall far short of meeting pigs' complex behavioural needs.
Legal enrichment requirements acknowledge pigs as sentient, curious animals, but minimum compliance items (chain, plastic toy) are grossly inadequate for species capable of complex problem-solving and social play. The gap between minimum legal standards and actual welfare needs remains wide. Straw or other manipulable substrate satisfies rooting drive but is costly for producers.