0:00:02 > 0:00:04From the clothes we wear, to the cars we drive,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07from what we use to look good... SHE GIGGLES
0:00:07 > 0:00:09..to what we use to relax,
0:00:09 > 0:00:12our lives are full of products.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15And our products are full of animals.
0:00:18 > 0:00:23In the past few years, I've learnt quite a lot about how meat we eat reaches our plates.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26But I've always wondered what happens to the bits of the animal
0:00:26 > 0:00:28that we don't eat.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32It turns out that these leftovers are made into things we use everyday.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35That is a symbolic noise for, like, leather.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39As well as some things we couldn't even imagine.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Oh, my God!
0:00:42 > 0:00:45My face is on fire!
0:00:45 > 0:00:48I've never, ever smelt anything like that!
0:00:49 > 0:00:53To find out how, I'm going on an extraordinary journey
0:00:53 > 0:00:56to see these raw animal parts transformed into shiny new products.
0:00:56 > 0:01:01And I'm going to be joined by the people who use them to see what they make of it.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05- The sheep need to get slaughtered. - Are we going to be in the room?
0:01:05 > 0:01:07Oh, my God!
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Mine had a testicle on it!
0:01:12 > 0:01:14Don't film me being sick!
0:01:14 > 0:01:19We'll be going behind the doors of unknown companies and into hidden worlds...
0:01:19 > 0:01:21That is just such a weird vision!
0:01:21 > 0:01:24Just skin, hanging there!
0:01:25 > 0:01:27This is when we see inside the chest.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29..getting hands-on...
0:01:29 > 0:01:31I don't think that'll go in there!
0:01:31 > 0:01:37- ..and discovering what makes these animal leftovers so indispensible. - I can't even look at it!
0:01:37 > 0:01:38What am I doing here with these?
0:01:38 > 0:01:43Could knowing that so many of our favourite items contain animals
0:01:43 > 0:01:45change the way we feel about them forever?
0:01:45 > 0:01:49Tonight, it's the pig.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56We love pigs in this country.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58Well, we love eating them.
0:01:59 > 0:02:04In fact, we eat 20 million of them a year.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07It turns out our domestic porker is a pretty versatile animal
0:02:07 > 0:02:11and even the bits that we don't eat can be used to make things, like paint brushes, shoes
0:02:11 > 0:02:15and even life-saving replacement parts for our bodies.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18To find out how, I'm going to follow pig leftovers
0:02:18 > 0:02:21from the abattoir to the shop floor.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23That's just horrible!
0:02:23 > 0:02:26I'm going to be joined on my journey by fellow consumers
0:02:26 > 0:02:30as I ask them how they feel about using animals in this way.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33It does look like something out of a horror movie.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37- That's minging! - Here, look, have a feel.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Ugh! It's got skin in it!
0:02:41 > 0:02:43The first piggy product on my list
0:02:43 > 0:02:47is something we slip our own little trotters into every day.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51I've got a reasonable collection of boots and shoes. They maketh the woman, after all.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Most shoes are made from leather.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58But, surprisingly, a lot of them are made from pig leather, or pig suede.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02The humble pig certainly has a lot to offer.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04Quite literally, the skin of its back.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08To follow this intriguing process, I'm joined by two fashionistas.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Meet Prince Cassius...
0:03:14 > 0:03:18My look is really, like, preppy, like, English classic look.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23My hair, style and personality makes me unique.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28..and Sade.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30My style's gothic glamour. I like dark colours
0:03:30 > 0:03:33with lots of studs, with, like, a punk type of edge.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39- We get a lot of attention. - Especially when we walk down the road.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43- I get compared to The Jackson Five. - Michael Jackson. All the time!
0:03:43 > 0:03:45It's crazy.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50They love their looks, and it starts from the ground up with their shoes.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53The three things I can't live without is - blazers,
0:03:53 > 0:03:55bow ties and shoes.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00I own a lot of pairs of shoes. I am a shoe addict.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03I love open shoes, I love suede shoes,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05I love colourful shoes.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08I've noticed that I'm addicted to black shoes.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12I have 50 pairs of shoes. Five-0.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16They've never questioned where all that luxurious leather and suede comes from
0:04:16 > 0:04:19for their fancy footwear.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23When I buy shoes, I don't look at where it's from or what it's made out of.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26I just look at how good it looks.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29You just see it as a pair of shoes and you buy it.
0:04:29 > 0:04:35- You don't think, "I wonder what that's made out of." You think, "That looks on trend."- Exactly.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38But as aspiring fashion designers, they want to know
0:04:38 > 0:04:42where some of their fabulous shoes start their lives.
0:04:42 > 0:04:48If it's an animal it was from, I think that could actually, like, it might bother me a bit.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50Like, I'll be a bit like, "Oh, OK."
0:04:50 > 0:04:54They never have it on the shoes, so you don't think about it.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59We both want to be fashion designers in the future.
0:04:59 > 0:05:04Going on this journey will enable us to think, "What do I want my garments to be made out of?"
0:05:05 > 0:05:08The main centres of pig leather production
0:05:08 > 0:05:10are in China, Taiwan and Eastern Europe.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15We're going to be following the process in Poland.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19I've got the background in. It's spectacular.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23Yeah, there. One, two, three, pose.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25Yay! High five. I love it.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Enough frivolity. I'm meeting the guys half an hour outside of Krakow
0:05:34 > 0:05:39and we're about to discover just where our fashionable footwear and accessories come from.
0:05:39 > 0:05:45- Hello, guys.- Hello! - Prince Cassius, nice to meet you. Sade, nice to meet you.- And you.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47- You're both fashion students.- Yeah.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52- You must appreciate quality products, the design, textiles. - Definitely.- Absolutely.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54And leather... BOTH: Yes.
0:05:54 > 0:05:59- Do you think leather's worth more? Has it got a higher value in the textile world?- Definitely.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02- You'd spend more on a leather bag or leather shoes?- Absolutely.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06Have you ever made that correlation between the animal and the product?
0:06:06 > 0:06:11- We don't usually think about it. - You don't. You just go in the shops and buy something.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15The first stage, of course, of the journey, is the animal.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17We're going to go and meet some piggies.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19BOTH: Oh.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Come with me.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25These pigs aren't rooting around outside.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28They're at an abattoir and they're about to be slaughtered.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31This is where the story of our pig-leather shoes begins.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34We're visiting this meat producer
0:06:34 > 0:06:38who runs an abattoir which meets all EU regulations regarding animal welfare.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40Managing director Adam will be our guide.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43So, where are the piggies? HE SPEAKS POLISH
0:06:43 > 0:06:47These are standard domestic pigs and bred locally.
0:06:47 > 0:06:53I always find this a tough moment, knowing that quite soon these animals are going to die.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58- Oh, my, God! It stinks! - That stinks!- Oh, my God!
0:06:58 > 0:07:00- They're so big!- They're fat.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04- Have you ever seen pigs this close before?- No.- Never! - I've never seen them this big.
0:07:04 > 0:07:09How do you feel about the fact that, soon, they will be no more?
0:07:09 > 0:07:12It's really sad. You don't really think about it.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17- Are they growing on you a bit, Sade? - Yeah, I think they're quite cute.
0:07:17 > 0:07:22So, Adam, how long have the pigs been here and how long before they're slaughtered?
0:07:22 > 0:07:24TRANSLATION: A couple of hours.
0:07:24 > 0:07:29They are going to go down this corridor to the abattoir.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33But it is a clean area and we need to get checked before we go in.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37- I think you're going to love these outfits, guys!- Really?
0:07:41 > 0:07:45I'm looking for the fashionistas' advice on these outfits.
0:07:45 > 0:07:50- They're massive! - It certainly needs adjustments. - Adjustments.- Perhaps some tailoring.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54This isn't going to go down well with you, but you have to wear the hats.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57- I wouldn't wear that.- You've got to.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00- Honestly, I wouldn't... - It's going to be flattened!
0:08:00 > 0:08:02Even I'm putting it on, look.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07- It won't go in.- You haven't tried. - I don't want to flatten it!
0:08:07 > 0:08:10It's just your hair. You'll have to compress it down.
0:08:10 > 0:08:11We're going in.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14As much fun as trying to fit a hat on Prince's head is,
0:08:14 > 0:08:20we're now entering the abattoir where the pigs we've just met are about to be killed.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25This plant can slaughter and process up to 100 pigs an hour.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29This is slaughter on an industrial scale.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32- There's blood in there.- Oh!
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Right, so, what happens here, Adam?
0:08:38 > 0:08:41TRANSLATION: The pigs come in here through the tunnel.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43When you see the head, you use the tool
0:08:43 > 0:08:47which stuns the pig with an electric shock, leaving it insensitive to pain.
0:08:47 > 0:08:48Oh, my God.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52- THEY SCREAM - Oh, my God!
0:08:52 > 0:08:54The pigs are hooked onto the lift.
0:08:54 > 0:09:01It goes up here until this point, where we cut the blood vessel in its neck and it bleeds to death.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03- That's disgusting.- That's horrible.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09It's the beginning of the journey, from pig pen to high street.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15Even they're about to die, the pigs' welfare is still paramount,
0:09:15 > 0:09:19and once the process starts, the slaughtermen have to work quickly
0:09:19 > 0:09:22in order to minimise any distress to the animals.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27I can hear it. I can hear it. I can hear the pig.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32I've seen this done before, but in much smaller abattoirs.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35This is on a very different scale.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38So this is the moment that the pig is stunned.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44HE GROANS
0:09:45 > 0:09:49The sound of the waiting pigs squealing, and the noisy machines,
0:09:49 > 0:09:52make this an incredibly scary environment.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01After stunning, the pig's major blood vessels are severed and it bleeds out.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04This is the pig bleeding to death now.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07I've seen this twitching before, as well.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12The pig will spasm for up to two minutes after it's been bled as its nervous system shuts down.
0:10:12 > 0:10:18I've literally seen an animal that is dead, absolutely dead, and still twitching.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21- It's very disturbing. - Oh! Oh, my God!
0:10:22 > 0:10:26For these guys, it's their first time and it's not an easy thing to watch.
0:10:27 > 0:10:32- It's still moving. - And it's been dead for how long?
0:10:33 > 0:10:37- HE GROANS - Oh, the smell!
0:10:37 > 0:10:40- How do you feel?- Really sick.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43- Can I go out and come back in again? - Yeah.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46The smell is disgusting!
0:10:46 > 0:10:49- I feel so sick. - I needed some fresh air.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51- It's tough to watch.- I'm stunned.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54I thought it would be more like a natural death,
0:10:54 > 0:10:58like, they wouldn't do it so...violently.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02I just think nothing deserves to die...
0:11:02 > 0:11:06Not like that. At all.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09What are the options? HE MUMBLES
0:11:09 > 0:11:14If it was just paralysing, then I, you know, I can understand why they have to do it, but...
0:11:14 > 0:11:18- It doesn't seem very noble, does it? - The second stage is just too much.
0:11:18 > 0:11:24That's the stage that's killing it. The animal would wake up eventually after the stunning.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Overwhelming I think is the word.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29If you are going to eat meat, wear leather,
0:11:29 > 0:11:33if you are going to buy in to the industry, as it were...
0:11:33 > 0:11:36- Yeah?- ..that's what happens.
0:11:36 > 0:11:41- The thing is...- When you see the final outcome, you don't think about the way it's got there.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45Like, we just saw that now, it's really shocking.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47I was speechless for quite a while.
0:11:52 > 0:11:57It's the end of the pig's life and the beginning of its journey onto our plates
0:11:57 > 0:11:59and into our shoes.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05Once it's fully bled, it travels through what is, in effect, a pig carwash.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09It cleans the pig and removes most of its hair.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11BOTH: Oh, my God.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14It's still bleeding.
0:12:14 > 0:12:21After being washed and scrubbed for 25 minutes, the pig is tumbled to loosen up any stubborn bristle.
0:12:21 > 0:12:22Oh, my...
0:12:28 > 0:12:30There's obviously water in there, as well.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33THEY GASP
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Most of the hair is gone. He's just shaving off the rest.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39- Oh, my God.- What do you think of it?
0:12:41 > 0:12:44It's disgusting. That's what I think of it.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48Normally, the skin's removed by machine, but so we can get a look,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50they're going to skin this pig by hand.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Now it's ready to be skinned.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59- I can't even see the blood. - Look at the skill!- Oh, my God.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01It reminds me of scissors and fabric.
0:13:01 > 0:13:07I've never seen this happen before, because in the UK you don't skin your pigs.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Because we eat crackling. We eat the skin.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13The way the pigskin has just folded,
0:13:13 > 0:13:17- it already sort of has the fabric-type texture to it.- Yeah.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19- Are you looking at it differently? - Definitely.
0:13:19 > 0:13:24- Now I see it more as fabric, because of the way it folds. - The way it's folding in.- Yeah.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28But it makes you think, that's just, like, that one coat of skin,
0:13:28 > 0:13:32and if that was going to be a store item, they must use so much pigs.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36In a matter of minutes, the pig and his skin have parted company
0:13:36 > 0:13:41and the skin is ready to go off to the tanning factory to be turned into pig leather.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45- Oh, my God.- Do you want to touch it? - I don't think I want to, no.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49It's hot! It's still warm. It feels like leather. Like fleshy leather.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53- The way it folds, I see it as a bag now, don't you?- Mm. A belt.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56PIG GRUNTS
0:14:00 > 0:14:04It's not the end of the pig's journey yet. It's gutted, chopped
0:14:04 > 0:14:08and ready for the butchers on the high streets of Poland.
0:14:13 > 0:14:1720 minutes down the road from the abattoir is the Panda Tannery.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20We're meeting Michael, and he's going to show us
0:14:20 > 0:14:24how the raw pigskins are transformed into something we all recognise -
0:14:24 > 0:14:27luxurious leather.
0:14:27 > 0:14:32- These have got hairs on them. Do you process them with hairs and without? - Er, yes.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35- And how many do you think are in this shipment?- More or less, 3,000.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39- 3,000?- Wow. Oh, my God. - Are you serious? 3,000?
0:14:39 > 0:14:41- 3,000!- 3,000 pigs.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Doesn't it disturb you that you know that 3,000 pigs have been skinned?
0:14:45 > 0:14:49- Personally?- Mm.- For me, no, because we are eating the pigs,
0:14:49 > 0:14:53and for the rest of the pieces we are getting the leather,
0:14:53 > 0:14:58and after that you can buy fancy goods - shoes, bags, fancy leathers and stuff like that.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Once the skins have been graded for quality and weighed,
0:15:01 > 0:15:04they're ready for the first stage of tanning -
0:15:04 > 0:15:06getting all that fat off.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09So in here, we have got defatting machines.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13We have to take the fat out from the skin.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17And the fat's coming out from the other side, so we can take a look.
0:15:17 > 0:15:22- There it is. So, what do you do with this fat?- We are selling the fat,
0:15:22 > 0:15:28and after that, other companies producing the hand soap, mascara...
0:15:28 > 0:15:30- What?!- Oh, my God! - ..for creams and...
0:15:30 > 0:15:33- No way. They put that in mascara? - Yes.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37- Creams, soap, mascaras, makeup, cosmetics.- I wear mascara every day.
0:15:37 > 0:15:43- Did you know lots of cosmetics contain animal fat?- Yes. - Well, that's animal fat.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45It's really disturbing.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48As surprising as it may be to Sade and Prince,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51animal fats are still used in lots of products we use every day.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55From makeup, to handwash and even soap.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Once defatted, the skin is ready for the next stage,
0:16:01 > 0:16:05and I get the feeling that we're expected to get hands-on.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10- What goes on inside the drum? - The chemicals go inside the drum
0:16:10 > 0:16:13and they are removing the hairs and removing the fat.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15- So, these in there?- Yes.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17- Is that why we're wearing gloves? - Yes.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21- I prefer not to do that.- Why? - I just prefer not to touch it.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24- You don't want to touch?- No. - Underneath looks like fabric.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28- Mm.- Not convinced!
0:16:28 > 0:16:32- Do you want me to help you? - Please, Prince! Thank you. I thought I was going to do them all.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44After 48 hours in the defatting and dehairing drum,
0:16:44 > 0:16:48the skins are then added to another drum for another 48 hours.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51The chemicals in this one stabilise the skins
0:16:51 > 0:16:54and stop them rotting.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57This is the end of the tanning and the skins are preserved.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01After four days of being tumbled, dehaired and defatted,
0:17:01 > 0:17:05Sade finally gets to grips with the pigskins.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07What does it feel like?
0:17:07 > 0:17:09Like rubber.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11I'll get the other end.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15Pigskin is an incredibly efficient material.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19You can get two pig-shaped pieces of leather from one skin.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22So this is the splitting machine.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25It splits the leather for two pieces.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29It definitely feels more like fabric than anything than we've felt before.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33- So, this is transformed for you now? - Yes. This reminds me of fabric.
0:17:33 > 0:17:38Just a few hours ago, we saw the pigs in the slaughterhouse.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43I know. It's shocking because, from the very beginning, you see it and you're traumatised by it,
0:17:43 > 0:17:47but as soon as you see this, you don't link the two together.
0:17:47 > 0:17:53- It's all OK now. It's all a fabric! - It's not all OK, because obviously I know where it's come from,
0:17:53 > 0:17:55however, I don't feel as...
0:17:55 > 0:17:57- As uncomfortable.- As uncomfortable.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00At this stage, the skin can go off to be made into suede.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03But today, it's being made into leather.
0:18:07 > 0:18:12The skins are now ready to be dyed with a base colour. And you guessed it - more drums.
0:18:14 > 0:18:19It's then dried and ready for the last process, where the final finish is applied.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23- This is leather now?- Yes.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27Sometimes you have to put even six coats on the leather.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31- So just lots and lots and lots of coats and layers.- Lots and lots.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34This is what we kind of see on the streets.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37It's a long way from the little piggy, isn't it?
0:18:37 > 0:18:39- A dramatic change. - PIGS GRUNT
0:18:40 > 0:18:43Having seen the journey from snorting pig to soft leather,
0:18:43 > 0:18:49I'm keen to know if Sade and Prince Cassius feel any different about their shiny new leather goods.
0:18:49 > 0:18:50ALL: Wow!
0:18:50 > 0:18:52This is the final product.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55- Beautiful colour. - That's my favourite.- You like that?
0:18:55 > 0:18:58- What do you think of that? - It's soft.- It feels of luxury.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01- Do you want a pair of shoes made out of that?- I wouldn't say no,
0:19:01 > 0:19:06but at the same time, I wouldn't spend, spend, spend as much as I used to on leather.
0:19:06 > 0:19:11- Would you not?- No. I would actually get, this might sound shocking,
0:19:11 > 0:19:13fake leather on some items.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16As soon as we walked in here, I was like, "Ooh, fabric!"
0:19:16 > 0:19:20I completely, for like a second, forgot about where it came from,
0:19:20 > 0:19:23and that only happened a while ago.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25- A few hours ago.- Exactly.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32- All I can see is shoes.- Amazing!
0:19:32 > 0:19:36- Feel the soft, soft suede. - Wow. I like these. Feel these.
0:19:36 > 0:19:41- I see something I like.- "I see something I like!"- They're sexy.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44On that shoe, the inner lining coming from the pigskin,
0:19:44 > 0:19:48but the rest of the shoe is coming from cow skin because it's stronger.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Two animals in one shoe.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54I love it as a shoe, it's beautiful, I still would wear it,
0:19:54 > 0:19:56but it was an animal a couple of hours ago.
0:19:56 > 0:20:02I would have to reconsider, like, how many pairs of shoes I buy.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05Personally, when I look at the shoe, I don't see the animal.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08You know in the back of your mind because it's the first thing we saw,
0:20:08 > 0:20:12but, as a consumer, you see that in a shop, you're not thinking about that.
0:20:12 > 0:20:17It's been a dramatic day. The process here is quite different to the process you witness in the UK.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21But look at our fashionistas. A few hours ago, they were shocked and horrified.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24They said the slaughter was disgusting.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26- And now... - I love that.- I love the colour.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29- ..they're just lost in leather. - This is so nice.- This is so soft.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34Given that we tend to eat the skin on our pigs,
0:20:34 > 0:20:39it's a surprise to discover it's the perfect material for our fashionable accessories.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42But it's also made its mark in another high-profile area.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49They were the preserve of sailors and prisoners, but tattoos are now the height of cool.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52You're not anybody unless you've got an angel on your neck
0:20:52 > 0:20:55or a flower running up your back.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58Tattoos are everywhere.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02And it's a bit of the domestic pig that's helped train artists,
0:21:02 > 0:21:05like Andrew J May, ink our bodies.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07NEEDLE WHIRS
0:21:15 > 0:21:19Having a tattoo is a major decision. I've wanted to have one for years.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23You need to consider three things - what are you going to have,
0:21:23 > 0:21:25where are you going to have it,
0:21:25 > 0:21:28and then, most importantly, your tattoo artist.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31Steady, Andrew.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40Come on. When I have it done, I'm not going to do it on television!
0:21:40 > 0:21:46- This is obviously pigskin here. - Most tattoo artists initially learn to tattoo using pigskin
0:21:46 > 0:21:48because it's so similar to human skin.
0:21:48 > 0:21:53Because looking at this, the ink has really been absorbed into the flesh,
0:21:53 > 0:21:55as it would with a human, I presume.
0:21:55 > 0:22:01It's porous like human skin. It's got the same layers, the epidermis and the dermis.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04It offers the same kind of level of resistance as human skin.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08In the same way you can feel paper underneath a pen,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11you can feel the skin through the end of the needle.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14And other than the fact you don't have any healing process
0:22:14 > 0:22:18and you don't get to see the finished product in a couple of weeks,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21it's as good as you can get really.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25- Is this how you learnt? - I did my first dozen or so tattoos on pigskin.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29It's almost the same as tattooing a person, other than it's cold and doesn't respond.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31- But it's flesh.- Exactly.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35It's the closest thing you can get without ruining your friend's arm forever!
0:22:35 > 0:22:38- Can I have a little go? - I don't see why not.
0:22:38 > 0:22:43- Hold it like a pen, is that right? - That's right. You pretty much use it like a pen.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46Maybe a little bit more pressure than when you're writing.
0:22:46 > 0:22:51But it's a hard thing to explain, which is why it's important to practise on pigskin first.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53NEEDLE WHIRS
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Right...
0:22:55 > 0:22:59'If I don't press hard enough, I won't make my mark. Press too hard, the needle will stop.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02'As will my career as a tattooist.'
0:23:05 > 0:23:08I can feel the skin scagging.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11Ooh, I... Oh, dear. NEEDLE STOPS
0:23:11 > 0:23:13NEEDLE WHIRS
0:23:15 > 0:23:17It's difficult to know when...
0:23:17 > 0:23:20when you're in the skin, as it were.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23It's important not to press that hard on a person.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Because I'd be causing a lot of pain by now.
0:23:26 > 0:23:31You would. And you'd end up with a lovely blurry line, as well, if you go in too hard.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33It just feels weird to me.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36To start with, tattooing does feel quite weird.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Scratching! Scratching! That would so hurt!
0:23:39 > 0:23:43It's a little easier on a person because you can pull the skin tighter.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47You just hold on and pull. That stops it catching in the skin so much.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50SHE WINCES
0:23:50 > 0:23:54I'm going to try and do that little tail. Pulling tight.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01Ooh, sorry.
0:24:01 > 0:24:02Ta-da!
0:24:02 > 0:24:08A new career beckons. Coming to a tattoo parlour near you soon!
0:24:08 > 0:24:11- Marks out of ten? - Oh, seven or eight, I reckon.- Wow.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13You're very generous!
0:24:13 > 0:24:16All I can say is, I'm pleased that's nobody's arm.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21It's amazing to learn that pigskin is so similar to ours.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25And there's something else we've got in common, too. Our hair.
0:24:25 > 0:24:30It turns out that pig hair, or bristle, as it's often known,
0:24:30 > 0:24:35is the perfect natural material to make something I use every day - a hairbrush.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42I'm told the best bristle comes from boars,
0:24:42 > 0:24:46so I'm off to a specialist breeder just outside Manchester.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51I've never given much thought to what I run through my hair,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54but a lot of brushes are made using real bristle,
0:24:54 > 0:24:58which means they're made from part of a dead pig.
0:24:58 > 0:25:03So I'm on my way to see where the life of a pig ends and the life of a hairbrush begins.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07The majority of pig hair used in bristle brushes
0:25:07 > 0:25:10comes from the cooler areas of China and India,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13which means they have longer hair.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19Here, we slaughter pigs relatively young and shorthaired. I'll learn about the process,
0:25:19 > 0:25:25starting with one of the only breeds of long-haired pigs we still have in the UK - wild boar.
0:25:28 > 0:25:34These are the finest hand-reared pigs, served up a continental breakfast every day.
0:25:34 > 0:25:39Wild boars are the ancestors of our humble, less hairy, domestic pig.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44Looking at these beasts, I can see why their hair is so good for brushes.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48But whether I'd want to run that through my hair is another matter.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53These hairy boars are off to be slaughtered for market,
0:25:53 > 0:25:58and I think they should be able to provide a good handful of hair for a brush.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03Showing me how this is done is John Mettrick.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07Hi, John. Hello! Good to see you. How are you?
0:26:07 > 0:26:11His family run a slaughtering and butchery business in the Peak District.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14We've got a couple of wild boar cross pigs here.
0:26:14 > 0:26:20We use the wild boar cross because these are a lot more timid than the pure-bred wild boars.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23Because they'd be racing round this pen.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26They operate what's known as a "best practice abattoir",
0:26:26 > 0:26:29which means animal welfare is a top priority.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33You've got Carlos here, who's doing an antemortem inspection.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36He's making sure the animals are fit for slaughter.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40- They look pretty fit. - And they're hairy.- Very hairy!
0:26:40 > 0:26:46- Which, for our purposes today... - Is exactly what we want.
0:26:47 > 0:26:53As with every abattoir in the UK, I've got to cover up before I step into the slaughter area.
0:26:53 > 0:26:58The slaughterman is going to stick the pig over here, then it'll go into this pig tank,
0:26:58 > 0:27:02- which is going to dehair the pig. - The boil wash.- Yes, basically.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09I saw domestic pigs killed in the Polish abattoir,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12but the hairy boars are sprayed with water
0:27:12 > 0:27:15to ensure a good contact with the electric stunner.
0:27:25 > 0:27:30An electric current is used to render the pig completely insensitive to pain.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34Brian's got it over the sticking area now.
0:27:34 > 0:27:39He's going to cut all the main blood vessels there in the neck.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Once the animal is bled out, it's dead.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47But the chemicals in its body will continue to make its muscles spasm
0:27:47 > 0:27:50and expel any air from its chest.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52PIG SNORTS
0:27:52 > 0:27:57It's the strangest thing when an animal is clearly dead but snorting.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00It must be bathtime.
0:28:00 > 0:28:05Mark's going to get the pig now and put it into this pig tank, which will remove the hair.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08The tank's set at a temperature of about 66 degrees,
0:28:08 > 0:28:13so it doesn't actually cook the pig, but it loosens the hair and the nails
0:28:13 > 0:28:15so that they can come off easily.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19And these paddles will help to pull the hair off the pig.
0:28:20 > 0:28:25The hot water cleans the pig's skin and removes contamination.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27The process takes three-and-a-half minutes.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30- There's nothing else in that water? - No, nothing at all.
0:28:30 > 0:28:36You can see a bit of discolouration in the water. That's just the dirt coming off the pig.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39That's just strange, isn't it?
0:28:39 > 0:28:43- Pig onto the table.- Look at that! - What a difference.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47It's like a... Oh! It looks like a chicken now.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50- There is a bit of hair attached to the head...- Yeah.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53..and the backs of the legs, and these can be scraped off.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56That's the same problem area that we ladies have.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00There's the toenails being removed.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03SHE GROANS
0:29:03 > 0:29:06That's just horrible!
0:29:09 > 0:29:12Judging by the hairs the lads have been scraping off,
0:29:12 > 0:29:15there should be some good hairs in the tank.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19- Plenty there, by the looks of it. - You wondered what this was for!
0:29:19 > 0:29:23I mean, it literally is a bath of hair. It's almost solid!
0:29:23 > 0:29:26- I don't think that's going to go in there!- Squeeze it in!
0:29:26 > 0:29:28I'll push it in. I don't mind touching it.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32- Wow! - You could make a wig out of this.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34There we are. Three bags of hair.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38Lovely. Three bags of boar bristle, ready to be processed.
0:29:38 > 0:29:43It's not all about the hair. Once the pig is completely bald, it's gutted and hung.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46Then it's inspected by the vet for any signs of disease,
0:29:46 > 0:29:49before going off for sale on the high street.
0:29:52 > 0:29:57I'm going to follow the hair onto the next stage of its journey into a hairbrush,
0:29:57 > 0:29:59as hard as that is to imagine right now.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06The last hair-processing plant in this country closed over 40 years ago.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10So I'm going to have to prepare these bristles ready for a hairbrush myself.
0:30:10 > 0:30:16To help me, I'm meeting one of the few remaining pig-bristle experts left in the country - Mark Samuel.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18Where else but in the hairdressers?
0:30:18 > 0:30:20- Hello, Mark.- Hi, Julia.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24You're a rare commodity indeed. You're a bristle dealer.
0:30:24 > 0:30:29I am. Or have been a bristle dealer for 30 years.
0:30:29 > 0:30:34- But there aren't many of you left. - Unfortunately, the whole of this trade has moved to China.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38OK, well, I have brought you some rare British boar bristle.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41And it is, quite literally, hot off the hog.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44Hopefully, we can turn this wild boar bristle
0:30:44 > 0:30:46into a finished hairbrush.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48- Something like that. - Something like that.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50So, first of all,
0:30:50 > 0:30:53we have to take this filthy mess and clean it.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56- Shampoo and set, sir?! - Shampoo and set will do nicely!
0:30:56 > 0:31:00On hand to help is trainee hairdresser Shelby.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04- Shelby, little gift for you. Have you ever worked with pig hair? - I can't say I have!
0:31:04 > 0:31:06Have a little look, have a little feel.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09- Ugh, that's minging! - < HE LAUGHS
0:31:09 > 0:31:11Have a feel.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13It's got skin in it!
0:31:13 > 0:31:16If we were in a bristle-dressing factory in China,
0:31:16 > 0:31:19we'd obviously have machinery
0:31:19 > 0:31:22to remove all the dirt from the bristle.
0:31:22 > 0:31:28Unfortunately, we're just armed with a comb and some water and shampoo.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32- Ohh!- Ooh, lovely(!)
0:31:32 > 0:31:36It's difficult to not get rid of all the actual hair itself.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38Put it in there.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41- It's looking much better already. - It is!
0:31:41 > 0:31:44Oh, look at that big bit of skin. That's gross!
0:31:44 > 0:31:48Right, well, there is our clean bristle.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51And I have to say, it's not looking that clean.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54You can see why nobody wants to do it in England, can't you?
0:31:54 > 0:31:57You see how curved it is?
0:31:57 > 0:32:01For making brushes, you need to have the bristle straight.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03Traditionally, you would boil it.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05You would tie this onto a stick
0:32:05 > 0:32:08and you would boil it for about six hours.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12Again, this is done on a massive scale in factories.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16In a factory in China, you'd probably have 100, 200 people
0:32:16 > 0:32:18sitting there and boiling it.
0:32:18 > 0:32:22We don't have that, so we're going to use hair straighteners.
0:32:23 > 0:32:28- You've never done this before, have you?- I don't think anyone has! Let's give it a go.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31So off the boar today...
0:32:31 > 0:32:33I think that might be working.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36- It is straightening out. - It is.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39Once it's straightened, the bristle has to be sorted by size
0:32:39 > 0:32:42and bundled with a thick root all on one side.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44This is normally done by machine.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48- You and I have got a long night ahead of us.- We have.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51My bristle isn't looking so mucky any more
0:32:51 > 0:32:55and I'm impressed with my Blue Peter attempt at bristle processing.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58It's certainly a long way from the boar it came off this morning.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06My next destination has been appointed by the Queen to look after her mop.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13It makes hairbrushes for Her Majesty and the rest of us hoi polloi.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17Marcia Cosby will be my guide.
0:33:17 > 0:33:22- I come with a paltry offering.- OK. - This is rare-breed boar bristle.
0:33:23 > 0:33:28- I procured it in a very honest way. - I should hope so, too! Don't want anything dishonest here.
0:33:28 > 0:33:33- Er, there's not that much, is there? - No, there's not that much.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37- You've got an awful lot of bristles. - I know.- Where are all these from?
0:33:37 > 0:33:39All the bristle comes from either China or India.
0:33:39 > 0:33:44Something here, this is sort of what they should look like. This is what we need.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48- That's the natural length of the boar's bristle.- Really?- Yes.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53It's a cold climate, so they need this to keep warm.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57Unlike our English piggies, this boar has all this hair.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00- So, this is from China? - This one is from China.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03We take out different sections for different uses.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06So near the base here, which is the root end,
0:34:06 > 0:34:08that's used for a very stiff hairbrush.
0:34:08 > 0:34:14If you've got a mass of hair, you need it to get through to the scalp. That's where the natural oils are.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17The hairbrush brings those oils down the hair shaft,
0:34:17 > 0:34:19literally feeding and looking after your hair.
0:34:19 > 0:34:24And nearer this top, this flag end, it's messier, it's thinner.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28It still has a use for things like baby brushes or clothes brushes.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38Most of the factory is automated, but for the creme de la creme
0:34:38 > 0:34:41they still make them by hand at a cost of up to £145 each.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44One of the few people left in this country
0:34:44 > 0:34:46with the skill to craft a pig hairbrush is Jane Howard,
0:34:46 > 0:34:50and she's been doing it for over 26 years.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53This is Julia. She's brought you a little present.
0:34:53 > 0:34:57- As a gift for you.- That's nice. - A Mancunian animal.- Oh, dear!
0:34:57 > 0:35:02- Would you like to put them in? - I'd like you to show me and we'll have a go!
0:35:02 > 0:35:05- Right. Make a loop.- Yeah. - Pass it through.- Yeah.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08Then get some of these lovely bristles...
0:35:08 > 0:35:11- I'm pleased you're feeling the love!- I'm getting used to it!
0:35:11 > 0:35:14And we try and make it into a nice shape.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17- Yeah.- There you are! - There's a shape!
0:35:17 > 0:35:19- And then you give it a little pull. - Ahh!
0:35:19 > 0:35:21- I think you really should have a go now.- OK.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24So first of all you said put the hoop through?
0:35:24 > 0:35:28There we go. Now I've got to get my bristles.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31That goes into there.
0:35:31 > 0:35:32- Like that?- Like that.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36- So it's laying on top. - Oh, I see. Oh, God!
0:35:36 > 0:35:40'I'm all fingers and thumbs. Jane's made it look so simple!'
0:35:40 > 0:35:42See, that's not easy.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45- Oh, I pulled it a bit too far through.- Never mind.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49I just can't do it! I'll have to find a different way to do that.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51It's all getting slightly embarrassing now.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54Here we go.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56Oh! Oh, rubbish!
0:35:56 > 0:35:58That is not easy.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01Oh, dear me! I don't think you're going to give me a job, are you?
0:36:01 > 0:36:05If you are, it would take me about 26 years to make one brush!
0:36:09 > 0:36:12It's been a fascinating journey.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17It's one of the most common, everyday products in the world,
0:36:17 > 0:36:22but how many people actually think about how it's made and what it's made of?
0:36:22 > 0:36:27Do you consider that every day you're running pig hair through your own hair?
0:36:27 > 0:36:29It doesn't bother me.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31Does it bother consumers?
0:36:31 > 0:36:34I took my brush and my bristle on to the streets.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37- Really silly question... What's this?- A brush.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39- What are these?- Bristles.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43- What are they made out of?- You should know. You work in a salon.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46- Where do you think bristles come from?- Bristol?!
0:36:46 > 0:36:50- What are bristles made out of? - I ain't got a clue! Plastic, innit?
0:36:50 > 0:36:54- What's that? - That is some form of hair.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58- It is indeed. It's the hair off an animal. Any idea which?- Horse.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01- It's not a horse.- Oh. - SHE SNORTS
0:37:01 > 0:37:03A pig.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06- Pig have hair?- Pig have hair!
0:37:06 > 0:37:10- Is it disgusting or are you cool with that?- It's disgusting.
0:37:10 > 0:37:15- First time you've ever really thought about that?- Yeah. - Little bit disgusted?- Just a tad.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19You know when you read on the packet "real bristle"? That's what it is.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22- That's disgusting. - You didn't know that?- No.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24- Has it put you off?- Yeah.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32So I've seen how the pig's bristles can be used to make brushes...
0:37:33 > 0:37:38..but to find out what else it has to offer us, I'm going deep inside its body.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42# There's a fire
0:37:42 > 0:37:44# Starting in my heart... #
0:37:44 > 0:37:46Meet Robyn...
0:37:46 > 0:37:49Last year, I was diagnosed with a heart condition
0:37:49 > 0:37:51called aortic stenosis.
0:37:51 > 0:37:56It came totally out of the blue, because I've been working out since I was, like, 14.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01It was when I was doing a fitness test at college, it was the mile run,
0:38:01 > 0:38:04and I couldn't stop coughing after it.
0:38:06 > 0:38:12So I went to the doctor. I was sent off for ECGs and heart scans.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16I had this rare heart condition and needed heart surgery.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19Robyn's heart valve wasn't opening fully
0:38:19 > 0:38:22and was obstructing the blood flow out of her heart.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25I was told that if I carried on with my fitness,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28I could've been a goner in a year's time.
0:38:28 > 0:38:33I came out of the surgeon's office just totally devastated.
0:38:36 > 0:38:42They had to take my own aortic valve and replace it with pig's one.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45They chose a pig's because it's the most similar to a human valve.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49The pig valve replicates the function of the diseased human valve.
0:38:49 > 0:38:54I was shocked to know that you could take bits from animals and put them inside a human.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02Until now, Robyn's never thought about where her heart valve actually comes from.
0:39:02 > 0:39:07It's a by-product from a humble domestic porker that's transformed her life,
0:39:07 > 0:39:09and I want her to know how.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13So I'm going to the source of Robyn's life-saving valve - the pig's heart.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15But I'm not going by myself.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21I've come to meet Robyn. We're going to watch a pig being dissected
0:39:21 > 0:39:24and the heart's going to be removed. I've never seen that before.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31How are you feeling?
0:39:31 > 0:39:34A little bit nervous!
0:39:35 > 0:39:39The man taking us through the dissection is Dr Dan Tucker
0:39:39 > 0:39:41from Cambridge University Veterinary School.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44- So, you're in charge of our dissection today?- I am.
0:39:44 > 0:39:49What we need to do before we go into the post-mortem room is put some protective clothing on.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52There may be some pathogens lurking around.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00This pig had to be put down. It was very ill and in pain.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02Dr Tucker and his colleague, Professor Alan Williams,
0:40:02 > 0:40:07will carry out an autopsy to find out what was causing the illness.
0:40:07 > 0:40:12While they're doing this, they've offered to give us a closer look at the pig's heart.
0:40:12 > 0:40:17This pig wasn't coping on the farm. He had a lameness problem. We need to find out the cause.
0:40:17 > 0:40:22When we've finished our discussion, we'll be putting him through the full work-up.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25- This wasn't a well pig? - No. A very uncomfortable pig.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27- How you feeling looking at the pig? - It's disgusting.
0:40:27 > 0:40:33First, we're going to open up through the skin to separate back the legs.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37Then we'll open up the chest cavity and look at the heart and lungs.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40- OK?- Mm. - Well done, you're doing very well.
0:40:40 > 0:40:45- In terms of their anatomy, pigs are very close to humans, aren't they? - Absolutely.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48Blood pressures in the pig are remarkably similar to people.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51We live similar lifestyles - mainly sedentary.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55We forage around for food and we go to sleep. So the whole metabolism is the same.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58Stage one, what do you think?
0:40:58 > 0:41:03It does look like something out of a horror movie.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05That's the larynx, the voice box.
0:41:05 > 0:41:10Allan's removing some of the muscles on either side of the voice box, down through the windpipe,
0:41:10 > 0:41:13and then we'll open up the chest cavity.
0:41:13 > 0:41:18The pigs used in the medical profession, for example, in a case like Robyn,
0:41:18 > 0:41:20would they come from the same place?
0:41:20 > 0:41:23A lot of the material does come from routine slaughterhouses.
0:41:23 > 0:41:29But it goes through a very rigorous process of treatment and assessment to make sure that it is safe to use.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32- You can smell it now. - I was thinking that myself.- Yes.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36There's the liver appearing...
0:41:36 > 0:41:40I find this fascinating, but I can't imagine what this is like for Robyn.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44These are bone cutters, which cut bone, not muscle, reasonably well.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47This is the bit that I'm absolutely fascinated by.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59These are the lungs. We've got the heart sitting in the middle.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02- Do you want to look at the heart? - This bit here.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05The equivalent to the bit that's inside you is underneath there.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08We'll show you that in a few minutes.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11How does that make you feel?
0:42:11 > 0:42:14You've got a bit...
0:42:14 > 0:42:17of an animal like that in you.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19SHE WINCES
0:42:19 > 0:42:21Are you OK?
0:42:23 > 0:42:26How are you feeling? Do you feel a bit faint?
0:42:26 > 0:42:29Do you want some fresh air? We can get some fresh air.
0:42:29 > 0:42:33Being so close to the exposed innards of this pig proves too much for Robyn.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36It's time to step outside.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38- What happened?- I don't know.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41It just suddenly hit me, this wave of,
0:42:41 > 0:42:43"I'm going to be sick."
0:42:43 > 0:42:45It's not an everyday situation, is it?
0:42:45 > 0:42:50It's a hard thing for Robyn to deal with, but she wants to see it through to the end.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52Are you ready? OK, come on.
0:42:52 > 0:42:58Back in the dissection room, Professor Williams has removed the heart and lungs.
0:42:58 > 0:43:04These are the lungs, this is the heart, and a little bit of windpipe at the front.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08The lungs are cut away and the heart is rinsed in the sink to remove the excess blood
0:43:08 > 0:43:11so we can get a better look.
0:43:11 > 0:43:17I've had a bit of a clean up. This is the aorta. It's a very thick-walled elastic structure.
0:43:17 > 0:43:21And down there, you can actually see the aortic valve.
0:43:21 > 0:43:25Now it's time to dissect the heart to get the best look at the aortic valve,
0:43:25 > 0:43:27just like the one in Robyn's heart.
0:43:27 > 0:43:31- When you hear your heart beat, what are you listening to? - Actually, the dub.
0:43:31 > 0:43:35If you think of the heartbeat as being a "lub dub",
0:43:35 > 0:43:38the dub is the closing of the aortic valve.
0:43:38 > 0:43:43And your pulse that you feel is the shockwave of that aortic valve closing.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45Robyn, about 18 months ago,
0:43:45 > 0:43:47somebody was doing this with a pig heart,
0:43:47 > 0:43:50- preparing a valve for you.- I know.
0:43:50 > 0:43:53I wonder if they're already there.
0:43:53 > 0:43:58- Sort of pre-packaged?- Yes. - Gentlemen, are there valves ready and waiting?- Yes.
0:43:58 > 0:44:02- And then somebody picked your valve. "This is the one for Robyn." - I suppose so!
0:44:02 > 0:44:07- This is the bit that was transplanted over to you. - That is incredible!
0:44:07 > 0:44:08- Do you want to hold it?- No.
0:44:08 > 0:44:12And now there's just one final cut to reveal the three leaflets
0:44:12 > 0:44:16that make up the valve and keep the blood pumping around our bodies.
0:44:16 > 0:44:21Do you see these little cusps? They're like little half moons.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24They're little pockets. Very tough, fibrous tissue.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27- They look very delicate. - They look like little petals.
0:44:27 > 0:44:31If it wasn't for these, as you know, you can't cope.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33Little tiny touch?
0:44:34 > 0:44:38- It's funny that something that small saved me.- That's keeping you alive.
0:44:38 > 0:44:41That's why you're standing here now.
0:44:42 > 0:44:46Robyn's heart valve-replacement operation was pioneered over 30 years ago.
0:44:46 > 0:44:50Even the late, great John Wayne had one.
0:44:52 > 0:44:56In what's now a standard procedure, the chest is opened up.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02The heart is stopped...
0:45:03 > 0:45:07..and a machine takes its place while the surgeons operate.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11The diseased valve is cut out and replaced with a pig's
0:45:11 > 0:45:15that's taken four weeks to produce from slaughter to final product,
0:45:15 > 0:45:20including being treated with chemicals to reduce the risk of rejection.
0:45:23 > 0:45:27The new valve is carefully stitched into the heart
0:45:27 > 0:45:29and connected to the main artery.
0:45:29 > 0:45:33The heart is restarted and the chest closed using titanium wire,
0:45:33 > 0:45:36leaving the patient to recover.
0:45:36 > 0:45:41Did you ever question whether or not you would accept part of an animal?
0:45:41 > 0:45:42I didn't question it at all.
0:45:42 > 0:45:48When it's a matter of life and death, I don't think anybody would think twice about it.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51- I'm just happy to be standing here! - Absolutely. We're happy, as well!
0:45:51 > 0:45:54Thanks, little piggies!
0:45:54 > 0:45:56Seeing this dissected pig really brings home
0:45:56 > 0:46:00how close the anatomy of humans and pigs is.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03I know it hasn't been easy, but are you glad that you've seen it?
0:46:03 > 0:46:06Yes. Because it's not something I get to do every day.
0:46:06 > 0:46:11- It's not something anybody gets to do every day. Apart from those guys. - Apart from them.
0:46:11 > 0:46:13I feel like I know a lot more about it.
0:46:13 > 0:46:17If I have to go through it again, I'll know everything.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21- You're not going to be a surgeon, though?- Definitely not!
0:46:21 > 0:46:24Anything that involves blood, I'm staying well clear of!
0:46:24 > 0:46:26A recyclable heart valve
0:46:26 > 0:46:30is certainly the most specialised piggy by-product I've discovered.
0:46:30 > 0:46:33And it means I've now seen the pig's skin, its bristle
0:46:33 > 0:46:37and even its organs turned into products we can use.
0:46:37 > 0:46:41You'd think our porcine pal would have nothing left to offer. But you'd be wrong.
0:46:41 > 0:46:46Because there's another product that we all come across every day which started life as a pig,
0:46:46 > 0:46:49and it's called gelatine.
0:46:49 > 0:46:51Most of us consume gelatine every day. I do.
0:46:51 > 0:46:57My sweeties, gravy, capsules... But I haven't made any. Until now.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00Helping me out is chef Peter Vaughn.
0:47:00 > 0:47:04Right, let's start by clarifying exactly what gelatine is.
0:47:04 > 0:47:08- I mean, I know it comes from these bits.- It's incredible.
0:47:08 > 0:47:11It's an ingredient that comes from the breakdown of collagen.
0:47:11 > 0:47:16Collagen's found in the skin and the bones and even in the cartilage.
0:47:16 > 0:47:20But we've got to boil it out. So we've got to make a great big stock.
0:47:20 > 0:47:24- OK. A pig stock.- Exactly. - Lovely.- OK.
0:47:24 > 0:47:29What I'm going to do, Julia, I'm literally going to take pig's trotters...
0:47:29 > 0:47:32- Squeeze them in there. - Squeeze them in and boil them.
0:47:32 > 0:47:37- And the boiling releases the collagen and the gelatine?- Exactly.
0:47:37 > 0:47:41Why is it such a ubiquitous product? Why is it found in so many things that we consume?
0:47:41 > 0:47:45For a chef's answer, I think it's an amazing binding agent,
0:47:45 > 0:47:48an incredible stabiliser, wonderful texture.
0:47:48 > 0:47:52It's reactive to heat, so it goes liquid upon heat.
0:47:52 > 0:47:56And it's found not just in pork, and we use a lot of pork here,
0:47:56 > 0:48:00but in cows, chicken and even fish.
0:48:00 > 0:48:03There are so many fish that have a gelatinous substance.
0:48:03 > 0:48:08- And it's got that nice texture about it, hasn't it?- Amazing. Absolutely incredible texture.
0:48:08 > 0:48:11It needs to simmer for three hours before setting,
0:48:11 > 0:48:13so here's one that Peter prepared earlier.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16- That's it?- This is it, yes. Erm...
0:48:16 > 0:48:20- Do you want to have a taste? - After you.- OK.
0:48:21 > 0:48:25The texture is incredible. The taste isn't brilliant.
0:48:25 > 0:48:29It doesn't taste anything like my sweeties, but...it's all right.
0:48:29 > 0:48:33I don't think people realise quite how much gelatine is used in products.
0:48:33 > 0:48:38So a lot of sugar, some colour and flavour turn this...
0:48:38 > 0:48:40into these.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44But we don't just eat pork gelatine.
0:48:44 > 0:48:47Its gelling qualities mean it's used in soaps,
0:48:47 > 0:48:50face creams and even in bath capsules.
0:48:50 > 0:48:53I've come to a shopping centre to find out if anyone realises
0:48:53 > 0:48:57they could be bathing in a pig by-product.
0:48:57 > 0:48:59- Hello, gents.- All right?- Yeah.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02Do you like nice bubble baths? ALL: Yes.
0:49:02 > 0:49:06Have a little smell of these lovely bath capsules.
0:49:06 > 0:49:08- Smell quite nice?- Yes, lovely.
0:49:08 > 0:49:09- They're nice.- Yes.
0:49:09 > 0:49:13- What do you think they're made out of?- Er...
0:49:13 > 0:49:16- Water? - It's hard but soft at the same time.
0:49:16 > 0:49:18- Plastic?- Plastic.
0:49:18 > 0:49:22- Not a clue.- No? Shall I show you? - Yes.
0:49:22 > 0:49:24I'm a bit worried.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27- It's pigskin.- Oh.
0:49:27 > 0:49:28You want to put that down now!
0:49:28 > 0:49:33- What?- Look, look. Flesh.
0:49:33 > 0:49:35Oh, God! Are you serious?
0:49:35 > 0:49:37You're joking?!
0:49:37 > 0:49:40- So I put this in my bath? - Yes. Gelatine.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43The capsule on the outside is gelatine.
0:49:43 > 0:49:47- I didn't know that. That's a bit weird.- Bit weird? - Yes. It's very weird, actually.
0:49:47 > 0:49:52- What do you think of that? - Disgusting.- Disgusting?- It is.
0:49:52 > 0:49:54- You had no idea?- I had no idea.
0:49:54 > 0:49:58- Are you still happy to have a good old bath with those?- I'm not sure!
0:49:58 > 0:50:01Is it going to change anything?
0:50:01 > 0:50:04- Yes.- You put that in your bath! - You do.
0:50:11 > 0:50:16But the gelatine story doesn't stop at food and bathing products.
0:50:16 > 0:50:19I've seen how a pig's heart valve saved Robyn,
0:50:19 > 0:50:23but I've heard that gelatine can also play a vital role in preserving lives.
0:50:23 > 0:50:29To find out more, I've come to Wiltshire to meet a ballistics expert.
0:50:29 > 0:50:31- Amy?- Hi.- Hello.
0:50:31 > 0:50:36I've never met a ballistics expert! I have no idea what I'm doing here, so explain.
0:50:36 > 0:50:40Today, I'm mixing some pig gelatine with water
0:50:40 > 0:50:42which we can then use to test.
0:50:42 > 0:50:46- To test what?- We're testing the ammunition on the gelatine.
0:50:46 > 0:50:50Right. So, you're testing bullets on pig gelatine,
0:50:50 > 0:50:51which represents what?
0:50:51 > 0:50:54- This is close to human flesh, is that it?- Yes.
0:50:54 > 0:51:00The gelatine mixture is a good replica of human soft tissue.
0:51:00 > 0:51:03There was lots of trials done against actual pigs
0:51:03 > 0:51:07because it's thought that they're the closest to mimic the human body.
0:51:07 > 0:51:11There's lots of ethical reasons why you wouldn't want to test against pigs,
0:51:11 > 0:51:14so they found the next best thing, which is pig gelatine.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16- Right. Dead pigs?- Yes.
0:51:17 > 0:51:21- Quick recipe...- Mm-hm. - 20 percent gelatine...
0:51:21 > 0:51:23Delia Smith here!
0:51:23 > 0:51:26- Gelatine into the water.- Yes.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29And purely mix.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32- A big old food mixer.- Absolutely.
0:51:33 > 0:51:36This is the stuff that goes into our sweets and bath capsules
0:51:36 > 0:51:39and will take about three hours to set in a fridge.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44- Can I put my finger in there? - Go for it, if you want.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47Enjoy the smell of wet dog.
0:51:47 > 0:51:49Yes! Ugh!
0:51:49 > 0:51:52Enough levity. This is serious stuff.
0:51:52 > 0:51:56- And these are the guns that we're testing?- Yes. We've got an AK-74.
0:51:56 > 0:51:59We've got an MP5 and the final one is a hunting rifle.
0:51:59 > 0:52:03We'll be taking these, firing them at the gelatine down the bottom.
0:52:03 > 0:52:07OK, are you testing the bullets to make them better,
0:52:07 > 0:52:12or are you testing the flesh to see how it reacts to the bullets?
0:52:12 > 0:52:15We're testing to understand how the bullet interacts with the flesh
0:52:15 > 0:52:20so we can then use that to advance the treatment of personnel if they get shot,
0:52:20 > 0:52:23and so we can learn to protect them better.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26- It's quite macabre. - Some people do think that, yes!
0:52:29 > 0:52:32I'm amazed that something as commonplace as gelatine
0:52:32 > 0:52:35has such an important role in medicine.
0:52:35 > 0:52:40Looking at it, it's hard to imagine, but there's no doubting it feels like flesh.
0:52:40 > 0:52:44That is so strange.
0:52:45 > 0:52:47Listen...
0:52:47 > 0:52:51I could be giving somebody a massage.
0:52:51 > 0:52:55I'm completely intrigued to see how this is going to be impacted by ammunition.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57Our cameras won't catch these speeding bullets,
0:52:57 > 0:53:03so we're using a high-speed camera that can slow the bullet down to one-thousandth of its speed.
0:53:04 > 0:53:06This is what we're going to be firing.
0:53:06 > 0:53:11It's a full metal jacket 5.45 by 39mm bullet.
0:53:11 > 0:53:16- 'The AK-74 is one of the weapons of choice for Taliban fighters.' - Ears on.
0:53:16 > 0:53:20It's time to see what impact its bullet has on our gelatine block.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25In your own time, fire.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35That goes through your whole body, doesn't it?
0:53:36 > 0:53:41- So we've got the bullet entering here.- That's a tiny entry hole.
0:53:41 > 0:53:45And the bullet's passed along, and you can see it's tumbled here.
0:53:45 > 0:53:50The bullet's gone 360 degrees round, presented a large surface area.
0:53:50 > 0:53:54And it's actually stretching what would be the muscle, pulling it out the way.
0:53:54 > 0:53:59That's massive internal damage. I mean, if that was your stomach...
0:53:59 > 0:54:01And then it's passed up to here.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03That's frightening.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06Seeing the potential damage this bullet could do,
0:54:06 > 0:54:10I realise why it's vital for frontline medics to understand injuries they treat,
0:54:10 > 0:54:13and for those designing armour and bulletproof vests
0:54:13 > 0:54:16to know what they're up against.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20Next, we're testing the 9mm submachine gun.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23It's used by special forces around the world.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26But they're finding their way onto the black market,
0:54:26 > 0:54:30which means we need to know how to protect ourselves and treat the bullet wounds.
0:54:38 > 0:54:40Wow. So this is very different.
0:54:40 > 0:54:45This one's gone straight in and pretty much straight out. Not as much tumbling.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48If you saw, it was a different size and shape of bullet.
0:54:48 > 0:54:51- Yes. Snubby.- Yes. Much wider.
0:54:51 > 0:54:53It's also going at a slower velocity.
0:54:53 > 0:54:56What you're getting here, through the entrance hole,
0:54:56 > 0:55:01it is literally ploughing its way straight through and out the other end.
0:55:01 > 0:55:04- Small exit wound, and it's somewhere over there.- Yes.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07You see there's a hole in the target there.
0:55:08 > 0:55:13Strange though it may be, I can see why this kind of research is essential.
0:55:15 > 0:55:18But I can't help thinking about the fact that pork gelatine
0:55:18 > 0:55:22could also be used to help design more efficient bullets.
0:55:22 > 0:55:28This next bullet is for hunting and is designed to stop a large animal in its tracks.
0:55:37 > 0:55:39This has been a bittersweet experiment.
0:55:39 > 0:55:43On the one hand, pig gelatine is being used to work out the efficacy of bullets,
0:55:43 > 0:55:49and on the other hand, it's being used to help the medical profession to treat wounds.
0:55:49 > 0:55:53I'm going to take that bit away with me. It's remarkable stuff!
0:55:57 > 0:56:02The pig is, without doubt, one of the most versatile animals I've come across.
0:56:02 > 0:56:06It's in my shoes, it makes up part of my hairbrush. It can even save my life.
0:56:06 > 0:56:11It's so close to us biologically, we can farm it for human spare parts
0:56:11 > 0:56:14and even use it to discover the best way of treating serious injuries.
0:56:14 > 0:56:19I'm never going to look at my bacon sandwich in the same way again.
0:56:19 > 0:56:23Next time on Kill It, Cut It, Use It... Fish and seafood.
0:56:23 > 0:56:27- THEY SQUEAL - That is really disgusting!
0:56:29 > 0:56:30- Vomit?- Yes!
0:56:31 > 0:56:34Imagine the shoes!
0:56:34 > 0:56:38Oh, my God. It's a fish!
0:56:42 > 0:56:45# Have you seen the little piggies
0:56:45 > 0:56:47# Crawling in the dirt?
0:56:47 > 0:56:49# And for all the little piggies
0:56:49 > 0:56:51# Life is getting worse
0:56:51 > 0:56:53# Always having dirt
0:56:53 > 0:56:56# To play around in... #
0:56:56 > 0:57:00Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:57:00 > 0:57:03E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk