Pork labels confusing say producers

Farmers from around the country said it was almost impossible for consumers to identify domestic produce over imported products.

Clear labels would allow consumers to support their local industry or at least give them the choice, the producers said.

Australian Pork Limited chief executive, Andrew Spencer, said labeling was an issue for all commodities.

Current laws provided no benefit to Australian producers because consumers could not tell the difference between local and imported products, particularly when it came to processed pig meat.

Mr Spencer said the Made in Australia description could be placed on both domestic and imported goods.

Supermarket items using imported meat could qualify as locally made if the ham, bacon or pork product was processed here and 50pc of the cost was in Australia.

Oddly, some products made with local pigmeat do not qualify for the Product of Australia tag.

Mr Spencer said the brine used to cure ham, for example, contained some imported ingredients. So the ham would not qualify for the label, even if the meat was grown here.

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