Old-Breed Pork Must Be the Real Thing

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Latest Pig Industry News

Monday, February 02, 2009

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Old-Breed Pork Must Be the Real Thing

UK - In a decision that will have a major impact on both supermarkets and producer-retailers, Trading Standards officers have been told to clamp down on misleadingly labelled old-breed pork.

They have been that food labelled with a breed name must be derived from animals bred from pedigree parents of the same breed.

In future, if the label says 'Gloucester Old Spot' than both parents must be Gloucester Old Spot pigs. (Image source:NPA)

If only one of the parents is the named breed, then the product must be clearly labelled as being from a cross-breed. The advice comes from Lacors - the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services.

This means that if a piece of meat is, for instance, labelled ‘Gloucestershire Old Spot’ or ‘Berkshire’ consumers will know they are buying pork from pure-bred animals.

'This is a huge breakthrough in protecting the integrity of meat from Gloucestershire Old Spots pigs,' said Andrew Robinson, chairman of the Gloucestershire Old Spots Pig Breeders’ Club.

'From a situation 30 years ago when they were close to extinction, numbers have built on their reputation for producing delicious pork and bacon and it is only right that demand should not be met from cross-bred stock with lesser eating qualities.'

ThePigSite News Desk