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National Pig Association THE VOICE OF THE UK PIG INDUSTRY NPA is active on members' behalf in Brussels & White-hall, and with pro-cessors, supermarkets & caterers – fighting for the growth and pros-perity of the UK pig industry.

In a television interview for the ITN lunchtime news, Mr Houston said consumers need to look closely at labels to ensure pork and pork products have been produced to British quality standards.

The interview focused on a report by the British Pig Executive that found a further 29% increase in pig meat imports in the first four months of this year - coming on top of a 40% rise in imports since 1998.

Stewart Houston, executive director of the National Pig Association, said: "The figures for the amount of pigmeat coming in and the capacity in Europe to produce meat to standards approved in Britain simply don't add up."

The UK made the landmark ruling to ban the use of stalls and tethers in pork rearing on 1 January 1999, ahead of other member states.

Mr Houston said: "We would urge consumers concerned about the way in which their pork, bacon and ham has been reared to look for the British Quality Standard Mark and the Little Red Tractor logo every time."

Mr Houston told ITN reporters that the NPA is also investigating the use of "English sounding" brand names to sell pork products from overseas.

He said: "We are going to take samples of labels to the Food Standards Agency to get their opinion before we go back and attack this particular problem at its source."

Source: National Pig Association - 19th August 2003