Frans Van Dongen from the Dutch Meat Industry told the Pig Committee of the IMS, meeting before the World Meat Congress in Buenos Aires, that the IMS could do more to help facilitate the global trade in meat.

He said that there are two types of trade barriers that have been imposed on the meat trade - tariff barriers and non-tariff barriers.

Mr Van Dongen said that tariff barriers such as import duties should be tackled within the World Trade Organisation.

However, the non-tariff barriers including sanitary and phytosanitary restrictions through concerns over disease, fears over additives and contaminants, restrictions for approved premises and listing procedures, labelling requirements such as country of origin labelling and production rules such as conditions for animal welfare all need to be tackled.

"They are hindering trade considerably," he said.

"And they're not going to go away tomorrow.

"The WTO/DDA should give us relief from these restrictions to trade."

He added that the introduction of bilateral free trade agreements also helps to reduce the restrictions caused by the trade barriers.

But he added that the IMS could take a more central role in trying to facilitate negotiations to break down barriers.