NZPork pleased with country of origin label review

NZPork chief executive Brent Kleiss. Photo / Supplied

NZPork is pleased Parliament’s Regulations Review Committee has recommended the Government explore clearer labelling about the country of origin for pork.

NZPork chief executive Brent Kleiss said last year, NZPork complained to the select committee that food labelling regulations did not ensure consumers had accurate information about the country of origin of pork.

This was particularly the case with processed pork products that were cured, such as ham and bacon, but also in a wide range of other products, such as marinated pork, sausages and salami.

The Consumer Information Standards (Origin of Food) Regulations allow manufacturers to advertise that a pork product such as bacon or ham is “made in New Zealand” while putting on the back in the fine print a list of countries the pork may be sourced from.

Countries could include “New Zealand” even if pork farmed in New Zealand is only a very remote possibility.

Now, members of Parliament on the select committee have recommended that the Government considers amending the regulation to avoid labelling practices which may confuse consumers about the origin of the products.

Clear and unambiguous country of origin labelling allowed consumers to make informed purchasing decisions, Kleiss said.

“Kiwis should look for the ‘100% NZ’ pork labelling or NZPork’s PigCare label on pork packaging,” he said.