Is New Zealand Pork On The Christmas Menu?
“Is New Zealand pork on the Christmas menu?” asks Angela McLeod, President of the New Zealand Federation of Business and
Professional Women (BPWNZ), “if its not, it should be!”
BPWNZ is a member of the CoOLNZ coalition pushing for mandatory country of origin labelling of fresh and single
ingredient foods and believes consumers should support New Zealand pork farmers along with other businesses, as part of
a strategy to improve the nation’s productivity; an important part of the economic recovery.
“We should also be buying New Zealand farmed pork because we know that our farming methods have not included growth
hormones and that only about half of them involve the use of sow and/or farrowing crates and for a very short length of
time. We also know that more of them are farming using free-range and barn raising methods”
The same can definitely not be said about imported pork.
There is a risk that imported pork could carry diseases such as PRRS, that we do not yet have in New Zealand and if our
biosecurity is breached these diseases would decimate the pig population and our pork industry.
“We need mandatory country of origin labelling of fresh and single ingredient food – so that we can make an informed
choice about the food we’re purchasing; for the good of our family and our country.
“Thank goodness the New Zealand Pork Industry has seen sense and labelled their meat so that when buying a ham for
Christmas or bacon for Sunday brunch, the choice is easy” says Angela McLeod, “their 100% rosette labels carry the
guarantee that the meat was farmed in New Zealand”
“It’s a pity the government doesn’t see fit to legislate for labelling that offers that sort of guarantee”
ENDS