Australian Pork Newspaper

Vol 25. No. 9 September 2021 Australian Pork Newspaper PO Box 162 Wynnum 4178 Phone (07) 3286 1833 Email ben@collins.media
When rooting pasture, groups of feral pigs can dig up areas the size of football fields overnight. Photo: Dr Ben Allen, University of Southern Queensland
Truth in labelling needed
Point of View
by MARGO ANDRAE CEO
CONSUMER trust in a quality product is not bought, it’s earned.
Our own research shows that while con- sumers are willing to give our industry the benefit of the doubt, inevitably they do want to know how the sau- sage is made.
The Australian pork industry operates on the culture of so- cial responsibility and visibility, whether it be on farm, research, marketing or strategic policy.
of this, Australian Pork Limited commissioned a survey of 1000 Aus- tralians.
• Minimum regulated standards prohibiting references to animal f lesh such as ‘pork’, or using livestock images, or implying a product is made from meat if a product is predomi- nantly manufactured as plant based.
This long-term invest- ment has helped build clear awareness and understanding of meat- related definitions and language in Australian legislation.
It showed that 50 per- cent of respondents mis- took ‘plant-based roast pork’ as real farmed pork upon initial view of the packaging.
Most importantly this work has supported Australians to make informed purchasing decisions, knowing the pork they enjoy is safe, nutritious and afford- able.
Half of the respond- ents also believed that plant-based products shouldn’t be allowed to use terms such as ‘pork’ or ‘bacon’.
Put simply, truth in la- belling is needed for all proteins on our shelves, regardless of whether they are plant or meat based.
But as times change, the line between dif- ferent food categories as we know them is blurring.
The pork industry has always supported con- sumer choice, so long as it is based on clear, simple and truthful in- formation.
After all, new re- search shows that Aus- tralians see all rural industries through the same lens.
And the legislation that regulates the defi- nition of new products scrambles to keep up.
However, this confu- sion ‘on pack’ poses an unacceptable risk to the reputation of our industry and its prod- ucts underpinned by science-based integrity systems.
The bottom line is that Australian con- sumers should be able to make informed deci- sions when purchasing quality food products they love and trust.
In May this year, Sen- ator Susan McDonald called for a Senate inquiry on the defini- tions of meat and other animal products.
In August, APL pro- vided a submission to the inquiry based on these principals, in- cluding:
This means clear easy to understand labelling that meets compliance standards and clearly lists raw ingredients with their country of origin.
The inquiry is con- sidering the current state of meat category branding in Australia, in light of claims against marketing tac- tics currently used by manufacturers of plant- based products.
•Regulations that safeguard investments into meat category branding from uncon- scionable conduct
The pork industry will continue to uphold its work as an ethically and environmentally sourced protein.
To explore the impact
• Products using an- imal product descrip- tors or images must be predominantly derived from the species
All we ask is that every other industry carries equal respon- sibility when guiding consumer choice.
Signs feral pigs are in your area
FERAL pigs feature al- most weekly in rural and mainstream media.
are never physically seen! Sighting live pigs is the least reliable method of
This reflects the ever- increasing community concern for agriculture, the environment, climate change and cultural sites, which are being threatened by these pests.
detection.
During the day, feral
We know that feral pigs bring biosecurity risks such as African swine fever and foot and mouth disease to the pork in- dustry.
Looking for signs of activity and impact is a more reliable way of deter- mining the presence and numbers of pigs.
Far beyond that they can destroy crops, natural biodiversity and habitats, cause soil erosion, spread weeds and diseases, pre- date on livestock, damage infrastructure and contam- inate water.
Feral pig scat (excre- ment) can look a bit dif- ferent to that of domestic pigs, due to diet varia- tion.
As a declared pest, all landholders are legally obligated under state and territory biosecurity legis- lation to control feral pigs on their land to mitigate these impacts.
In response to good sea- sonal conditions, feral pig populations are increasing in areas around Australia, as well as Victoria.
As a result, integrated best-practice manage- ment strategies may not have been implemented to manage feral pigs on a landscape-scale, cross- tenure basis.
The scat of feral pigs are typically well-formed, 3-6cm wide and 7-22cm long, with the size, shape and consistency of the ex- crement varying with age and diet.
This issue brought the National Feral Pig Action Plan to the attention of ABC Melbourne’s ‘Con-
It may be a surprise to learn that feral pigs are actually there, even if they
This knowledge can help select suitable feed to use for baiting and trapping.
versation Hour’ program on Tuesday August 17 – a superb opportunity to spread the word about feral pigs and the plan to a broad audience across Victoria.
In some regional areas, feral pigs present a problem that farmers, communities, industry and government agencies have not previ- ously had to deal with or know how to recognise.
Scat
Concerns of expanding distribution were raised by talk-back callers during the ABC program, including the increase in numbers due to the ‘seeding’ of feral pigs into new areas for hunting by recreational shooters.
So, what are the signs that feral pigs are active in your local area?
Close observation of scat can assist in determining what the feral pigs are feeding on.
pigs are rarely seen as they avoid human contact and shelter in deep-cover veg- etation.
* continued P2
Phone: 07 4697 3344 • Fax 07 4697 3532
www.stockyardindustries.com
by HEATHER CHANNON National Feral Pig Management Co-ordinator
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