Say where your pork comes from

Caterers are being urged to state clearly on their menus the country of origin of all pork dishes and of pork products they serve.

The call comes from Tony Goodger, BPEX foodservice manager following the recent alarm over potential dioxins in pork and pork products from the Republic of Ireland.

Goodger said: "While the FSA acknowledges that any potential risk to consumers is very low, caterers will want to take all steps possible to reassure their customers that they can continue to choose the pork and pork products available on caterers' menus with confidence."

To assist in providing consumer confidence, caterers should also ensure their suppliers provide detailed information on the country of origin of their pork and pork products.

Goodger added: "It's important that caterers know the country of origin of the pork and pork products they serve. They should check with their suppliers as to the true origin of pork and especially of pork products such as bacon and sausages. That's because any further processing such as curing of bacon or processing shoulder meat into sausages qualifies as 'significant change' enabling it to be labelled as 'produced in Britain' when in fact the meat may have originated from another country.

"Best of all, caterers should specify Quality Standard pork and pork products and even incorporate the Quality Standard Mark on menus."

Words: Clare Riley

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