Embattled Australian pork producers show confused Australian consumers what they're made of.

Australian pork producers have for some time now been battling against the flood of subsidised imports from Denmark, for bacon and the US and Canada for leg meat (ham). More than $10 million worth of pork imports, or over 2.6 million kilograms of frozen pork, arrives by boat in Australia EVERY WEEK. In fact this imported meat represents over 70 per cent of Australia’s ham, bacon and smallgoods consumption.

The Australian pork industry producer body, Australian Pork Limited (APL), and has decided to fight back with Australian Ham Week, timed to coincide with the month-long Christmas in July celebrations and highlights the Australian PorkMark label. The hot pink Australian PorkMark logo is a sure fired way to guarantee what is in the packet is 100 per cent Australian home grown and manufactured ham. To- date there are one hundred and seventy eight butchers and smallgoods manufacturers Australia wide that are licensed to display the PorkMark logo on their products, which are the finest smallgoods available in Australia.

Consumer research has shown that 87 per cent of Australians prefer to buy Australian grown food if they could identify it, but the existing country of origin labelling regulations makes it difficult for consumers to do this.

Regional winners in the recent Australian PorkMark Ham Awards for Excellence judged by two chefs with broad international experience were: Traditional Australian Bone-In Leg ham, Michael Farinaccio, CutFresh, Dandenong South, VIC; Andrew Quin, Quin's Gourmet Butcher, Northam, WA; and Darren Simmons, Simco Meats, Macquarie ACT. OverAll Winner and Australia’s Best Ham Award, Barkly Smokehouse Pty Ltd, Preston, Vic. Congratulations to these and also the producers whose pork was used.