Restaurants urged to highlight pork origin on menus
The British Pork Executive (BPEX) has refreshed warnings to restaurants to make it clear to diners where they source their meat from in the wake of Jamie Oliver’s latest TV campaign.
The TV show – Jamie Saves Our Bacon, part of the Great British Food Fight season– was aired on Channel 4 last night in a bid to highlight the problems faced by British pig farmers.
Although the show was aimed primarily at making consumers aware of the quality of the pork they put in their shopping trolleys, the issue is one that will also affect the catering industry, said Tony Goodger, foodservice trade manager at BPEX.
He said: “Country of origin labelling is not specific just to the retail sector – it is equally pertinent to customers when dining out. And that is why we would encourage all establishments to demonstrate to customers that they are proud of their supply chain and promote the source of their pork on menus."
Oliver`s programme, watched last night by two million viewers, looked at how UK farmers meeting higher welfare standards were being left open to competition from some mass producers from the EU.
The chef showed how cheaper cuts of pork, such as the belly, neck and shoulder can also be just as good as more expensive ones if cooked well.
Goodger added: "All these cuts are ideally suited to foodservice; they are versatile, complement many other ingredients and suit a variety of different cooking methods. By increasing their use of carcase, chefs can stand to benefit from increased profit margins too.
“Of course, the key message remains, as the effects of Jamie Oliver’s programme start to emerge, those chefs that routinely highlight the origin and quality of pork on the menu will be those that reap the rewards.”
