Is your sliced ham and bacon Australian-grown? Odds are, it’s not

ADVERTORIAL

“Support local farmers.” That’s what we’re encouraged to do. But it’s hard yakka when food labelling is so confusing.

In fact, 82 per cent of Aussies are unaware that the sliced ham and bacon they buy from the supermarket — labelled “Made in Australia” — is, in fact, is mostly made from imported meat.

Bringing home the bacon

Actually, products labelled “Made in Australia” only need to be “made” here. Most often, the meat is from overseas, processed there and imported into Australia. Once this processed pork hits our golden soil, it is further processed and “made” into sliced hams and bacon in Australia — and inadvertently ends up in our fridge. Because we, consumers, assume that it is both grown and made in Australia.

However, an average of 3.5million tonnes of frozen pork is imported weekly then turned into the sliced ham and bacon we love — a real shame considering our world-class pork industry, with high-level biosecurity measures to protect the health of our farms and produce, as well as spearheading innovative, sustainable and ethical farming practices.

Why choose Australian-grown and made meat?

Have you enjoyed a Sunday pork crackling roast with the family? Or savoured the caramelised juices from the grilled pork? Or had a perfectly smoked, juicy Christmas ham on the bone? It’s the flavour of our Australian-grown pork, because all those things are grown and produced right here in Australia. The quality. The assurance that you are choosing locally farmed produce, grown right around the corner, not oceans away. And that we’re supporting our local farmers.

No more ham-boozling

So how can you ensure you don’t get confused into buying imported meat as your next sliced ham or bacon bits? Look for the bar chart under the green and gold kangaroo symbol on your packets. The bar shows how much of the product is Aussie grown. The fuller the bar, the more Aussie they are.

What about my pork chops?

Biosecurity laws stipulate that imported meat can only come into the country frozen; it must then be cooked to ultra-high temperatures before being sold, so if it’s fresh meat, you’re guaranteed it’s Australian grown.

Buy Aussie, Aussie, Aussie. Oink, oink, oink.

If in doubt, check the nationally available Australian ham and bacon products list below and always check the bar chart as a guarantee the product is of Australian origin.

Ham

• Aldi Berg Deli Australian Leg Ham (off the bone) sliced 175g
• Aldi Berg Deli Australian Leg Ham (off the bone) shaved 150g
• Barossa Fine Foods Ham off the bone
• Barossa Fine Foods Gypsy Ham
• Barkly Grandmother Full Leg Ham
• Don Australian Champagne Ham
• BB Products Double Smoked Leg Ham
• San Marino Australian ham off the bone, outdoor bred leg ham
• Aldi Berg Ham off the bone
• Murray River Smokehouse leg ham
• Uncle Smallgoods natural ham
• Poachers Pantry smoked ham
• Gamze Smokehouse leg ham
• MonDeli Australian Leg Ham
• Tibaldi Signature range: Triple Smoked Ham, Australian Wafer Thin Leg Ham, Ham off the Bone
• Miguel Maestre Free Range Ham off the bone
• Primo Reserve ham off the bone
• Primo Reserve smoked leg ham
• Woolworths Australian range hams
• Salumi Ham off the bone
• Fabbris Smallgoods Deluxe Ham

Bacon:

• Aldi Berg Shortcut Australian Bacon 200g
• British Sausage Co – Smoked Back Bacon
• British Sausage Co – Smoked Streaky bacon
• Woolworths Australian range bacon
• Gamze smokehouse bacon
• Murray River Smokehouse bacon
• Bok’s bacon
• Fabbris Smallgoods Country Style Bacon

For more information, click here.