Campaign to bring home local bacon

Australian Pork Limited unveiled its new advertising at the PorkStar event at the Sparkke at Whitmore in Adelaide.

APL marketing and communications manager Mitch Edwards said it was important to get the message out about how much imported ham and bacon was sold in Australia, with many consumers being unaware of the origin of their produce.

Each week $17 million worth of imported pork - or 4m kilograms - arrives in Australia to be heat-treated and processed.

"While all fresh pork is proudly Australian, smallgoods like ham and bacon are often made using imported pork," Mr Edwards said.

"We're asking South Australians to look at the label when picking bacon for your brekky or ham for your lunches.

"Take a minute to ensure you're choosing one made from Aussie pork, that supports our local farmers."

Mr Edwards said shoppers should look at the bar chart, beneath the green and gold kangaroo logo.

"If it's not showing 90 per cent or above, it is not made from Australian pork," he said.

Pork SA chair Andrew Johnson said raising consumer awareness about the origin of their ham and bacon and helping them find products made from Australian pork would support the local industry, families and communities.

"When consumers actively choose Australian products, they are supporting our local community and everything that SA is about: celebrating fresh, quality, local ingredients," he said.

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Loxton pork producer Karen Henwood said this was a big step in encouraging consumers to be more aware of the origins of the products they buy.

She believe many shoppers would prefer to support local produce when informed how to.

"It can be very difficult to understand at the moment what the origin of a product is," she said.

"We're hoping people take the extra bit of time to seek out Australian produce.

"More demand for Australian pork gives us more confidence to expand our industry."

Ms Henwood said the high welfare and other standards of Australian produce can make it more expensive but she believes people would be willing to pay that for the high quality.

The launch coincided with PorkStar, which has entered its 15^th year and brings together producers, smallgood processors and leading chefs to taste some pork recipes.

Mr Edwards said restaurants and chefs were important in showcasing the range of dishes possible.

"What happens on plates at home is affects by what goes on plates at restaurants," he said.

"When we started PorkStar, pork was a menu afterthought, but 15 years later and it's hard to find a menu without pork."