Pig producers are gearing up to conduct traceability audits on pork products sold in retailers, as part of a campaign against imports that do not comply with the sow-stall ban.

The National Pig Association (NPA) said it planned to randomly purchase a selection of own-label and branded pork products on sale in the UK over the coming weeks, and would then send the labels to retailers asking them to trace the pork.

It comes as the European Commission has announced it is taking action against nine EU countries that are still not complying with new animal welfare rules on sow stalls – more than four months after they came into force on 1 January.

NPA director Zoe Davies said these included major importers of pork to the UK, such as Germany, Denmark, France, Ireland and Poland. British pork producers, who have not used sow stalls for more than a decade, risked being undercut by these cheaper, non-compliant products, and UK retailers, manufacturers, processors and foodservice companies therefore needed to be able to guarantee no non-compliant pork was in their supply chains or stores, she said.

“The retailers have always said they have no control over branded products, but I just don’t think that’s the case”

Zoe Davies, NPA

Under the new rules, there is an EU-wide ban on confining pregnant pigs in stalls.

The NPA has called on companies to sign up to a public pledge on pork traceability, and so far 100 companies – including the major mults, Marks & Spencer, The Co-operative Group, Aldi, Farmfoods, Spar, Booths, Nisa and Budgens, as well as leading processors and manufacturers such as Cranswick and Kerry Foods, have done so.

Davies said she had been “very impressed” with how seriously the industry had taken the sow-stall issue overall, with retailers, foodservice companies and manufacturers seeking written declarations on the legality of their pork from suppliers. “The horsemeat issue has certainly helped put traceability front of mind,” she said.

However, Davies added she was disappointed many retailers had pledged to guarantee only the traceability of their own-label products and not all products sold in their stores. “The retailers have always said they have no control over branded products, but I just don’t think that’s the case. They can choose what they sell,” she said.

The companies that have pledged total traceability on their pork supply chains are listed on a “wall of fame” on the NPA website.

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