by SUSAN MANN
Consumers will now see the label identifying provincially produced pork products in almost 200 additional stores across Ontario as retailer Loblaw Companies Limited recently signed on to the industry’s labelling program.
Starting this month, products featuring the ‘Ontario pork’ label are available in Loblaws, Zehrs, Valu-mart and Your Independent Grocer stores across Ontario.
Developed by the provincial pork industry, the label has a grey checkmark and the words Ontario pork underneath in black letters surrounded by a green circle. The marketing board began testing the Ontario branded products last year. The program is designed to increase sales volumes and market share of Ontario pork in the meat case.
Ontario Pork communications and consumer marketing manager Mary Jane Quinn says there are 57 participants in the program, including retailers, food service providers and restaurants, farmers and processors. The Ontario pork-labelled meat is available in 324 locations across Ontario, including the 200 Loblaw locations. Loblaws is the biggest retailer that has signed on to the program to date.
Quinn says one retailer saw sales of fresh Ontario pork go up 24 per cent from the January to April 2014 time period compared to the same months in 2013. For another retailer, sales were up 22 per cent. Quinn declined to name the retailers.
Cronin says the labelling program was developed by Ontario Pork along with processors Sofina Foods Inc. and Conestoga Meat Packers Ltd. The provincial government provided $2 million in funding.
Retailers and food service providers can use the label voluntarily on product packaging and in flyer advertising. It’s free for them to use it. They are required to sign an agreement with Ontario Pork specifying they’ll only use the label for Ontario born, raised and slaughtered pork products.
Ontario Pork chair Amy Cronin says “we’re really pleased Loblaws has decided to use the Ontario pork label to showcase locally born and raised Ontario pork. We believe that in Ontario we produce a very safe, high quality, nutritious protein. It’s available year-round.”
She says the label makes it very easy for consumers to “identify Ontario pork in grocery stores and take it home.”
Brad Porter, Loblaw vice president meat/seafood, produce and floral, says in Ontario Pork’s Aug. 10 press release the company has a commitment to a Canadian-first buying strategy that gives priority to local and regional products “when the safety, quality, availability and value are right for our customers.” BF
Comments
The choice of word "scheme" in the title is priceless . Really makes you wonder if this is an Ontario equivalent of COOL . Also since there is an agreement with OP on the use of the label , will OP be checking or policing the use of the label ? Just how do you tell if the meat in the counter is from Ontario ? Didn't know livestock was subject to the same passport laws as people ! Will there be a difference in price ? The vast majority of consumers by on price .
This promotion of locally produced pork is truly an example of the value-chain working together in Ontario. Consumers are interested in knowing where their food comes from and it is encouraging to work with retail partners who understand the benefits of supporting the local economy. Participants to the program, including retailers, food service operators, restaurants and producers who sell at farm gate, are required to sign a brand usage agreement stating that the pork product they are selling and bears the logo is born, raised and slaughtered in the province. It also outlines appropriate usage of the logo and point of sale materials. While we rely somewhat on the integrity of the participants on the program, we also work collaboratively with the two federal packers in the province to deliver on our promise of providing local pork on products bearing the logo.
Any breach of our agreement, if not resolved, will result in the label usage being denied to the participant.
While we can’t comment on the specific pricing practices of the retailers, we can say that they operate in a highly competitive environment and expect that they keep this in mind while developing their procurement and promotional strategies.
Consumers are looking for local products and the aim of this partnership is to satisfy that need while at the same time creating value for Ontario’s hog producers.
The Ontario Pork/Loblaw agreement would appear to be, for all intents and purposes, a voluntary form of COOL - the reasons for implementing both programs are exactly the same.
This agreement would also appear to be similar to the "pledge" on most US milk cartons that the contents contain no artificial growth hormones.
The more-difficult issue continues to be how individual retailer-driven specifications about things like the use of farrowing crates, get implemented and controlled in the marketing channel.
Finally, as a sign of the fickleness of consumers, while they fall all themselves about the safety, purity and localness of some things, they care not one iota about any of these things when it comes to products like oranges, bananas and sugar.
Stephen Thompson, Clinton ON
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