Better Pork - October 2016

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Better Pork October 2016 15
Do pork consumers really care
about animal welfare? And are
they willing to pay extra for big-
ger barns and deep straw bedding?
Danish meat marketing planners
think customers in their country are
concerned. A 2015 European survey
(Attitudes of Europeans towards
Animal Welfare) shows some Danes
are willing to spend more in this
respect. This is why, next year, the
“Stjernekød” scheme will be launched
there. Translating as “Star Meat,” the
scheme features a labelling program
that gives consumers the chance to
pay for different levels of perceived
swine comfort.
The swine sector certainly backs
the initiative. Planning and advertis-
ing support comes from a range of
organizations including the country’s
environment and food ministry,
Danish Crown (Denmark’s leading
swine slaughter and processing com-
pany), universities, farm advisors and
all main retailers.
Three levels of Stjernekød are
planned. The single-star standard
involves the mandatory national
requirements including permanent
access to straw bedding, at least
eight hours of natural or electrical
light per day and water sprinklers or
misting systems for all hogs over 20
kg weight. For the single star on the
pork label, pen floor space per hog
starts at a minimum 0.3 square me-
tres for up to 30 kg live weight and
increases gradually to a minimum
0.65 square metres for the weight
range of 85 kg to 110 kg.
Additionally, the national require-
ment limits the journey from farm to
slaughterhouse to eight hours.
Over and above the normal legis-
lation, the single-star class bans tail
docking and, right at the beginning
of the production cycle, requires
more freedom for the piglets and sow
by limiting farrowing crate confine-
ment to the first four days post far-
rowing.
Label premiums of 20 per cent
The Stjernekød launch is pencilled
in for summer 2017. However, the
Danish pork sector (headed by the
country’s Agriculture and Food
Council), already reckons on a
premium starting at 20 per cent over
today’s standard prices for pork and
its products.
“Basically we want to fund the
program through the extra money
PORKLABELLING
Selling swine welfare
Europe’s food and farming sector is convinced that animal welfare labelling wins more
consumers for pork. But how to make sense of the forest of logos and labels promising meat
from happy hogs? Enter Danish and Dutch scientists with a new approach to pork labelling.
by NORMAN DUNN
Ministry of Environment and Food, DenmarkThis is the first logo prepared by the Min-
istry of Environment and Food of Denmark
for the Star Meat labelling strategy.