Better Pork - October 2016

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20 Better Pork October 2016
PORKLABELLING
welfare and environment protection labels populate most
Dutch supermarket food shelves. Some, such as Demeter,
Bioland, Biotrend, Eko and the national Integrated Farm
Assurance standard IKB, are used in several European
countries for meat, milk and eggs. Others are less promi-
nent, and many simply muddy the waters as far as sales
messages are concerned. Maybe it would be better, says
van Dam, to offer a graduation of welfare and other quality
standards for products within a sector: from the lowest
legally acceptable standard right up to the best available.
This approach worked very well with household equip-
ment in terms of electricity consumption, he recalls. “The
introduction of an energy label on household appliances
(under 1995 European legislation) soon caused energy-
guzzling washing machines and fridges to disappear
from the stores.” The law on labelling according to power
consumption proved that human nature encourages the
choice of even a slightly better product, if at all possible.
This strategy, called “negative labelling” in the trade,
gives consumers the chance to buy the lower standard
goods. But it also highlights that there are more sustainable
options on the same shelves, a choice allowing consumers
the chance of living up to their good intentions, even if this
costs a little more.
And this is exactly the route the Danes now want to
follow with their Stjernekød strategy: boosting consumer
awareness of production methods and, hopefully, earning
more for the pork producer. BP Formerly HOG & POULTRY DAYS
“The Dutch and Sustainable Food”
report found that three-quarters of
consumers wanted government to
promote sustainability or welfare
labels for food.
Danish Crown