One out of every three pork products served by the Irish foodservice sector is not from the Irish pigmeat sector, according to a new survey by the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA).
The survey is based on a farmer led samplying programme where pigmeat products were tested in a number of different locations from retail outlets to hotels, butchers and supermarkets across the country.
According to Tim Cullinan, president of the IFA, it shows that the Irish food service sector is not supporting Irish pigmeat producers.
The latest Irish Foodservice DNA Verified Survey 2022, published today (Wednesday, May 3), by the IFA, highlights that there is a gap between the approach of retailers compared to that of the foodservice sector when it comes to buying Irish pigmeat produce.
The farm organisation tested a total of 582 samples from across various locations throughout 2022 and according to the IFA the results showed that more than one quarter of the samples came back “as non-assignments of Irish pigmeat”.
However out of the 181 samples tested from retailers 97% of those samples were classified as “assignments of Irish pigmeat”.
A further 401 samples were tested from the Irish foodservice – which included 34 individual outlets – which have an estimated 2,600 outlets nationwide.
The survey also highlighted the breakdown of pork products that are being sold by foodservice outlets and how they ranked this showed that:
- Premium cuts of pork tested the best at 85%;
- Ham tested at 65%
- Breakfast products – including sausages and bacon – tested at 55%
The IFA said that the results of its research shows that while retailers are supporting the pigmeat sector, foodservice providers are not.
Cullinan said: “Irish foodservice is not supporting the Irish pigmeat sector. They must now come forward and close the gap on the benchmark which Irish retailers have set
“The Irish pig sector continues to experience turbulent times, and the results of this survey highlight where the support must come from to help pig farms overcome the 18 months of decline in price
According to the IFA it is now actively monitoring what pork products are being sold by retailers and foodservice providers and also how these products are being marketed.
Its latest research found that some businesses have been advertising products as Irish but when they were tested by the IFA this was “proven to be false”.
The organisation has now written to a number of businesses to raise its concerns with them and said it also intends to step up its testing programme over the coming weeks and months.