The federal government will spend $1.4 million to convince the public to reach for Canadian pork products on grocery store shelves instead of imports.
Along with labels to be affixed on packages of fresh pork products, provincial pork organizations will work together to encourage Canadians to support farmers by buying Canadian pork, according to an Agriculture Canada news release.
The voluntary program will be available to all retailers and processors, but will primarily be aimed at larger retailers whose pork supply comes from across Canada.
“Consumers deserve choice,” said Ontario Pork chair Curtiss Littlejohn in the news release.
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“This new voluntary program gives pork consumers the opportunity to choose Canadian. Up until now, consumers didn’t know if the fresh pork they selected from the meat case was Canadian.”
Added Kim Turnbull, chair of the Agricultural Adaptation Council: “This initiative has the potential to assist every pork producer in Canada by creating more demand for Canadian pork,”
To better understand the Canadian content listed on food labels, earlier this year prime minister Stephen Harper announced an initiative to more clearly define “Product of Canada” and “Made in Canada” on food products.
