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Pork sales steady at butchers

Posted on May 5, 2009, 8:08am

A Mount Gambier butcher claims the swine flu crisis is yet to have any impact on pork sales at his store.

“People are still happy to buy pork, they are still buying their bacon, ham and pork products,” Grantville Court Butchers owner Willy Orr told The Border Watch yesterday.

His comments follow fears the panic surrounding the possible swine flu pandemic could kill off the multi-million dollar Australian pork industry.

“People are talking about the swine flu when they come into the store, but it is more of a passing joke,” Mr Orr said.

He said small butchers such as his only sold fresh Australian pork, which was free of diseases such as swine flu.

Mr Orr said his store did not sell any imported pork meat.

“There is absolutely no risk if people buy their pork from a small butcher,” said Mr Orr, who has been running the business for more than 10 years.

According to Australian Pork Limited, the swine flu has been renamed influenza A/H1N1 to stop any negative impact on the pork industry.

“Pork is safe to eat. It is impossible to contract influenza A/H1N1 from eating pork and pork related products in Australia,” a spokesperson said.

“Influenza A/H1N1 continues to be a health issue. The World Health Organisation says there is no evidence pigs are passing this disease to humans.

“There is no connection between pork and pork products and this disease.”

The spokesperson said Australia had strict quarantine protocols in place to ensure the likelihood of any disease getting into Australia was averted.

“However in a situation like this Australian Pork Limited calls on all pork farmers to be vigilant,” a spokesperson said.

A South East piggery has already introduced tough new biosecurity protocols as a precaution.

A possible case of the H1N1 has been reported at a pig farm in Canada.

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