Above Sausages 100% British by kind permission of McMurchie Meats.
In brief: That sausage you’re eating might not be made from pork produced in Britain even if it says so on the packet. It might not even come from Europe, it might even come from a country where they don’t mind exporting pork when some farms in that country have disease.
In Britain we have the best animal welfare system in Europe, we’ve been trying to get Europe to raise their game but they are not quite there yet. Animals are still raised in confined boxes and without daylight. This means it’s cheaper to produce pork in Europe and that pork is finding its way to the British market. As members of the EU we can’t really stop it as legally we can’t put up trade barriers. If everyone bought British there’d be no market for the cheap stuff but everyone loves a bargain, mind you, you might just get more than you bargained for. Some countries will still export meat even though there’s been swine disease within the country, the EU states that this is illegal but it still happens. Also depending how this non-British pork is imported be it processed or as a carcass it can still end up in a banger labelled British.
Look for these badges of quality and herritage, all pork contained is fully accountable.
Ask your Butcher about his pork, pay a few pence more and make sure you get British, better still make sure you get British outdoor reared, it tastes better, the pigs have better lives and the Farmers will continue to farm some of the best kept livestock in the world.