Australian consumers push for pork origin labels, survey finds

AUSTRALIA – Australian consumers are calling for greater transparency about the origin of pork served in restaurants, cafés and other foodservice venues, according to new research commissioned by Australian Pork Limited (APL), which found widespread support for introducing country of origin information on menus.

The survey was released ahead of new Country of Origin Labelling requirements for seafood that will come into effect on 1 July 2026, requiring foodservice businesses across Australia to disclose the origin of seafood products served to customers.

According to the findings, almost nine out of 10 respondents said they would like similar country-of-origin information for pork, while more than two-thirds indicated they would be more likely to order a pork meal if the menu identified it as Australian.

APL Chief Executive Officer Margo Andrae said the results show consumers are increasingly interested in knowing where their food is produced and want more information when making dining decisions.

She said Australian pork producers operate under animal welfare standards that imported pork is not required to meet, adding that customers who wish to support local farmers or consider production practices currently have no way to identify the origin of the pork served in many foodservice establishments.

The research also found that 64% of customers who dine at casual restaurants would be prepared to pay more for meals made with Australian pork, with most respondents saying they would accept a price increase of up to 10%.

Andrae said the findings suggest many consumers are willing to pay more to support Australian pork producers and questioned why foodservice businesses would not make it easier for diners to identify locally produced pork on their menus.

APL said the introduction of mandatory seafood country-of-origin labelling has drawn attention to differences in the information available to consumers across protein categories and created an opportunity to consider similar measures for other meats.

According to Andrae, the new seafood labelling rules will provide consumers with information to make informed purchasing decisions while also recognising Australian seafood producers, and she said that extending the approach to other protein categories would increase consumer confidence and acknowledge the production standards maintained by Australian farmers.

Although Australian regulations do not currently require restaurants, cafés, pubs, clubs, or quick-service restaurants to disclose the origin of pork, APL is encouraging businesses to voluntarily state whether the pork they serve is Australian or imported.

Andrae said displaying the origin of pork on menus would give customers the information they are seeking, demonstrate support for Australian agriculture and recognise the standards followed by domestic producers, while encouraging businesses to introduce the practice as they update menus to comply with the new seafood labelling requirements.

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