What is Bred Free Range Pork?
There is no agreed or defined standard in Australia for the term “bred free range”, therefore consumers have no guarantees of how much time the pig was actually free to roam outside. Whilst the pig may have been conceived and born outside, the sow’s piglets which go on to be sold as meat are generally not raised free range. The piglets are generally permitted to suckle on their mothers for approximately 3 weeks, after which they are removed and raised in either eco shelters or penned in sheds. In practice, the term bred-free range is a loose descriptor that does not contravene truth in labelling laws. Bred-Free-Range therefore continues to be a widely misunderstood term. At Fernleigh Free-Range, we believe strongly in the need for a national standard to differentiate between the different production systems; free-range and “bred-free range” or outdoor bred. This is the only way to provide consumers with a clear assurance of what they are actually buying.
