Lyla Lindsey
Ham is a beloved food product in Australia, especially during Christmas. However, it is difficult to find ham made from 100% Australian ingredients. This is because the salts and brines used in the curing process are not produced in Australia. Additionally, up to 80% of the pork consumed in Australia is imported, mainly from the US and Canada. This has led to the development of Country of Origin Labelling (CoOL) in 2016, which includes a bar chart and a written statement indicating the percentage of Australian ingredients. To ensure consumers are buying Australian-grown ham, it is recommended to look for a bar chart that is almost fully shaded and a written statement with a percentage of over 90%.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ham made from Australian pork | Bar chart should be almost full |
| Ham made from imported pork | Bar chart is less shaded |
| Percentage of Australian ingredients in ham | 90% or higher |
| Percentage of imported ingredients in ham | Less than 60% |
| How to identify Australian ham | On the bone, Australian Pork logo, Country of Origin Labelling |
| Ham made from imported meat | Up to 80% |
| Ham made from Australian meat | Rare, but some small manufacturers use Australian meat |
| Ham made from reconstituted meat | Meat from multiple pigs pressed together |
| Commercially made ham | Tumbled, made from different pieces of the animal |
| Commercially made ham taste | Does not taste like ham should |
| Commercially made ham appearance | Perfectly round, a bit shiny |
| Gamekeepers of Australia ham | Never tumbled, made from one pork leg |
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What You'll Learn
Ham made from imported pork
Ham is typically made using the leg or shoulder of a pig, which is then cured with salt. In Australia, it is hard to find ham made from 100% Australian ingredients because the salts and brine used in the curing process are not produced in the country. Up to 80% of ham and bacon consumed in Australia is made from imported pork, mainly from the US and Canada.
Some ham is made by pressing together meat from multiple pigs, which results in a sausage-like product. This type of ham is often sold in delis and supermarkets, including premium ham varieties. To create this product, the meat is formed into a large sausage shape and injected with a solution of water, sugars, preservatives, flavourings, and other additives. Alternatively, the meat can be placed into a large machine that mixes it with a similar solution.
To identify ham made from Australian pork, consumers should look for a label with a bar chart that is almost full, indicating a percentage of over 90% Australian ingredients. For fresh and raw Australian pork products, such as roasts, chops, steaks, and fillets, the label will indicate 100% Australian-grown products with nothing added. The PorkMark, a registered pink square logo, guarantees that the pork is 100% Australian.
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Ham made from Australian pork
Ham is a cured and smoked pork product, usually made from the leg or shoulder of the pig. In Australia, it can be difficult to find ham made from Australian pork in supermarkets. This is because the brines and salts used in the curing process are not produced in Australia. Therefore, any ham made from 100% Australian ingredients will have to be sourced from a local butcher or farm shop.
To ensure you are buying ham made from Australian pork, you should look for an almost-full bar chart on the packaging. This indicates the percentage of Australian ingredients used, and for ham, this should be over 90% to be sure it is Australian pork. The written statement should also show a percentage of over 60%. If the ham is on the bone, it is also likely to be Australian, as importers cannot import bone.
Some manufacturers are seeking supply deals with Australian pig farmers to create Australian-made bacon and ham. One such company is Gamekeepers of Australia, which uses a unique three-stage low-smoking process over Victorian Mountain Ash wood chips. Their hams are never tumbled, which is a process used to enlarge the muscle fibre cross-section and increase water retention, allowing the ham to gain up to 50% in weight.
If you want to be absolutely sure your ham is made from Australian pork, you can look for the PorkMark—a registered pink square logo that guarantees the pork is 100% Australian.
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How to identify Australian ham
Ham is a beloved meat product around the world, and Australia is no exception. However, with globalised supply chains, it can be challenging to identify and buy Australian ham. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to do so:
Firstly, it is essential to understand the labelling system in Australia. The country has a Country of Origin Labelling (CoOL) framework, overseen by the government. The system uses a bar chart and a written statement to indicate the percentage of Australian ingredients. For ham made from Australian pork, the bar chart should be almost full, and the written statement should indicate a percentage of over 90%. The bar chart is usually located under a kangaroo logo, and the less shaded it is, the fewer Australian ingredients are used.
Additionally, there is a pink square logo called the PorkMark, which guarantees that the pork is 100% Australian. Any company using this logo has signed an agreement with Australian Pork Limited to only use it on products made with 100% Australian pork.
Another way to identify Australian ham is to look for bone-in ham. Ham sold with the bone is likely to be Australian because importers of pig meat cannot import bones, only meat. So, if you see a ham with a bone, it is likely Australian, and you can proudly proclaim, "it's one of our own!"
It is also worth noting that any fresh, raw pork sold in Australia is 100% Australian pork.
Finally, some manufacturers, like Gamekeepers of Australia, proudly advertise that they use 100% Australian pork. Their hams are sourced from pasture-raised, purebred Berkshire Pork, prized for its juiciness, flavour, and tenderness.
In conclusion, by carefully examining labels, looking for bone-in hams, and supporting transparent manufacturers, you can identify and buy delicious Australian ham.
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Ham made the traditional way
To ensure that you are purchasing ham made the traditional way, it is important to read the labels carefully. If the ham is on the bone, it is most likely Australian, as importers of pig meat cannot import bones. Look for an almost full bar chart on the packaging, indicating a percentage of over 90% Australian ingredients. The written statement should also mention a percentage of over 60% Australian ingredients. Additionally, keep an eye out for the PorkMark, a registered pink square logo that guarantees the pork is 100% Australian.
Some butchers and producers in Australia, such as Gamekeepers, pride themselves on making ham the traditional way. They source purebred, pasture-raised Berkshire Pork, which is known for its juiciness, flavour, and tenderness. Gamekeepers use a unique three-stage low smoking process over Victorian Mountain Ash wood chips, avoiding the commercial tumbling process that enlarges muscle fibre and increases water retention. Their hams are made from one pork leg, ensuring that the start and finish weights are the same.
If you are interested in making your own ham the traditional way, you can start by purchasing a whole piece of pork on the bone. You can then create your own brine solution using salt, water, sugars, and any desired flavourings. Soak the pork in this brine for several days, ensuring that it is fully submerged. After curing, the ham can be smoked using wood chips or another smoking method of your choice. This traditional process of curing and smoking results in a flavourful and authentic ham.
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Commercially made ham
To ensure you are buying Australian-grown ham, you need to check the bar chart on the packaging that appears under the kangaroo logo. This shows the percentage of ingredients that are Australian. If the bar chart is almost full, then the ham is likely made from Australian pork. The written statement should also give a percentage of over 60% for Australian ingredients.
If the ham is on the bone, then it is definitely Australian, as importers can only import the meat, not the bone. However, if it is boneless, it is likely to be imported meat that has been formed or reformed. Formed ham is muscle meat from the leg bones that has been chopped and injected with a solution of water, sugars, preservatives, flavourings and other additives. It may also be put into a giant mixer and combined with a similar solution. This process is called tumbling and is used to increase water retention, allowing the ham to gain up to 50% in weight.
However, some companies, such as Gamekeepers of Australia, pride themselves on not using the tumbling process for their commercially made ham. They use 100% Australian female ethically-bred and reared Berkshire Pork, which is pasture-raised without the use of cages or chemicals. They also use a unique three-stage low smoking process over Victorian Mountain Ash wood chips.
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Frequently asked questions
To identify if ham is made from Australian pork, check the bar chart under the kangaroo logo on the packaging. The more shaded the bar chart, the more Australian ingredients are used. If the bar chart is almost full, the ham is likely made from 100% Australian pork. You can also look for the pink square PorkMark logo, which guarantees that the ham is made from 100% Australian pork.
It is estimated that 50% of pork consumed in Australia is imported, and this number is even higher for products like ham and bacon, with up to 80% being imported. However, the percentage of ham made from Australian pork is slowly increasing, with some estimates placing it at around 24%.
Ham can be made in several ways. Traditionally, it is cured and/or smoked pork, usually from the leg or shoulder of the pig. However, commercially made ham often consists of different pieces of meat pressed or glued together. This type of ham is also injected with a solution of water, sugars, preservatives, flavourings, and other additives to increase weight and improve taste.
