Gloucestershire Old Spots Pig Breeders Club

The Club have anticipated for some years that supermarkets would begin to try and pass of crossbred products as GOS pork and bacon. As can be seen on Forum, Waitrose have begun but there is anecdotal evidence that both Tesco and Sainsbury are close behind.

With this in mind, the Club began in 1999 to take steps to minimise the risk by registering pure bred meat from non-intensively farmed GOS pigs as a TSG (Traditional Speciaility Guaranteed) in Europe. Unfortunately, the wheels in Brussels turn very slowly and thus the process is still under way.

Some Waitrose branches are now stocking packs of bacon labelled on the front 'Gloucestershire Old Spot (sic)
free range
6 dry cured
unsmoked
thick cut
back bacon
rashers'

On the reverse, following information seemingly derived from this website, they also state the following:
'Our Free Range Gloucestershire Old Spot (sic)breed pigs are reared outside with the freedom to root and roam one dedicated farm in Salisbury. They are raised in established groups and have warm shelters and straw bedding to protect them from winter, while mud baths keep them cool in summer.'

The packs are not heavily branded but carry just one name: 'Produced in the UK by Dalehead Foods, Cambridge Road, Linton, Cambridge CB21 4JD'. Dalehead Foods are a known producer of pork and bacon for Waitrose.

When this was raised on the Waitrose website, a reply was given as follows by 'Jane-Meat Buying' on 1st Feb 2008.

'Waitrose stocks a number of different choices of fresh pork and bacon, that is produced from our selected group of British Farmers that we have been working with for many years.
We stock 3 different breeds of Free Range pork and bacon which come from pigs sired by a Berkshire, Hampshire or a Gloucestershire Old Spot (sic) boar. We are proud to offer this extensive choice of breed of British pork, offering our customers the choice and benefit of some of the superb eating quality traits that these traditional breeds offer. We clearly label all our products with the information of the breeding of these pigs and that they are sired by the named breed boar. We have no intent to confuse customers but to offer them choice and ensure that an informed choice can be made.

Neither Waitrose or our Supplier have intended to confuse and the press release you refer to states that we have worked together to reintroduce these traditional breeds into the major retail market, which has to date had limited choice in pork and different breeds. We hope to increase the awareness of the great eating quality of these breeds and encourage all customers to buy more quality British pork.'

This appears to directly contradict the packaging which clearly implies that it comes from a pure bred pig. There is no evidence that mongrel pork has similar eating qualities to the real thing and I know of no genetic theory that the eating qualities are all passed on solely by the sire.

This seems therefore to be a case of passing off and I have today reported it to Trading Standards and await their response.

In the meantime, if you have a Waitrose nearby or have the opportunity to visit one, please check and see if this 'GOS' bacon is on offer and advise me if so. Also please advise of any other supermarkets claiming to sell GOS produce.

Please tell eveyone you can think of to boycott so-called GOS produce in the supermarkets and tell them to tell their friends too. A round robin email would be a big help with a request to pass it on.

	Passing off GOS Products The Club have anticipated for some years that supermarkets would begin to try and pass of crossbred products as GOS pork and bacon. As can be seen on Forum, Waitrose have begun but there is anecdotal evidence that both Tesco and Sainsbury are close behind. With this in mind, the Club began in 1999 to take steps to minimise the risk by registering pure bred meat from non-intensively farmed GOS pigs as a TSG (Traditional Speciaility Guaranteed) in Europe. Unfortunately, the wheels in Brussels turn very slowly and thus the process is still under way. Some Waitrose branches are now stocking packs of bacon labelled on the front 'Gloucestershire Old Spot (sic) free range 6 dry cured unsmoked thick cut back bacon rashers' On the reverse, following information seemingly derived from this website, they also state the following: 'Our Free Range Gloucestershire Old Spot (sic)breed pigs are reared outside with the freedom to root and roam one dedicated farm in Salisbury. They are raised in established groups and have warm shelters and straw bedding to protect them from winter, while mud baths keep them cool in summer.' The packs are not heavily branded but carry just one name: 'Produced in the UK by Dalehead Foods, Cambridge Road, Linton, Cambridge CB21 4JD'. Dalehead Foods are a known producer of pork and bacon for Waitrose. When this was raised on the Waitrose website, a reply was given as follows by 'Jane-Meat Buying' on 1st Feb 2008. 'Waitrose stocks a number of different choices of fresh pork and bacon, that is produced from our selected group of British Farmers that we have been working with for many years. We stock 3 different breeds of Free Range pork and bacon which come from pigs sired by a Berkshire, Hampshire or a Gloucestershire Old Spot (sic) boar. We are proud to offer this extensive choice of breed of British pork, offering our customers the choice and benefit of some of the superb eating quality traits that these traditional breeds offer. We clearly label all our products with the information of the breeding of these pigs and that they are sired by the named breed boar. We have no intent to confuse customers but to offer them choice and ensure that an informed choice can be made. Neither Waitrose or our Supplier have intended to confuse and the press release you refer to states that we have worked together to reintroduce these traditional breeds into the major retail market, which has to date had limited choice in pork and different breeds. We hope to increase the awareness of the great eating quality of these breeds and encourage all customers to buy more quality British pork.' This appears to directly contradict the packaging which clearly implies that it comes from a pure bred pig. There is no evidence that mongrel pork has similar eating qualities to the real thing and I know of no genetic theory that the eating qualities are all passed on solely by the sire. This seems therefore to be a case of passing off and I have today reported it to Trading Standards and await their response. In the meantime, if you have a Waitrose nearby or have the opportunity to visit one, please check and see if this 'GOS' bacon is on offer and advise me if so. Also please advise of any other supermarkets claiming to sell GOS produce. Please tell eveyone you can think of to boycott so-called GOS produce in the supermarkets and tell them to tell their friends too. A round robin email would be a big help with a request to pass it on. End of Article Richard Lutwyche 11th February 2008


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