TEN butchers who entered French pork into the recent Ulster Pork and Bacon Forum promoted sausage competition were disqualified just as judges were about to taste it.
The National Sausage Competition NI 2009, now in its eighth year, was designed to promote all that is good about locally produced pork, and to encourage sales for local butchers in the run-up to Christmas.
However, organisers of the event, the Ulster Pork and Bacon Forum, say they were "gobsmacked" when it discovered what some butchers had done.
Keith Smyton of the Ulster Pork and Bacon Forum, confirmed the disqualifications. He said: "A percentage of butchers this year were disqualified from the competition as entries were not of Northern Ireland origin, had no traceable supply chain, or decided to submit other imported produce from several countries and the rules were specific on the origin of all pork content. 
"This providence issue is also clearly important in Scotland, England and Republic of Ireland and entrants are deemed to have accepted and be bound by the rules."
FarmWeek learned of the incident after being contacted by a butcher who was shocked by the actions of other butchers who "had no regard for the top quality pork produced in Northern Ireland."
Embarrassment was ultimately avoided when checks were done on the background of all the entries and thus the French pork was discovered. Some of the entries were only discovered to be French right at the moment of judging, as they had been "late entries."
Although there is nothing illegal about bringing French pork into Northern Ireland the entire ethos of the competition could have been thrown into disrepute.
Competition rules, of which there are 12, clearly state that the entries must be of Northern Ireland origin, but some butchers apparently didn't read the small print.

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November 27th 2009
November 20th 2009

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