Le Porc du Québec Brand Osso Buco of Pork! A First in the Labelling of Fresh<br>Pork with this Logo

LONGUEUIL, QC, March 11 /CNW Telbec/ - Great news! After several months of tireless efforts, the Fédération des producteurs de porcs du Québec (FPPQ) and their partners in the pork sector see their brand, Le Porc du Québec, make its début on supermarket refrigerated counters.

For the last few weeks, packages of osso buco of pork sold in about 300 IGA stores in Québec carry the Le Porc du Québec logo. This is a first in the labelling of Québec's fresh pork products with this logo.

"The Le Porc du Québec brand has been in existence for almost 18 years," says Jean-Guy Vincent, President of the Fédération des producteurs de porcs du Québec. "This is the first time that the brand makes its official debut on products sold in supermarkets. Pork producers have always believed in labelling and are very proud of the results."

Proof of the product's origin is made possible by preparing and packaging the osso buco at the manufacturing plant. The partners involved are Groupe CNP, specializing in the deboning of whole pork legs, Aliments Mer et Monde for cutting and packaging and IGA grocery stores. "During the product development phase of this project, we envisaged all along a different way of adding value to Quebec pork to increase consumer satisfaction and appreciation," added Mr. Normand Duchemin, President of Aliments Mer et Monde.

As for producers, identifying the origin of its products in their stores and in their flyers is important for IGA. For Pierre Théroux, Head of Meat Marketing for the Québec division of Sobeys, pork osso buco is "the biggest success story of the last few years when it comes to pork products from Québec".

Pork producers are aware of the importance of buying local for Quebeckers. The FPPQ follows local consumer buying trends in Québec very closely through various marketing activities. Recently, a CROP survey has been conducted by the FPPQ which demonstrated that the Le Porc du Québec brand is recognized by 88% of consumers. The survey also confirmed that the brand is linked to a product of superior quality by 74% of consumers.

Launched in the fall of 2009, pork osso buco quickly found its place on dinner tables throughout Québec. This classic dish comes from the hind shank of the animal. Once the skin is removed, the shank is sliced and sold in modified atmosphere packaging to meet the demands of modern life. Osso buco is very easy to cook; it is best slowly braised.

ABOUT LE PORC DU QUEBEC

Le Porc du Québec is a registered trademark of the FPPQ. Since 1984, the FPPQ has been investing in mass advertising to promote pork produced in Québec. The Le Porc du Québec brand was developed in 1993 and has since been used on all FPPQ advertising. Several campaigns have made their way into popular consciousness such as Le cochon à son meilleur (1993-1997), Le porc j'adore (2001-2002), Ose le rose (2005-2008) and more recently, Oséistes à table ! (2009-2010).

ABOUT THE FPPQ

The Fédération des producteurs de porcs du Québec represents the interests of 3900 producers from 12 regional associations. Pork producers raise 7.5 million hogs annually generating 1.5 billion dollars in revenue, benefiting every region in the province. Pork production employs 24 000 people in Québec. Sixty percent of pork produced in Québec is exported to over 75 countries.

www.leporcduquebec.com

For further information: Stéphanie Fortin, Public Affairs Advisor, Fédération des producteurs de porcs du Québec, [phone], extension 8542, [email protected]; Source: Fédération des producteurs de porcs du Québec