The Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy – Janet Finch-Saunders MS – has welcomed the news that PGI Welsh lamb witnessed a 10% improvement in shelf-life during 2020-21, to an average of 36.5 days. New Zealand remains the global standard, with lamb there having a shelf-life of over 60 days for vacuum packed and up to 110 days for CO2 gas flushed lamb.
To support local farmers, Mrs Finch-Saunders has long been a vocal proponent of increasing the shelf-life of Welsh lamb, arguing that this will be a key driver in helping the product’s competitiveness in both the domestic retail market and in attracting new export customers.
Welcoming the improvement, Janet said:
“This latest improvement in shelf-life is a testament to the hard work of individuals across the supply chain, developing new skills and instigating positive changes that ensures that this delicious, nutritious, and versatile product can remain internationally competitive.
“As I have been proud to make clear in Cardiff Bay, this iconic Welsh product has special characteristics that cannot be replicated anywhere else so it will be much sought after in new markets. As farmers throughout Aberconwy will attest, Welsh lamb is also an incredibly sustainable product that also has benefits for local land management.
“Successfully achieving a long shelf life depends on having clean and hygienic practices throughout the supply chain, as well as good temperature control once the animal has been slaughtered. I’ll now work to ensure that Welsh Government funding support for the necessary training continues.”
ENDS
