Ham week 2011 is the 3rd to 10th and is aimed at promoting, and particularly celebrating ham made in Australia with Australian Pork.

It is run by Australian Pork Ltd (the peak body for Pork Producers) and starts with the announcement of the best Hams in Australia for 2011. Toowoomba in Queensland did particularly well, with the overall winner and a place in one of the two categories.

The following are the 2011 winners;

Australia’s Best Ham: Westridge Meats, Toowoomba, Qld

Boneless: 1st - Westridge Meats, Toowoomba, Qld; 2nd - Schulz Butchers, Angaston, SA; 3rd -Andrew’s Choice Smokehouse, Laverton North, Vic

Traditional Bone In: 1st - Barossa Fine Foods, Elizabeth West, SA; 2nd - Grays Modern Meat Mart Toowoomba, Qld; 3rd - Thompson’s Fresh Foods, Hobart, Tas

As part of the week, consumers are encouraged to purchase ham and pork products bearing the Australian PorkMark as proof of the product being made in this country with Australian pork.

“Our research shows that 95 per cent of consumers want to ‘buy Australian’ if they could identify it. Current labelling for ham and other smallgoods products can be misleading, or at the least, confusing. For example ‘Made in Australia’ does not mean the product is made from Australian grown pork, only that it has been manufactured here. But the pink PorkMark clearly distinguishes the Pork as being made from Australian pork - from God’s country, not God knows where." says the CEO of Australian Pork Limited, Andrew Spencer.

There are now more than 315 smallgood producers and butchers licensed to use the hot pink Australian PorkMark on their products, an increase of around 40% from 2010.