The pork industry goes head to head with MAF in the High Court in Wellington this week in a bid to restrict the importing of uncooked meats.

The New Zealand Pork Industry Board is challenging a Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry decision to allow consumer-ready cuts of meat to be imported from the United States, Canada, Mexico and the European Union, all regions that have PRRS, or porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome.

Under MAF’s decision, uncooked meat from countries with PRRS would no longer have to undergo treatment to deactivate the disease.

New Zealand Pork chief Executive Sam McIvor says it just doesn’t make sense to introduce pig welfare standards on the one hand, while putting them at risk of a highly distressing disease on the other.

But MAF deputy director-general Carol Barnao said in May the ministry would vigorously defend its decision saying the likelihood of the virus being introduced was equivalent to one outbreak every 1227 years.