Two thirds of pork, bacon and ham imported into Britain are from pigs reared on the Continent in cruel farm conditions that are banned in the UK.

In a hard-hitting report published today, MPs say that British consumers will be shocked that almost 500,000 tonnes of pigmeat a year, some 66 per cent of total imports, would be illegal if produced on British farms.

Most shoppers and people eating in restaurants, takeaways or staff canteens have no clue what type of meat they are eating or where it comes from.

The Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee calls on supermarkets, wholesalers and all food outlets to introduce new labels on packs to ensure that consumers know the country of origin of their bacon sandwich and that the animals were well treated.

It acknowledges that some shoppers will still buy the cheapest products but demands that they be given the information on packs.

The committee blames the parlous state of UK pig farming on the decision in 1998 by Tony Blair’s first Labour administration to ban the stall-and-tether system, which confines sows during pregnancy and after giving birth. A similar ban is not due to be introduced throughout the European Union until 2013 and even then farms will be allowed to keep sows in these cramped conditions for four weeks after giving birth.

MPs say that the Government’s pressing ahead with these welfare reforms was “a significant factor” in driving 14,000 farmers out of the pig industry in a decade. There were 25,000 pig farmers and now there are 11,000.

The new welfare reforms have cost farmers some £323 million in investment in new housing for pigs and have added 6.4p a kilogram to production. It says that the Government must never again put UK farmers at such a competitive disadvantage in Europe as a result of unilateral national action.

They also question the commitment of ministers in their support of the domestic pig industry. An audit of shopping trends across Whitehall published before Christmas found that not one rasher of British bacon was served at Downing Street.

MPs call on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to lead by example and to ensure that any imported bacon or pork is reared to UK welfare standards.

They have asked Hilary Benn, the Rural Affairs Secretary, to explain how he intends to achieve this.

The parliamentary findings coincide with a new crusade from Jamie Oliver, the celebrity chef, to educate consumers about the welfare of pigs producing pork, bacon and ham. Jamie Saves Our Bacon is to be shown on Channel 4 on January 29.

The RSPCA, Britain’s biggest animal welfare charity, is also calling for new legal definitions to cover descriptions for pork products.

For even though labels on supermarket packs may state free-range, outdoor-reared or outdoor-bred, the chances are that the piglet has spent more than half of its life indoors. The charity says that shoppers need help to identify bacon, ham and pork that come from once-happy pigs in muck.

Defra supports better labelling but its priority is to introduce “country of origin” labelling. Mr Benn said last week that it was nonsense that a pork pie made in Britain using Danish pigmeat could be labelled British.

However, Jane Kennedy, the Farming Minister, is keen for the industry and supermarkets to agree voluntary definitions to describe pigmeat. She is to meet supermarket chiefs shortly to discuss the plan. Peter Ainsworth, the Conservative rural affairs spokesman, said that consumers would be alarmed by the scale of imported pigmeat in breach of UK welfare regulations.

“What is worse is that this can end up being sold as British,” he said. “Ensuring honest country-of-origin labelling is an immediate step the Government can and must take to improve the fortunes of the pig industry.”

What the categories mean

Organic 2 per cent of UK production. Piglets live in fields with their mother until slaughter

Free-range 3 per cent of UK production. Animals live in fields with their mother until slaughter

Outdoor-reared 18 per cent of UK production. Piglets born outside and live outside for 10-12 weeks. They are then moved into open-sided barns or tents for a further 12-14 weeks for fattening

Outdoor-bred 18 per cent of UK production. Piglets born outside and live outside for 4 weeks. After weaning they are moved into open-sided barns or tents for about three months for fattening

Indoor-reared 59 per cent of UK production. Piglets are brought up on slatted concrete, sometimes covered with straw. They live in groups of 80 to 100 in rooms 8m by 5m and are given toys such as footballs to relieve boredom

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