An overwhelming majority of Canadians understand they can't get the H1N1 virus from eating pork, suggests a new poll - notwithstanding concerns of pork producers about the damaging "swine flu" moniker.
The Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey found that 6 per cent of respondents felt they could contract the flu from handling or eating pork, while 90 per cent said there is no such risk.
The poll also found that 87 per cent of respondents say they're eating just as many pork products as before the flu outbreak, with 3 per cent noting a decline in consumption.
"Now that there's more information out there and more science behind the discussion, Canadian consumers appear to be accepting of the product and believe it's safe as it is," Lori Moser, managing director of the Ontario Pork Industry Council, said in an interview Wednesday.
The survey appears to undermine arguments from pork producers, who claim hog prices have been decimated by public reaction to the flu outbreak.
Pig farmers have been battered by a combination of factors this year, including high feed prices, a strong Canadian dollar and the global recession.
Gary Stordy, public relations manager for the Canadian Pork Council, said domestic sales continue to be "sluggish."
"Certainly it is very positive that people understand that H1N1, you cannot get it from eating any kind of meat," said Mr. Stordy.
"But even the slightest change in consumer perception - or consumption - can cause quite a backload in the system."
The Conservative government announced a $75-million bailout for pig farmers last month, partly in the form of loan guarantees for producers anxious to leave the business.
Exports, which drive a large segment of Canada's pork production, still have not recovered from a year-long slump, although most flu-related export restrictions have been lifted, and pork exports are moving again.
In fact, said Mr. Stordy, the dollar value of pork products being sold by Canadian producers roughly matches previous years, a fact he called "surprising" given that overall sales are slow and pork is relatively inexpensive compared with other meats.
He said the council remains concerned about consumer perceptions as the flu season resumes this fall.
"There's a lot of uncertainty as to how this is going to affect people."
The telephone poll of just over 1,000 Canadians was conducted Aug. 20-23 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times in 20.