Pork consumption reached an all time high this year of 20.8 kilograms per capita, an increase of 8.6 per cent over the previous year, and demand for pork has grown by 21 per cent in the last three years, according to the New Zealand Pork Industry Board.

The growth is in sharp contrast to other meats such as chicken that has recently seen a decline.

Sam McIvor, chief executive of the board, told AP-Foodtechnology.com: "There has been a major increase in sausage consumption in the last few years, and we now have a gourmet sausage industry."

"But much of the demand is coming from the way pork is presented in convenient, smaller portions."Ham, bacon and other deli foods such as sausage rolls are proving popular with New Zealand's consumers, although McIvor admitted that the industry does not have any detailed figures on consumption of different types of pork products.

The industry has also worked to position pork as a healthy option, offering lean meat under the TrimPork label that carries the Heart Foundation's tick of approval.

It is also developing new products such as the recently launched Apple Tender brand - pork that has apple juice pumped into it before it leaves the factory to make the meat more tender.

New Zealand is however increasingly importing pork - around 35,000 tonnes currently, not far behind the 50,000 tonnes produced domestically - and this could be affecting pricing of products like bacon in the consumer's favour, admitted McIvor.

Red meats like beef and lamb have been significantly more expensive than pork in recent years.