The Progress Party politician told the national press that Norwegian food had a good reputation, due to the lack of antibiotics used in animals.
However, many have spoken out against Listhaug, claiming international trade could compromise both human health and animal welfare.
Journalists from the Norwegian agriculture magazine Norsk Landbruk Espen Syljuåsen and Øystein Heggdal claimed the Norwegian meat industry was not fit to compete on an international scale, due to its high standards of welfare.
Castration is forbidden unless it is done by a veterinarian with anaesthetic and sows are free to roam and nest when pregnant to allow for natural behaviour.
Furthermore, it has the lowest use of antibiotics in Europe, and a recent study showed that the Danish use 10 times as many antibiotics per kilo in meat as the Norwegians. Additionally, Germany uses 50 times as much as Norway.
Syljuåsen and Heggdal have raised serious concerns on what will happen to the standards if trade is liberalised and Norwegian farmers must compete on an international scale.
Halal controversy
Earlier this year, Listhaug also claimed that Norwegian prisons should continue serving pork, despite the growing Muslim population in the country.
Listhaug told the Norwegian broadcasting service NRK: “We have eaten pork in Norway throughout the years. It would be completely wrong to stop eating pork because there are there are Muslims who have moved to Norway.”
These accusations came after Oslo prison revealed there could be weeks between each time pork is served to its inmates.
The industry showed its support for these views and managing director of the Norwegian meat industry association told NRK: “Our members feel there are many public institutions, nurseries and kitchens in the cities that often neglect pork, due to a small minority.”