All livestock are considered "red meat." Dating of Pork Pork is classed as "livestock" along with veal, lamb and beef. When fresh pork is cooked, it becomes lighter in color, but it is still a red meat. Pork is classified a "red" meat because it contains more myoglobin than chicken or fish. The amount of myoglobin in animal muscles determines the color of meat. One of the proteins in meat, myoglobin, holds the oxygen in the muscle. Oxygen is delivered to muscles by the red cells in the blood. All products claiming to be natural should be accompanied by a brief statement which explains what is meant by the term "natural." Why is pork a "red" meat? Pork Shoulderįigures from the USDA's Economic Research Service show average annual per capita pork consumption for the following selected periods:Īll fresh meat qualifies as "natural." Products labeled "natural" cannot contain any artificial flavor or flavoring, coloring ingredient, chemical preservative or any other artificial or synthetic ingredient and the product and its ingredients are not more than minimally processed (ground, for example). There are four basic (primal) cuts into which pork is separated: shoulder, loin, side and leg. For best flavor and tenderness, meat should have a small amount of marbling. When buying pork, look for cuts with a relatively small amount of fat over the outside and with meat that is firm and a grayish pink color. Pork graded as Utility is mainly used in processed products and is not available in supermarkets for consumers to purchase. It should have a high proportion of lean meat to fat and bone. Pork sold as Acceptable quality pork is the only fresh pork sold in supermarkets. USDA grades for pork reflect only two levels: "Acceptable" grade and "Utility" grade.
Is pork graded?Īlthough inspection is mandatory, its grading for quality is voluntary, and a plant pays to have its pork graded.
#Farm to tables free
The "Passed and Inspected by USDA" seal insures the pork is wholesome and free from disease. Each animal and its internal organs are inspected for signs of disease. How is pork inspected?Īll pork found in retail stores is either USDA inspected for wholesomeness or inspected by state systems which have standards equal to the federal government. No hormones are used in the raising of hogs. Data from this monitoring program have shown a very low percentage of residue violations. This is so residues can exit the animal's system and won't be in the meat.įSIS randomly samples pork at slaughter and tests for residues. A "withdrawal" period is required from the time antibiotics are administered until it is legal to slaughter the animal. Uncured meat is called "fresh pork." Can antibiotics and hormones be used in pork raising?Īntibiotics may be given to prevent or treat disease in hogs. Much of a hog is cured and made into ham, bacon and sausage. Pork is generally produced from young animals (6 to 7 months old) that weigh from 175 to 240 pounds. Pork has continued to be an important part of our diet since that time. In the 19th century - as America urbanized and people began living away from the farm, "salt pork" - pork that is prepared with a high level of salt to preserve it - became the staple food. Hogs were brought to Florida by Hernando de Soto in 1525, and soon was America's most popular meat. However, evidence shows that Stone Age man ate wild boar, the hog's ancestor, and the earliest surviving pork recipe is Chinese, at least 2000 years old.
The domestication of "pigs" (immature hogs) for food dates back to about 7000 B.C. Pork is the meat from hogs, or domestic swine. Read on for more information about this red meat. Today's hogs have much less fat due to improved genetics, breeding and feeding. consumption dropped during the 1970s, largely because pork's high fat content caused health-conscious Americans to choose leaner meats. Although pork is the number one meat consumed in the world, U.S.
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