Check out these facts that I learned first-hand about pork farming and the pork industry including nutrition facts, how pigs are raised and sustainability!
This post is sponsored by the National Pork Board.
Last month I was invited on a pork tour throughout Mid-Michigan. I bonded with farmers, learned a ton about how pigs are cared for and raised, and even how farmers are working hard to preserve and reuse much of the environment they utilize daily.
Although I have previously attended a pork tour a few years ago, there was still so much to learn about the pork industry.
We visited farms that had pregnant pigs, farrowing pigs (piglets from birth through weaning age of about 3 weeks old), pigs in a nursery (about 42-56 days old), as well as a growing and finishing farm (where pigs grow from 50 pounds to about 280 pounds at market weight).
As a consumer myself, I am very aware of concerns and issues consumers have about where their food comes from, animal welfare and food safety.
And since I have been on two pork tours and still am amazed at the amount of important information that can be learned about this industry, I thought I would write a post regarding just that – facts that I believe would be useful for the consumer to know.
Recommended cooking temperatures have changed for some pork cuts.
Since food safety has greatly improved for the pork industry due to major improvements in modern feeding practices and animal care, whole muscle cuts of pork are safe and provide the best flavor when cooked to 145°F with a 3-minute rest.
Ground pork, however, should still be cooked to 160°F.
Several parts of the pork are lean and heart-healthy.
There are so many delicious ways to cook pork including several lean cuts.
The American Heart Association has even awarded pork tenderloin and pork sirloin roast with the Heart-Check Food certification program.
Pigs stay healthier when they are raised inside and are much safer when held in separate pens.
Pigs are very territorial and once placed together in a pen, they can be very aggressive toward one another over space, food, and water.
Unfortunately, a bill was passed recently in Michigan mandating all pigs to be in group living quarters.
When pregnant and just giving birth, like in the image below, it’s much safer to separate the pigs so they are fed the right amount of food and water and so they don’t literally sit on their piglets.
Pigs are given antibiotics ONLY when necessary for the well-being of the animal.
Antibiotics are NOT allowed in our food system. Several precautions and tests are completed to ensure our food is safe.
There are very strict tests and harsh consequences to any farmer who sends a pig to be harvested with any remaining antibiotic in its body. If this happens, the animal is disposed of properly, NOT processed for human consumption.
The pork industry takes antibiotic use very seriously and has invested in over $6 million in research on antibiotic resistance and antibiotic alternatives since 2000. For more information on pork and antibiotics visit The Pork Checkoff.
Sustainability is a big priority in the pork industry.
Farmers care not only about their livestock but also their environment. Major changes have been made in the past decade to help sustain the environment for future generations.
Through the use of technological advances and research, farmers have found ways to use less land, water and decrease their carbon footprint significantly over the past several years.
As an example, pork farmers reuse manure to fertilize their land for crops or give it to farmers who could use it for their own crops.
As you can see, several hot topics were discussed throughout our tour.
And the overall emphasis was on how the pork industry, including farmers, veterinarians, and National Pork Board employees, can do a better job of informing and educating the public on the pork industry’s standards, values and the overall details about the industry.
I hope this answers some of the questions you may have as a consumer as well as give you a greater insight into the pork industry.
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by the National Pork Board, National Pork Producers Council and Michigan Pork Producers Association. I was compensated for my time but my views and opinions on this post are and will always be my own.
This 5 Things Consumers Should Know About the Pork Industry post first appeared on Chocolate Slopes.
© 2018 Kristy Hegner Disclosure and Privacy Policy