People like to eat. As incomes increase, people will eat more meat because it is a high-quality source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. Globally, pork is the meat of choice. Pork makes up 36% of the world’s meat consumption, followed by poultry (35%) and beef (22%). Currently, net population growth is 78 million people per year and the global middle class is anticipated to rise from 2 billion in 2014 to 4.9 billion by 2030. During 2018, the United States exported 27.4% of the pork produced and is considered the world’s least-cost producer of pork. According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the price of pork exported during 2018 averaged only $1.20/lb, or 5.37 billion pounds valued at $6.392 billion. This is despite a difficult export year due to trade disputes, tariffs, and politics. The year going forward promises to be a banner year for all pork-exporting countries due to high demand in China and southeast Asia resulting from the rampant spread of African swine fever. I am confident the National Pork Board (NPB), National Pork Producers Council, and US Meat Export Federation will continue to regain and expand global market share throughout the world. With all this, the outlook for global meat consumption and US pork exports looks very bright!

Domestically, the pork demand story is quite different. Although the United States eats more meat per capita per year than almost any other country at about 264 lbs, pork (50 lbs/person) ranks third behind beef (56.9 lbs/person) and poultry (108.6 lbs/person). Marketing pork in a developed country is not just about being safe, nutritious, and affordable; but may also be about our carbon footprint, animal welfare, and transparency. Our consumers want choice and the free market will dictate the direction of those choices. A few opportunities for swine veterinarians to help advocate and advance our domestic pork sales include pork quality, pork labeling, and promoting facts and being transparent to slow the plant-based “meat” trend.

Pork quality – degree of doneness

Often the difference between a great pork eating experience and a poor pork eating experience is to not overcook pork. Way back in 2011, the USDA changed the recommended end-point cooking temperature for whole muscle pork cuts from 160° F (well-done degree of doneness) to 145° F (medium-rare) with a 3-minute rest, yet this is a relatively unknown fact to the average consumer. According to Jarrod Sutton (oral communication, 2018), NPB’s Vice President of Domestic Marketing, an online Pork Checkoff funded survey of 1816 US adults revealed that 69% of consumers are currently over-cooking their pork, targeting well-done or medium-well temperatures. Only 10% of consumers target medium-rare temperatures. Messaging that pork should be cooked to a medium or medium-rare temperature with a moist and slightly rosy center is effective in convincing 54% of consumers to try a lower temperature. The difference in taste, tenderness, and juiciness is dramatic, especially in loins with minimal marbling. Sharing this message at a grass roots level (eg, Operation Main Street) whenever the opportunity presents itself can be one of the most simple and impactful ways to promote pork!

Pork labels

Another opportunity and pet peeve of mine is misinformation and confusing food labels on pork products in grocery stores. During a recent perusal of my local grocery store’s meat counter, a label read “All-Natural Premium Pork, Two Thick Loin Chops, No Antibiotics or Hormones, Humanely and Locally Raised, Vegetarian Fed.” What I liked about the label was that a local farmer had found a niche market for his pork chops at $7.89/lb. What I did not appreciate was the insinuation that other pork in the meat case may contain antibiotics (no pork, beef, or poultry does of course) or hormones. If a “no hormones” claim is made, the USDA would require the label to also state “Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in pork.” Lastly, the cooking instructions on the back label indicated to “heat to 160° F or desired doneness.” This prompted me to have a polite but firm discussion on mislabeling with the meat department manager on proper pork cooking temperatures and labeling.

Plant-based diets

There was a 600% (1% to 6%) increase in people identifying as vegan (ie, no animal protein) in the United States from 2014 to 2017 according to a report by Global Data.1 A larger number of people consider themselves to be vegetarian (eg, my daughter and my barber) or follow a vegetarian-inclined diet. Plant-based eating may not be entirely mainstream yet. But it seems to be more accepted every day, with millennials as the central drivers. Burger King is rolling out the Impossible Whopper across the United States this year as a meatless burger alternative to try to win over vegetarian customers. Beyond Meat, the purveyor of plant-based burgers and sausages, made its stock market debut in April. Vegetarians often cite environmental concerns and animal welfare as reasons for their food choices.2

Everyone has a right to their own convictions and food choices. As swine veterinarians, we need to better address and promote scientific facts to the public and continue to reduce our carbon footprint, fund animal welfare research, and be open, vocal, and transparent on the good job we do raising pigs. The facts are that the swine industry has reduced water use by 41% and land use per pig marketed by 78% since 1960. Greenhouse gases from swine production are only 0.4% of total emissions, with 29% coming from transportation and 28% from electricity.3 Can we do better? Yes, we must. For example, Smithfield, the world’s largest hog producer, has committed to a 25% reduction in their carbon footprint by 2025 through “manure-to-energy” projects designed to capture methane from manure to make clean renewable natural gas.4

Let’s all do our part and continue to be advocates for pork and all of agriculture at every opportunity to help put more pork on our fork.

Nathan Winkelman, DVM
AASV President

References

*1. Global Data. Top trends in prepared foods 2017: Exploring trends in meat, fish and seafood; pasta noodles and rice; prepared meals; savory deli food; soup; and meat substitutes. New York, NY: Global Trends; 2017.

*2. Vegetarian Times editors. Vegetarianism in America. Vegetariantimes.com. https://www.vegetariantimes.com/uncategorized/vegetarianism-in-america. Published May 10, 2017. Accessed May 7, 2019.

*3. US Environmental Protection Agency. Inventory of US greenhouse gas emissions and sinks:1990-2017. https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019-04/documents/us-ghg-inventory-2019-main-text.pdf. EPA430-R-19-001. Published April 11, 2019. Accessed May 7, 2019.

*4. Smithfield’s Westerbeek recognized for leadership in renewable energy. National Hog Farmer Web site. https://www.nationalhogfarmer.com/business/smithfields-westerbeek-recognized-leadership-renewable-energy. Published May 15, 2019. Accessed May 17, 2019.

* Non-refereed references.