Everybody loves pork it seems, after all it is the most consumed meat in the world. Pork is used in the production of ham, bacon, and sausage so it is easy to see why it is so sought after. However, it seems to be one of then most disliked meats as well.
In some religions, eating pork is prohibited. The teachings of the Jewish and Islamic religions say that pork as a food is taboo.
Besides this, the critique is mainly on the welfare of the pigs as some consider the conditions that they live in to be harsh and dirty.
In light of this, here are some 4 common myths about pigs and pork that people have.
Myth #1: Pigs are dirty
Contrary to popular belief, Pigs actually love being clean. According to the National geographic, pigs roll around in mud to cool off, it also protects them from the sun. There are faeces on the barns that pigs in live, but that waste is collected as they fall through grates and is used for fertilizer.
Pig farms are careful about germs as they do not want transfer of diseases. They require you to sanitize fully before entry.
Myth #2: Pork is high in fat and unhealthy
Cuts of pork like the pork chops, loin and tenderloins are some of the healthiest cuts. Similar to skinless chicken breast, a pork tenderloin has about the same amount of fat content. Also, a pork tenderloin has even less calories than the skinless chicken breast. However, definitely cooking with extra ingredients would result in higher calories.
Myth #3: Pork is the only meat that may contain the Trichinosis parasite
Trichinosis is a food-borne disease caused by a microscopic parasite called Trichinella. People can get this disease by eating raw or undercooked meat from animals such as pigs, bears, or wild game infected with the parasite. Given that standards of feeding and rearing in pork production has gotten better, trichinosis is rare in the meat. In any case, if the parasite was present in the meat, the recommended cooking temperature of pork at 63 °C would kill it.
Myth #4: It is not safe for Children and the Elderly
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False. Pork is tender and easy to cook, so it provides an easy chewing and digestion process suitable for everyone, including infants from 6 months, children, adolescents, pregnant women, young people, adults and seniors.
