The Composition of Fresh Pork

RRIsoN* Bacon Quality Services Lintited, Industrial Estate, Icknield Way, Tring, Hertfordshire HP23 4JY Recent analytical results for the majol’ constituents of certain cuts of fresh raw pork as used for the production of Wiltshire bacon are presented. The paper highlights the limitations in the use of a single nitrogen factor for the estima- tion of lean meat in evaluating the curing solution content of bacon. Scientific literature contains an abundance of references to the composition of fresh pork. A survey of results was included in a 1971 publication from the British Food Manufacturing Industries Research Associationl. Studies of the literature show that the composition of pork carcase ffesh is variable according to a number of factors, including the anatomical location of the cut, the age and weight of the pig at slaughter, the sex and feeding regime of the animal2,3’4. The natural composition of pork, and in particular the nitrogen or protein content, is used as a basis for estimating the lean raw pork content of meat products and for most practical purposes the natural variability of the pork has been overcome by analysts using agreed common average figures or factors. The