Canada-Wide Survey of the Nutritional Composition of Six Retail Pork Cuts

Abstract

A Canada-wide study was conducted in five metropolitan areas to evaluate the physical and chemical composition of 100 samples of six pork cuts: loin center cut, leg inside round, shoulder butt roast, loin rib-end, tenderloin, and side ribs. The raw and cooked samples were separated into separable fat, separable lean, and refuse. Determinations of proximate composition and cholesterol were made on raw and cooked separable lean and on separable fat. Depending on the identity of the cut, the national mean lipid values ranged from 2.5 to 8.8 g/100 g for raw separable lean and from 3.6 to 11.9 g/100 g for cooked separable lean. A 100 g serving of cooked separable lean meat contained from 162 kcal (675 kJ) to 227 kcal (950 kJ), depending on the nature of the cut. A 100-g portion of edible cooked meat supplied from 171 kcal (715 kJ) to 317 kcal (1328 kJ). The results of this study indicate that, in many instances, the lipid and energy contents of Canadian pork are overestimated if one uses the Canadian Nutrient File or the U.S. tables.