The nutrient composition of fresh pork was studied in samples from 71 carcasses. On separable lean, nutrient composition was determined for 7 raw retail cuts from one side of each of 11 carcasses, and nutrient retention was determined on the 7 matching cuts from the other side that had been cooked by common household methods. Loins from 60 additional carcasses were analyzed to determine whether USDA grades 1,2, and 3 and region of production affected nutrient composition. The data indicated that variation in nutrient composition of pork is more dependent on the retail cut within the carcass than either the grade or the region of production of the carcass. Cooking method significantly affected retention of most of the nutrients analyzed.

Paired loins from 18 barrow and gilt carcasses were randomly selected to evaluate the effect of marketing on the nutrient composition of fresh pork loins, The paired loin from one side was shipped through a predetermined marketing system, while the control loin was transported immediately back to Beltsville, MD. Rib chops from each loin were analyzed for key nutrients. The overall results from this study indicate that pork loins subjected to extreme marketing conditions have weights, appearance and quality traits and nutritional composition similar to loins shipped from a slaughter plant directly to the research facility. Thus, pork samples handled by a controlled research technique and sampled at the point of slaughter are basically equivalent to what the consumer purchases at the retail level.