Pork: The “Other White Meat” That Science Still Calls Red!
For decades, one catchy slogan quietly rewrote America’s understanding of pork: “Pork. The Other White Meat.”
It sounded scientific, healthy, and reassuring — the perfect message for shoppers comparing pork chops to chicken breasts in the grocery store. The phrase became so familiar that millions accepted it as fact. But beneath this famous slogan lies a surprising truth: biologically, nutritionally, and officially, pork is classified as red meat.
The confusion was never really about science. It was about perception. 👀
The Scientific Verdict: Pork Is Red Meat
The answer comes down to a protein called myoglobin.
Myoglobin stores oxygen in muscle tissue and gives meat its color. The more myoglobin present, the “redder” the meat is considered.
Here’s how they compare:
Beef: ~2.0% myoglobin
Pork: ~1.5% myoglobin
Chicken breast: ~0.2% myoglobin
Because pork’s myoglobin levels are much closer to beef than chicken, scientists classify it as red meat. In fact, the USDA officially groups pork alongside beef, lamb, and veal.
Even if your pork chop looks pale after cooking, that doesn’t change its biological classification.
