Pork

Studies in people

• No harm found

  Heart health²

  Some studies in people found eating pork did not affect blood fats linked to heart risk.

• Concern

  Undercooked meat infection risk³

  Scientists found that eating undercooked pork from Punjab can sometimes pass a tapeworm parasite to people.

Study type not stated

• Open question

  Sustainable diets worldwide⁴

  Pork is the most eaten meat and gives protein, but scientists are still working out how it fits into sustainable diets.

• Concern

  Kidney and liver health⁵

  Ochratoxin A can show up in pork, especially in blood, kidney and liver products, from contaminated pig feed.

• Open question

  Small peptides in cured meat⁶

  In dry-cured pork, some small peptides may have health benefits, but little is known about them.

• Concern

  Foodborne illness risk⁷

  Eating raw or undercooked pork can cause trichinellosis, an illness linked to Trichinella spiralis in pigs.

• Concern

  Foodborne virus risk⁸

  Hepatitis E virus was found in some pork liver pâtés and raw dried hams sold in Belgian supermarkets.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least two findings in people. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.