FAQ's


Is pork fattier than beef?
Pork, like beef, has very lean and also fattier parts. A schnitzel or pork steak for example is lean. A belly pork slice falls into the category of fattier products. A rump steak is lean; marbled shoulder beef steak is slightly more fatty.
That’s why it’s sensible to alternate leaner and slightly fattier types of meat. You can cut the rind of fat off if necessary after cooking the meat. The fat ensures the meat remains tender and tasty, and you need less cooking fat.
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Is pork more or less healthy than beef?
There is no really unhealthy food; it’s a question of having adequate variety and not eating too much of any one thing. Pork and beef both contain valuable nutrients such as iron, zinc, minerals and vitamins.
And: meat is simply delicious.
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Why must some beef products roast or stew for such a long time?
Meat that contains a lot of connective tissue requires longer cooking times. Meat that comes from parts that move less such as tenderloin or sirloin steak is softer than meat that contains a lot of connective tissue. Connective tissue is found in parts of the animal that move a great deal such as the neck. This meat has a lot of taste but takes longer before it is cooked through. Cooking however is very straightforward. And you don’t have to stay by the cooker, as you do with rump steak.
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Why do some beef products need to fry / roast for such a short time?
Beef that contains only a small amount of connective tissue – for example rump steak – is tender so needs only to be cooked for a short amount of time. This meat is tastiest when the inside is pink or even red. It depends on your personal taste. Don’t however fry it for too long, as it then becomes dry and tough.
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Why does the packaging state that we need to properly heat pork?
A great deal of attention is paid to hygiene during pork production in the meat industry, and at the butcher's and supermarket. But bacteria are everywhere around us and they prefer fresh products.
A fresh product such as pork therefore always contains bacteria. That is not a bad thing, as long as there are not too many of them. Hygiene and good storage is therefore also very important in your home. The following applies for pork: heat properly.
This recommendation 'heat properly' has been chosen consciously. With chicken 'heat thoroughly' is the recommendation. Particularly tender and lean cuts of pork (such as tenderloin, loin roast and fillet) can be served still slightly pink in the middle. For other cuts of pork and for all minced products (such as ground pork, roulades, fresh sausage) ‘heat properly’ does actually mean heat thoroughly.
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Is the meat in the supermarket from male or female pigs?
It can be from both; there are just as many male pigs (boars) as females (gilts). In addition there is a further third category; barrows. These are castrated boars
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Is pork from VION Food Netherlands derived from castrated animals?
If pig farmers do not castrate their boars, the meat can produce a very unpleasant odour and taste as soon as it has been cooked (the so-called 'boar odour'). The risk of this 'boar odour' is small, but supermarkets and butchers do not wish to take the risk of selling this meat. For this reason VION Food Netherlands sells pork from castrated animals.
At the end of 2007 the Dutch meat sector and the supermarket organisations developed a plan that by 1 January 2009 only fresh pork from animals castrated under anaesthetic would be sold.
VION Food Group attaches great importance to the proper care of animals and takes into account the public's concerns about this. VION Food Group has been actively and closely involved in the search for solutions to the castration problem. VION Food Group supplies  from January 2009 pork from animals castrated under anaesthetic.
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What is the difference in taste?
There is no real difference in taste. It can generally be said that a gilt can be slightly fatter than a boar or barrow. However other things such as feed, age and breed also play a part in this.
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Why is meat important?
In addition to the fact that many people find meat delicious, meat also contains valuable nutrients. The human body needs these nutrients to be able to function properly. Important nutrients found in meat include: fats, proteins, vitamins B1, B6 and B12, and iron and zinc.
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What is the difference between cow's meat and bull's meat?
A bull is usually specially bred for its meat. The meat has a good colour and is leaner than that of a cow. Because the bulls are kept specially for their meat, the meat quality is fairly consistent. Meat from (dairy) cows varies more widely in quality because age, breed and feed are more varied than for bulls. On average female beef has a finer meat grain than that of bulls.
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What is the difference between a Belgian Blue and a Dutch cow?
A Belgian Blue is a meat breed and not suitable for milk production.
The Dutch cow is well-known as a real dairy cow.
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What is the difference between bull's meat and ox's meat?
Meat from the ox is slightly fattier than that from a bull. As a result the meat has more taste. Meat that contains more fat also stays more tender in cooking and requires less cooking fat.
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What is intramuscular fat?
These are small fatty traces that run throughout the meat. These disappear in cooking. Intramuscular fat ensures that the meat is extra tender and tasty.
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Why do we eat veal? Why do we not allow calves to grow up into adult cows?
In dairy farming cows calve regularly in order to continue to be able to produce milk. The calves are both male and female. Only the female calves can be utilised in dairy farming. The male calves are brought up to weight by specialist businesses. They are then processed into veal by the calf abattoir.
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Is pork healthy?
Pork contains a lot of valuable nutrients that people need. So pork is a healthy food.
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How much meat should a person eat to get enough nutrients?
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends daily consumption of 100 g meat (weight before cooking).
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Does pork contain harmful substances?
No. In the VION production chain we operate strict controls for this. Pork actually contains very important nutrients. That is why it is such a valuable food.
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Does pork contain hormones?
Hormones are found naturally in all living beings. This includes people and plants. We need them to be able to function. This question is about banned substances, growth-promoting hormones. These are not found in pork. That is a great misconception.
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Does port contain saturated fat?
Yes Animal products contain fat. Part of this is saturated and part is unsaturated. 60% of the fat in pork is unsaturated.
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Is pork bad for my cholesterol level?
Pork contains on average only 60 mg cholesterol per 100 g uncooked meat. Nutritionists recommend a maximum of 300 mg per day. Eating pork then presents no problem at all for cholesterol levels. Only offal or processed meat products contain more cholesterol. Anyone who seriously wants to or has to reduce their cholesterol level would be best to choose lean pork.
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Does pork give you spots?
Young people around the age of puberty have the most problem with spots (acne). Everyone would prefer to avoid them. It’s a common misconception that pork causes spots. It has never been scientifically proven. Neither has any link been proven for the other things that are often blamed, such as chocolate and chips.
Spots occur when the skin produces more sebum due to hormonal changes. That's why they occur during puberty. When pores become blocked sebum builds up under the skin and a spot forms. It has nothing to do with food.
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Does pork contain salmonella?
Pork can contain salmonella. Salmonella occurs naturally. Salmonella in meat needn’t be a problem. It becomes completely harmless when the meat is heated through properly. It is thus a question of preparing the meat so it is well-done. As a precaution the Dutch pig sector tries to prevent salmonella in meat. The sector has developed a special long-term plan to tackle this.
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Do the Dutch eat too much meat?
No. Dutch people eat on average 108 g meat a day. That's almost exactly the amount recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre (100 g).
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Am I at greater risk of cardiovascular disease by getting too much saturated fat from pork?
This is a common misconception. Pork contains valuable nutrients Provided you follow the healthy eating guidelines of the Netherlands Nutrition Centre and eat 100 g pork a day you are taking good care of yourself.
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Can you get an allergy from pork?
Some people are more sensitive to certain substances than others. There is no evidence that pork causes more or more frequent allergic reactions.
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I am allergic to pork. Is pork unhealthy?
There are all kinds of substances in every food. One person may be susceptible to some, another not. There are also people with an allergy to nuts or to wheat. But that doesn’t then make nuts or wheat unhealthy. The same also applies in respect of pork. If you are allergic to a substance that occurs in pork, then you mustn’t eat it.
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Is organic pork healthier?
That cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. No proper large-scale studies have as yet been carried out. It is sometimes claimed that children who eat organic food suffer fewer allergies. But research has never proved this. It is clear that many other factors play a role in allergies.
No growth substances are used in either organic or conventional pig farming. Therefore there is no difference.
Pork contains essential nutrients. Proper checks ensure that the quality is good. One consumer may choose normal pork, another organic. VION therefore offers both.
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Is organic pork tastier?
The difference between normal pork and organic pork lies mainly in the pigs' housing and organic feed. Differences in taste in the meat cannot really be demonstrated.
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How should you defrost frozen meat?
Defrosting is best done in the refrigerator by taking the meat out of the freezer the evening before. You must not refreeze defrosted meat. This is bad for the meat’s quality and hygiene.
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How do you indicate how well cooked steak is?
Steak can be eaten almost raw, or thoroughly cooked, or anywhere in between. It depends on your personal preference.

French

English

Dutch

 Bleu

 Raw

 Rauw

 Saignant

 Rare

Red

Rosé

Medium

 Rosé/ half doorbakken

A-point

Well done

Doorbakken

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What is the difference between rump steak and baby-top?
There are different types of steak. Fillet steak is the most tender, followed by baby-top. Baby-top is cut from the thick part in the topside or rear of the animal. Because of its shape it also called 'round' steak.
'Normal' steak is cut from soft and lean pieces of meat from the rump of the cow. Compared with fillet steak and baby-top it is a little less tender. All steaks are tasty. 
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Is pork fattier than chicken meat?
Many people think that, but it is not always true. Recent American research has even shown that tenderloin pork has less fat than skinless chicken. That used to be different. The last research by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) was carried out in 1991. Compared with that research, pork now has on average 16% less fat. The proportion of saturated fat has even decreased by 27%! This change has been brought about by improved feeds and breeding methods. 
Moreover, this study also showed that there has been an increase in essential building materials such as vitamin B6 and niacin (niacin is one of the forms of vitamin B3. It promotes good blood circulation and is good for cholesterol levels).
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