Nutritional value

Pork is an important food. It contains a lot of nutrients that people need. One of the most important of these is protein. The protein in pork is very similar to human protein. So the human body can use this protein almost completely. A 100 g portion of pork contains about 20 g of protein, and provides about 30% of a person’s daily protein requirement. It is important that one eats a varied diet.

Vitamins, iron, minerals
Pork is rich in B vitamins, such as B1, B6 and B12. It also contains haematic iron which is easily absorbed by the body. Finally, pork is an important source of zinc, selenium and vitamin D.
B vitamins are essential to many processes in the human body. Vitamin B12, for instance, plays a part in the development of children's brains. A shortage of vitamin B12 can cause anaemia. Vitamin B12 also interacts with folic acid to prevent cardio-vascular disease.
Haemoglobin contains iron. It helps in the transport of oxygen around the body. Shortage of iron can cause anaemia, reduce performance and lead to tiredness. The body is able to absorb haematic iron from meat more easily than it can from plant products.
Pork contains relatively high levels of zinc. This mineral is needed to build protein and therefore for tissue growth and regeneration. It also helps build up and break down carbohydrates. Zinc is part of the hormone insulin and helps keep our immune system working well. Zinc enhances resistance to disease and reduces the risk of infections. Just like iron, zinc is absorbed by the body more easily from meat than from plant products.

Fats
Fats supply the body with energy. They also help us regulate our body temperature. So fats are essential. But in order to stay healthy we need to keep an eye on how much fat we eat.

Saturated and unsaturated fats
Fats are made up of saturated and unsaturated fats. Saturated fats increase cholesterol levels in the blood. Unsaturated fats, on the other hand, have been found to reduce cholesterol levels. Unsaturated fats account for more than half of the total quantity of fat in many kinds of meat. Despite this, the most important advice is still to eat less fat. So it is important that we regularly alternate meats with a higher fat content with leaner sorts.

From fat to very lean
We recognise five categories of pork based on fat content: very lean, lean, average fat, high fat and very high fat This is based on the average amount of fat in 100 g uncooked meat.
Very lean are: loin roast, fillet, pork steaks, liver, stir-fry pork, pork oyster, schnitzel (natural uncoated).
Lean are: loin steaks, loin chops, rib chops, shoulder steaks.
Average fat are: ground pork, pork knuckle, spareribs, shoulder chop.
High fat are: belly pork slices, sausages and roulades.
Fat bacon comes into the category of very high fat.
See products for the nutritional values of each product.

Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a fatty substance which the body can use in small amounts. Until recently, scientists believed that cholesterol in food had an adverse effect on cholesterol levels in our blood. However, research has shown that cholesterol in food only has a minor effect. Food that contains no more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol is therefore good food.