M E AT P E R S P E C T I V E S PORK QUALITY BASICS 48 MEAT+ POULTRY | 12.20 | www.meatpoultry.com fahrwasser - stock.adobe.com Without question, juiciness has been a primary driver for pork palatability compared to tenderness and flavor. Pork's issue with juiciness (or a lack thereof) is rooted in the long-held fear that pork was contaminated with Trichinella spiralis, a parasite which led people to cook pork to an advanced degree of doneness to ensure that it would be destroyed. Today's modern pork production includes confinement operations with excellent biosecurity measures in place preventing the exposure to this parasite, thereby, this concern has virtually been eliminated. As a Commercial pork result, USDA's cooking for internal production today guidelines temperatures for pork is a big business. were updated several years ago to recommend that pork chops, steaks and roasts be cooked to 145°F with a 3-minute resting time. These guidelines assure consumers that pork products will be safe to eat, and following this recommendation results in much juicier meat than when pork is cooked to a higher degree of doneness. As with all cooking recommendations, consumers should use a thermometer to measure product temperature rather than relying on product color as a sign for safety, especially since the pork may still have a slightly pink-colored center. Proper cooking is not the only factor affecting pork juiciness. Pork's relationship with how juicy it will behttp://ftiinc.org/tumblerb http://ftiinc.org http://ftiinc.org/tumblerb