Quality Based Pork Grading System Would Benefit Canada's Market

Canada Pork International (CPI) says creation of a pork quality based grading system, modeled after what already exists in the beef industry, will ensure the right product is selected for right market and give Canadian pork an edge with international buyers.

 

Canada is a leader in the export pork world, accounting for about 17 percent of all global pork exports. In partnership with Swine Innovation Porc, CPI is working on the development of new tools designed to improve Canada's competitiveness in the global pork market.

 

Michael Young, Vice President Technical Programs and Marketing Services with CPI, recalls 2012 saw the creation of a Canadian Pork Quality Standard, which includes standards for meat color, marbling ratios and fat color and the next step will be to develop a quality based grading system that would reduce inconsistencies in quality selection and move the right product into the right market.

 

“Fundamentally what we're seeing is the segments now are becoming a little more pronounced”, stated Young. “Further processors want lean products that don't have as much marbling so to speak. Retailers would like something that has a little more marbling so that there's more flavor and the food service operators, of course, they would like more heavily marbled products because that's where the flavor is.

 

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