A Nationwide Audit of the Composition of Pork and Chicken Cuts at Retail

A 1996 nationwide market basket audit of the physical composition and nutrient content of eight pork cuts and four chicken cuts was conducted to determine if differences exist between current cuts and pork cuts of 1989 (USDA Handbook 8-10) or chicken cuts of 1979 (USDA Handbook 8-5). Pork and chicken cuts were purchased from supermarket chains in five United States cities. External fat thickness was measured on pork cuts, and pork and chicken cuts were separated into lean, bone, fat, connective tissue, and skin. Lean, fat, and skin were composited by cut and city and analyzed for fat, protein, cholesterol, and fatty acids. Mean external fat thickness across all pork cuts decreased significantly (P< 0.01) from 1989, from 2.3 to 1.4 mm. Mean percentage of lean from pork cuts increased (P< 0.01), from 75 to 81%. Mean fat and cholesterol contents of lean from 1996 pork cuts were unchanged from 1989 levels (4.8% vs 5.2%; and 62 mg/100 g vs 59 mg/100 g, respectively). Mean yield of lean from bone-in, skin-on chicken cuts was unchanged from 1979. Mean fat content of lean across all chicken cuts increased (P< 0.01) from 3.0 g/100 g in 1979 to 3.9 g/100 g in 1996. Mean cholesterol content of lean from chicken cuts averaged 84 mg/100 g (1996) compared to 69 mg/100 g (1979), differences not significant. Pork fat was composed of 38% saturated/53% unsaturated fatty acids, and chicken fat contained 29% saturated/61% unsaturated fatty acids.