# Is pork served pink safe to eat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 7, 2007, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pork-served-pink-safe-to-eat/391252 "2007-02-07T19:50:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blamejayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a8b319/32.png) [@blamejayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blamejayne)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pork-served-pink-safe-to-eat/391252/1 "2007-02-07T19:50:04Z")
Two years ago at a premium resturant in Union Square, NY, I was served pork tenderloin with a very pink, medium-rare center. Since I have always been told to never eat pink pork I sent it back and upset the cook and never ordered pork again. Yesterday, at Costco, they are selling precooked pork tenderloin with pink centers. When I mentioned to my companion they could be spreading deadly trichinosis he had no idea what I was talking about. Granted, I am 20 years older, but I thought everyone knew not to eat pink pork. My polling has demonstrated people under 35 never heard of this. What’s going on? Is the dreaded trichinosis eliminated? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pork-served-pink-safe-to-eat/391252/2 "2007-02-07T19:56:10Z")
[QUOTE=blamejayne] Two years ago at a premium resturant in Union Square, NY, I was served pork tenderloin with a very pink, medium-rare center. Since I have always been told to never eat pink pork I sent it back and upset the cook and never ordered pork again. Yesterday, at Costco, they are selling precooked pork tenderloin with pink centers. When I mentioned to my companion they could be spreading deadly trichinosis he had no idea what I was talking about. Granted, I am 20 years older, but I thought everyone knew not to eat pink pork. My polling has demonstrated people under 35 never heard of this. What’s going on? Is the dreaded trichinosis eliminated? [/QUOTE] Trichinosis is killed off at 137F. I usually cook my pork roasts to about 150F, which leaves them fairly pink in the center. [Cite on trichinosis and temperatures.](http://new.cbbqa.com/articles/Food-Safety/Trichinosis.html) Pork that is not somewhat pink in the center is usually well overdone for my tastes. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pork-served-pink-safe-to-eat/391252/3 "2007-02-07T19:59:34Z")
Trichinosis is not considered a realistic threat in US pork at this time. So feel free to enjoy pork that’s tender and juicy and flavorful, and not shoe leather. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pork-served-pink-safe-to-eat/391252/4 "2007-02-07T20:00:17Z")
I thought the same thing over Christmas break when I ordered pork chops at a nicer restaurant and the centers were pink. However, doing a lot of paranoid research on the internet later that day led me to the conclusion that trichinosis from eating rare pork was pretty much a thing of the past and I needn’t be worried. (I would have preferred them to be cooked all the way through though) ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pork-served-pink-safe-to-eat/391252/5 "2007-02-07T20:00:56Z")
In the US is it has been largely eliminated from the main stream food supply. Most of the cases around 10 to 20 per year come from undercooked animals taken by hunters. Some come from farms where the meat was processed directly at the farm. > **[Trichinosis Surveillance, United States, 1986](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwR/preview/mmwrhtml/00001752.htm)** > **[Trichinosis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichinosis)** > > Trichinosis, also known as trichinellosis, is a parasitic disease caused by roundworms of the Trichinella genus. During the initial infection, invasion of the intestines can result in diarrhea, abdominal pain, and vomiting. Migration of larvae to muscle, which occurs about a week after being infected, can cause swelling of the face, inflammation of the whites of the eyes, fever, muscle pains, and a rash. Minor infection may be without symptoms. Complications may include inflammation o Trichinosi... > [@](#): > > Infection was once very common, but is now quite rare in the developed world. From 1991 to 1996, an annual average of 12 cases per year were reported in the United States. The number of cases has decreased because of legislation prohibiting the feeding of raw meat garbage to hogs, increased commercial and home freezing of pork, and the public awareness of the danger of eating raw or undercooked pork products. Today, one of the primary causes of trichinosis in America is the consumption of raw or undercooked wild game meats. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pork-served-pink-safe-to-eat/391252/6 "2007-02-07T21:02:43Z")
One more data point. Pork that has been smoked will be pink regardless of the amount of cooking. This is the smoke ring that real wood smoke will impart to the meat. I cooked a pork tenderloin to 140F once just to see. It looked like a steak cooked blue rare. :eek: I cook my pork to 150 and then let it rest under a foil tent for 20 minutes or so. Perfectly done. ---
**Author:** ![johnsonlnl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee59a6/32.png) [@johnsonlnl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnsonlnl)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pork-served-pink-safe-to-eat/391252/7 "2007-02-07T22:00:43Z")
I don’t have anything really new to say. However, I am ‘in the business’ where pork is concerned, and 150 degrees with a pinkish center is about perfect. Trichinosis in a commercially raised pig is virtually unheard now. You’ll enjoy your pork much more if you don’t overcook it. Modern pork is so much leaner that overcooking makes it tough fast. ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pork-served-pink-safe-to-eat/391252/8 "2007-02-07T22:10:48Z")
…Or if you happen to be a genius back to nature sort and decide it’s a good idea to eat (RAW!) the cougar that you just shot. Guy wound up with trichinosis. :eek: :smack: I’ll take the oinker over the kitty, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pork-served-pink-safe-to-eat/391252/9 "2007-02-08T05:39:59Z")
[slight hijack]Irony of all ironies: is it true that one of Justin Wilson’s wives died of trichinosis?[/slight hijack] I have eaten pork cooked to 145 or so, definitely pink, though presumably safe, but I just didn’t enjoy the taste. Most recently, a pork loin removed from the oven at 155 (don’t know if the core temp increased much during resting), was damn near perfect to my taste, and was slightly pink in the center 1/3 or so. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pork-served-pink-safe-to-eat/391252/10 "2007-02-08T09:50:21Z")
The great Alton Brown talked about this on one of his shows. He basically said the same things. That up until the early 60s or so a lot of commercial farmers still often fed their pigs, um, garbage. Agro-science has increased tremendously since then. Commercially raised animals eat better than some third world peoples now. The danger from rare pork is essentially zero today. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pork-served-pink-safe-to-eat/391252/11 "2007-02-08T10:11:06Z")
[QUOTE=Hail Ants] The great Alton Brown talked about this on one of his shows. He basically said the same things. That up until the early 60s or so a lot of commercial farmers still often fed their pigs, um, garbage. Agro-science has increased tremendously since then. Commercially raised animals eat better than some third world peoples now. The danger from rare pork is essentially zero today. [/QUOTE] Hell, commercially raised animals eat better than some American college students I’ve known. I’ll bet money that you won’t find many pigs or cows having to live on Ramen 🙂 There is an animal nutrition professor at Texas A&M who, on the first day of class, brings several sacks of animal feed with him. He talks about how you can go to the Co-Op in Bryan, and buy enough food to feed you for a month for about $10. 🆒 He then takes a handful of cowfeed and pours it in his mouth. 😛 And then looks around, mumbling something about forgetting to bring his coffee. 😃 I’ve asked around, and he does this on the first day of pretty much every section of Animal Nutrition that he teaches. It’s freaking hilarious. There’s like, 2 minutes where nothing happens in the class cause he has to finish choking down the feed before he can talk again.