# Pork--White Meat or Red
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-white-meat-or-red/190469
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 23, 2003, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-white-meat-or-red/190469 "2003-07-23T19:37:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@chickengrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chickengrrl)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2003, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-white-meat-or-red/190469/1 "2003-07-23T19:37:43Z")
My friend and I have a debate going. He says pork is a red meat and that the whole ‘other white meat’ thing is a marketing scam. I say it’s a white meat because it’s not red when raw, like beef or lamb, it’s more pinkish, closer to chicken. Any help?
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### Author:  [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2003, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-white-meat-or-red/190469/2 "2003-07-23T20:35:50Z")
White meat, I’m pretty sure. I think also it has to with fat and cholesterol content. I don’t think they could call it white meat if it wasn’t. Check FDA or Pork Council site.
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### Author:  [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2003, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-white-meat-or-red/190469/3 "2003-07-23T20:42:54Z")
I was taught lamb, beef and pork were classified as red meat.
> [@](#):
>
> Why is Pork a “Red” Meat?
> Oxygen is delivered to muscles by the red cells in the blood. One of the proteins in meat, myoglobin, holds the oxygen in the muscle. The amount of myoglobin in animal muscles determines the color of meat. Pork is classified a “red” meat because it contains more myoglobin than chicken or fish. When fresh pork is cooked, it becomes lighter in color, but it is still a red meat. Pork is classed as “livestock” along with veal, lamb and beef. All livestock are considered “red meat.”
Taken from [this site](http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/pork.htm).