I have been responsible for managing and conducting the National Retail Benchmarking Audit for the National Pork Board for more than a decade. This audit is conducted every three years to quantify the quality and consistency of fresh pork loins in the retail meat case along with numerous other factors. The concept was first introduced as a means of quantifying the metrics at the consumer level after all processing and distribution, instead of traditional measurements taken in a processing plant or laboratory facility at a fixed time.
While the U.S. pork industry does export loins into key foreign markets such as Japan, a significant number of loins from domestic production end up in retail programs nationwide as whole loins, chops and other items such as pre-seasoned or ready-to-eat (RTE). But once the industry allocates the top tier of loins to export markets or premium brands and labeling, the remainder is left for the domestic market.
Enter the benchmark study — collecting data after sorts have been made for exports, foodservice,
premium programs, etc., and analyzing for point-of-sale quality metrics.
Nationally, 30 retailer brands in 16 market areas were selected for the summer 2022 benchmark audit. The research team gathered all case information and evaluated fresh pork metrics ‘in-store’. Then, we purchased center cut loin chops from every brand for meat quality measurements under controlled conditions in a meat evaluation lab set up in every market. These metrics included pork palatability factors like color, marbling, cook loss and tenderness. The dataset includes thousands of loin chops collected every audit.
Here’s the napkin math of how many pork loins are available:
In 2023, it is forecasted that we will harvest approximately 125 million market hogs in the U.S. If you take into account that a loin weighs approximately 10 lb., and our loin exports are 50%, that puts approximately 1.2 billion lb. of loin in the domestic market!
The 2022 study results indicate there has been significant improvement in fresh pork consistency in the retail meat case, especially in comparison to the 2018 results. Pork color consistency has improved significantly while marbling has remained very similar over time. Pork tenderness values and the associated cook loss have also improved significantly over time.
Significant investments have been made by pork producers, genetic companies, packers, cold chain partners and retailers to deliver better eating experiences to consumers. Although we can’t bring every domestic consumer through the supply chain, we can showcase our progress through consistent, safe and quality pork products at retail.
This work will continue to be producer-led, and the value-adding results will be shared throughout the year. The benchmark audit was funded by the Pork Checkoff and the next audit is scheduled to take place in 2025.
More from Farm Journal’s PORK:
Variety Meats: Unsung Hero of U.S. Pork Exports in 2022
U.S. Pork Trade Value: $61.26 Added to the Value of Each Hog Marketed
