On
the heels of a great Harpers article about
the business of pig breeding,
Wired recently ran a piece about the sequencing pig genomes.
Once the process is complete, breeders will be able to determine
which pigs will taste best prior to slaughter as well as which will
have the best yield and be less prone to disease. From there, these
qualities can be built upon and accentuated.The gist of the Harpers piece (which I don"t think is available on-line) is that there"s currently a movement among some of America"s largest pork producers to move back to a less lean, more complexly flavored type of pork. This move away from what the author calls "the chickenifaction of the American pig" is done by introducing stock from pigs (via pig sperm banks) that have not been bred so intensely.
Both are definitely worth a read if you"re interested in the fine tuning of livestock.
[Wired article via The Food Section]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-03-2006 @ 12:17PM
Dmnkly said...
Oh man, here's hoping that this is a trend with staying power. Every time we visit China, I weep for the folks back at home who have never in their lives tasted a good pig. Whoever first decided that lean pork was best should be condemned to subsist on flavorless, dry, leather-tough pork chops for eternity while the rest of us enjoy moist, succulent, fatty swine in all its glory.
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5-03-2006 @ 12:54PM
Sir Not Appearing in this Blog said...
It's like Emeril says: Pork fat RULES! :) I don't often find myself quoting the man, but when he's right, he's right.
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5-03-2006 @ 1:52PM
Mitchell said...
Should we really be "messing" with animals this way? Now, no, I am not a PETA member, yes, I eat meat, but should we be changing the way an animal develops just for a better chop?
When I grow up I would like to have a child that doesn't scream, grows up to be a doctor, doesn't hate me when he/she grows up, ohh and I also want him/her to be perfect in every way.
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5-03-2006 @ 3:33PM
Dmnkly said...
Mitchell...
It hasn't been done by fully sequencing the swinome genome before (sorry), but people have been trying to engineer the perfect beasts (and plants) through selective and creative breeding for centuries. And not just for food purposes... look at show dogs and racehorses.
I mean, I don't mean to suggest you aren't entitled to your opinion (and I suppose you posited a question more than you technically voiced an opinion), but I think it's easy to forget that this practice isn't the least bit new... it's just a matter of using the most modern technology to further a practice that's been perfectly common for ages.
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