8 US Pork Chop Brands to AVOID (And 4 That Are Actually Real Pork!)

If you're old enough to remember a pork chop with a thick rim of fat around the edge — one that browned in the pan and was juicy without any help — you've probably noticed the pork chop has changed. Some are pale and dry no matter how you cook them. Others are wet, springy, almost like ham. You're not imagining it. Either of it. In 1987, pork was rebranded as "The Other White Meat" and bred to be leaner. Fat is what kept it juicy. So a lot of fresh pork is now injected with a solution of water, salt and sodium phosphate — which the USDA's own food safety pages say can add flavor and moisture to "leaner meats." And in research published for the pork industry, a trained tasting panel scored "processed meat-like bite" on a scale where a plain pork chop is 0 and Spam is 15. Commercially available flavored, injected pork loins scored between 6 and 12. The Meat Exposed Shopping Guide breaks down what to check, what it means, and what to buy instead. In this investigation: how to read an injected pork label, what Hormel's own product listing says its marinade is for, why the USDA refused to require the word "enhanced," what's in store-brand pork chops, the leanness drug banned or restricted in around 160 countries, why "fresh" pork can carry far more sodium than you'd expect, and the industry's own measurements of how injected pork eats. Then four ways to get real pork — including a cooking change the USDA made in 2011 that almost nobody heard about. Why are pork chops so dry now? Why do they taste like ham? This video answers both. Sources: USDA FSIS "Water in Meat & Poultry," Federal Register final rule on raw meat and poultry products containing added solutions (December 31, 2014), Pork Information Gateway enhanced pork research, Hormel Foods product listing, USDA pork cooking guidance (May 2011), National Pork Board, industry trade press on ractopamine, federal court settlement records. Disclaimer: For general consumer awareness and educational purposes only, not medical or dietary advice. Pork with added solutions is legal and must be labeled. Ractopamine is FDA-approved, and several major U.S. processors have stated they no longer accept ractopamine-fed hogs. Sodium figures are taken from a manufacturer's published nutrition panel and vary by product. Industry sensory research reflects specific study conditions. Smithfield Foods' farming and processing operations are located in the United States. Always check the current label, and follow your doctor's advice on sodium. #PorkChops #Pork #FoodLabels #GroceryShopping #FoodInvestigation why are pork chops so dry,pork chops taste like ham,enhanced pork,pork solution added,sodium phosphate pork,pork chop brands to avoid,best pork chops to buy,hormel always tender,smithfield pork,ractopamine pork,pork cooking temperature,145 degrees pork,other white meat,heritage pork,berkshire pork,bone in pork chops,pork sodium content,injected pork,deep basted pork,pork label explained,food investigation,grocery brands to avoid,why pork is dry,pork tenderloin brands