Jim Berting studied agriculture with a postgraduate year in animal nutrition and genetics. After he completed his postgraduate studies he developed an interest in pig farming and it was fortunate that his studies were well suited to work in this area. Jim’s contribution to the Sweet Pork Company has been to address the connection between genetics and the quality of feed for pigs, the principal secret of the company’s success. Because of the relatively short generational interval in pigs (sows can produce two litters of eight piglets annually), it is possible to make changes to a pig’s genetic makeup rapidly. Breeds that have been experimented with include Hampshire, Wessex and Saddleback.
Berting explains that pigs take on the flavour of the food they’re fed in the last eight weeks of their lives. In Europe, pigs are sometimes kept in an orchard to graze on the fruit for the last few weeks of their lives, as it is said to bring a sweetness to their meat.
The breakdown of fats in Bangalow Sweet Pork’s meat is interesting in comparison to other brands. Mono-unsaturated fat constitutes 53.3 per cent; saturated fat 36.6 per cent; with poly-unsaturated fats making up the rest of the total fat content. Other farmed pork might have a lower total fat content, but of that content a far greater portion is made up of saturated fat, which is more likely to increase blood cholesterol in humans. People need some fat in their diet in order to process the vitamins A, D, E and K, as well as for other vital functions, but an unsaturated fat is better for this purpose as it carries less risk of forming cholesterol deposits in the arteries.
Bangalow Sweet Pork pigs are fed a diet that also enhances omega 3 and omega 6 production – a good thing for the human diet as we need these fats and our bodies don’t produce them.
The intramuscular fat in Bangalow Sweet Pork is marbled throughout the flesh, and it’s this that gives the meat its succulent texture and sweet taste. Cooks should bear in mind that while using this product it’s a good idea to cook the pork meat with all the fat left on it (including the ‘depot’ fat that lies between the skin and muscle) and remove it after cooking. ‘Just because there’s more fat on Sweet Pork doesn’t mean you’re obligated to eat it all,’ Byrne says.
Through nurturing a natural approach, the Sweet Pork Company is farming a product that defies the trend towards non-fat meat products while embracing flavour and healthy fats at the same time.