The study has been accepted and published by the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture (JFSA) Reports.
“With the exception of chorizo for children less than three years old, all pork products have ‘excellent’ protein quality for individuals older than six months of age, with DIAAS (Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score) greater than 100,” the study said.
A team from the University of Illinois studied store-bought pork made from nine pork products — back ribs, tenderloin and shoulder butt, Coppa, prosciutto and speck Italian hams, and chorizo, Italian, and bratwurst sausages.
“Pork proteins can complement proteins with low quality to produce a meal that is adequate in all amino acids,” the report said.
Chorizo fell slightly below the 100 standard sulfur amino acid digestibility for children ages six to 36 months.
Among the nine tested products, prosciutto had the highest score for all ages, while tenderloin and Coppa ham ranked above back ribs, shoulder butt, chorizo, and bratwurst.
Funds from the national pork checkoff fund helped pay for the research.
