When COVID-19 infections forced pork companies to close processing plants, some farmers predicted that it would force them to euthanize millions of hogs. The actual number has been much lower.
Tyson Foods is halting work at a processing site in Waterloo, Iowa, because people have tested positive for the virus. Other plants also have closed, cutting U.S. pork production by about a quarter.
Smithfield Foods didn't want to stop slaughtering hogs at its Sioux Falls pork plant, even after hundreds of workers got sick with the coronavirus. Then the city's mayor forced the company's hand.
A Smithfield Foods plant in South Dakota that produces 4% to 5% of the nation's pork supply has become the latest meat processing facility to shut down as COVID-19 sickens plant workers.
Two large companies plan to capture natural gas from manure-filled ponds, turning it into clean, climate-saving energy. But some neighbors just want the ponds gone.
Ancient Jewish teachings ban pork, shellfish, and meat mixed with dairy in the same meal. Some modern Jews wanting to evolve the way they eat look to a scandalous feast of the past for inspiration.
Slaughterhouses, while safer than decades ago, are some of the country's most hazardous workplaces. They are fined by the government for safety violations, but those fines may not be big enough.
The other white meat was yanked from prison menus this month, but it's back on prisoners' plates following a push from hog farmers and Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley.
What is pork roll? As one fan puts it, "It's like Spam meets bacon." And this Saturday, Trenton, N.J., will host not one, but two competing festivals devoted to this Garden State meat delicacy.
It's a gelatinous slab of pork, salt and starch — and in fancy packaging, it's a popular holiday gift. So how did South Korea become the world's No. 2 Spam consumer? Blame it on the war.
Wondering why your local Chipotle is no longer serving pork? It's because a big supplier was housing pigs in confined quarters. But there's debate about whether that's really worse for the animals.
