China ditching fatty meat for beefed-up pork
- 5 years ago
BEIJING — During this year's Lunar New Year, China will be eating lean meat from pigs that look like they've been pumping iron, reports The Sun.
Pigs are known for being adorably chubby but in China eating fat piggies is no longer in fashion.
According to the journal Nature, these super lean pigs were first bred by a team of Chinese and South Korean biologists back in 2015.
The team used genetic-editing technology to create these super-muscular porkies in record time. Usually, animals would have to go through years of selective breeding to achieve the same results.
Demand for leaner pork is on the rise in China while local hog breeds are disappearing. According to the SCMP, the shift in preference for leaner meats has led to Western pig breeds to become more popular and caused the decline of indigenous breeds.
Local breeds including the Jinhua and Chenghua pigs which are staples of local dishes have been depleted.
Pigs are known for being adorably chubby but in China eating fat piggies is no longer in fashion.
According to the journal Nature, these super lean pigs were first bred by a team of Chinese and South Korean biologists back in 2015.
The team used genetic-editing technology to create these super-muscular porkies in record time. Usually, animals would have to go through years of selective breeding to achieve the same results.
Demand for leaner pork is on the rise in China while local hog breeds are disappearing. According to the SCMP, the shift in preference for leaner meats has led to Western pig breeds to become more popular and caused the decline of indigenous breeds.
Local breeds including the Jinhua and Chenghua pigs which are staples of local dishes have been depleted.