Projects to study pork benefits

Potential research projects are about to be assessed by the Australian Pork Co-operative Centre (PCRC) to find suitable beneficiaries of up to $50 000 per project. The aim is to expand knowledge about the benefits of eating Australian pork.

The following are the priorities for the successful project applicants;

• To determine the role of pork as part of a balanced diet and lifestyle on weight management and weight maintenance to address health issues, including Type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease in Australia.
• To demonstrate the use and form of pork in the diet of elderly Australians to preserve muscle mass and cognition.
• To demonstrate the inherent benefits of consuming pork in diets of Australian children, with a particular focus on innovative methods to incorporate pork into children’s meals.
• The effect of pork on protein digestion and amino acid metabolism.

The projects may work on nutrition, production improvements or even other related health issues.

The CEO of PCRC, Dr Roger Campbell said, “Applications will be judged on the impact of the proposed outcomes on the Australian pork industry, the novelty of the research, the potential of the project to develop IP, the quality of the science and experimental approach, the budget and the history of the researcher/research team to deliver outcomes, on time and within budget.”

Australians are well aware of the key words of “get some pork on your fork” from the ads on TV to encourage us to eat more pork. The projects will hopefully show that this meat also has distinct health benefits.