Meat, poultry and eggs · IFCT 2017
Pork: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, pork shoulder gives 237 kcal, 17.4 g protein and 18.8 g fat, according to the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. It is the highest-energy and highest-fat food of the 14 in the meat, poultry and egg group. It also has the least cholesterol of the group, 44 mg, and 0.18 mg of thiamine, 4th in the group.
About pork
Pork is a regional meat in India, central to some cuisines and absent from many homes. In Nagaland it is smoked over the hearth and cooked with bamboo shoot or fermented soybean, in Meghalaya it goes into Khasi jadoh and doh khlieh, and in Assam and Manipur it is cooked with greens and bamboo. Goa has vindaloo, sorpotel and chorizo, Mangalore its pork bafat, Coorg its dark pandi curry soured with kachampuli, and Kerala Christian homes a pepper-heavy pork fry.
IFCT 2017 lists ten forms of pork. The shoulder used for this page is the fattiest muscle cut alongside ham, which has 240 kcal and 18.6 g fat per 100 g. Chops are leaner at 11.3 g fat and 19.4 g protein. Pork liver stands apart with 20.74 mg of iron per 100 g, and spleen 27.21 mg, while kidneys, lungs and heart are all lean, with 2.7 g to 4.9 g fat.
What pork brings to a meal
- 01
Most energy and fat in its group
Pork shoulder gives 237 kcal and 18.8 g fat per 100 g, both 1st of 14 in the meat, poultry and egg group. About 6.89 g of that fat is saturated and 8.11 g monounsaturated.
- 02
Protein and thiamine
At 17.4 g protein per 100 g, pork shoulder meets 32 per cent of a man's daily requirement. It ranks 4th of 14 in its group for thiamine, with 0.18 mg, meeting 10 per cent of a man's need.
- 03
Liver for iron
The shoulder has just 0.91 mg of iron per 100 g. Pork liver has 20.74 mg, among the richest iron figures in IFCT 2017 for any meat, and well absorbed as haem iron.
- 04
Low cholesterol, some omega-3
Pork shoulder has 44 mg cholesterol per 100 g, the lowest of its group, and 170 mg of alpha-linolenic acid, 2nd of 13. Niacin meets 23 per cent of a man's requirement.
Pork nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 237 kcal | 11% | 14% |
| Protein | 17.4 g | 32% | 38% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 0 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 0 g | ||
| Total fat | 18.8 g | ||
| Water | 62.9 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 6.89 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 8.11 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 2.13 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 170 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 44 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 10 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Iron | 0.91 mg | 5% | 3% |
| Zinc | 2.08 mg | 12% | 16% |
| Magnesium | 15 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Phosphorus | 157 mg | ||
| Potassium | 234 mg | ||
| Sodium | 54 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.23 mg | ||
| Selenium | 13.3 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Retinol | 5 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.18 mg | 10% | 11% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.1 mg | 4% | 4% |
| Niacin (B3) | 4.22 mg | 23% | 30% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.41 mg | 17% | 22% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.3 mg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Pork: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/meat-poultry-and-eggs/pork/
Where pork sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 13 meat, poultry and eggs and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In meat, poultry and eggs | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 170 mg | 2nd of 13 | 49th of 202 |
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.18 mg | 4th of 14 | 56th of 239 |
| Zinc | 2.08 mg | 10th of 14 | 58th of 243 |
| Protein | 17.4 g | 12th of 14 | 70th of 243 |
| Energy | 237 kcal | 1st of 14 | 75th of 257 |
Every form of pork in IFCT 2017
The tables analyse these separately. The figures above are for the row marked first.
| Form | Energy | Protein | Fibre | Iron | Calcium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pork, shoulder (shown above) | 237 kcal | 17.4 g | 0 g | 0.91 mg | 10 mg |
| Chops | 179 kcal | 19.4 g | 0 g | 1 mg | 8 mg |
| Ham | 240 kcal | 18.8 g | 0 g | 1.27 mg | 7 mg |
| Lungs | 86 kcal | 15.1 g | 0 g | 6.76 mg | 10 mg |
| Heart | 109 kcal | 16.3 g | 0 g | 3.97 mg | 5 mg |
| Liver | 116 kcal | 19.9 g | 0 g | 20.74 mg | 6 mg |
| Stomach | 131 kcal | 15.4 g | 0 g | 1.92 mg | 12 mg |
| Spleen | 85 kcal | 15.1 g | 0 g | 27.21 mg | 7 mg |
| Kidneys | 91 kcal | 14.3 g | 0 g | 6.26 mg | 7 mg |
| Tube (small intestine) | 140 kcal | 15 g | 0 g | 2.83 mg | 16 mg |
How pork is eaten
- Pork with bamboo shoot: the Naga and Assamese way, with smoked or fresh pork, fermented bamboo shoot, chillies and ginger.
- Goan vindaloo: pork marinated in vinegar, garlic and dried red chillies, cooked down until thick and sharp.
- Coorg pandi curry: pork in a near-black masala of roasted spices and kachampuli vinegar, eaten with akki roti.
- Doh khlieh: a Khasi salad of boiled pork with onion, ginger and green chilli.
- Kerala pork fry: pressure-cooked pork roasted with coconut slivers, pepper and curry leaves.
Before you plan around it
Pork must be cooked right through. Undercooked pork can carry the pork tapeworm, whose larvae can lodge in the brain and muscles and remain a real public health problem in parts of India. Buy from inspected, clean sources and avoid pink centres. Processed pork such as sausage, bacon and ham is high in salt. The shoulder is the fattiest cut, so trimming fat and choosing chops lowers saturated fat, which matters for people with heart disease or high cholesterol.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about pork
Is pork high in fat?
Pork shoulder is, at 18.8 g of fat per 100 g in IFCT 2017, the most in its group. Chops are leaner at 11.3 g, and organs such as kidneys and heart much leaner still. The cut and trimming decide how fatty a pork dish is.
How much protein is in pork?
Pork shoulder has 17.4 g of protein per 100 g, and chops 19.4 g. That is about a third of a sedentary man's daily protein requirement in 100 g of shoulder.
Is pork liver good for iron?
Yes. IFCT 2017 lists 20.74 mg of iron per 100 g of pork liver, far above the 0.91 mg in the shoulder meat. Liver is also very rich in vitamin A, so pregnant women should ask their doctor before eating it often.
Is it safe to eat pork in India?
Yes, when it comes from a clean source and is cooked thoroughly. The main risk is the pork tapeworm from undercooked or contaminated meat, so avoid rare pork and wash hands and boards well after handling it raw.
Related foods and tables
Goat meat (mutton)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Sheep meat (lamb)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Chicken (broiler)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Rabbit
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Duck
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Omega-3 (ALA) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by omega-3 (ala) per 100 g.
Thiamine (vitamin B1) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by thiamine (vitamin b1) per 100 g.
Zinc content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by zinc per 100 g.
All meat, poultry and eggs
14 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
Reading food composition tables and turning them into meal plans is taught in this NNWA course.