Yes. Scientifically and nutritionally, pork is classified as red meat. The confusion comes from the fact that pork is often pale in color—especially after cooking—and from the famous marketing slogan “Pork. The Other White Meat.”
Why Is Pork Considered Red Meat?
Meat is classified as red or white based primarily on its myoglobin content, not on how it looks after it’s cooked.
Myoglobin is a protein in muscle tissue that stores oxygen. Animals with more myoglobin have darker-colored meat.
Pork contains more myoglobin than poultry or fish, so it falls into the red meat category. Since pigs are mammals, pork is grouped with beef, lamb, and veal as red meat.
