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Pork naturally contains a compound called carnosine, which may support healthy aging and immune function. But most Canadians have never heard of it. University of Alberta researchers wanted to find out: could labelling carnosine help sell pork, and if so, what kind of label works best? In a 2015 online survey of 885 Canadian pork eaters, participants chose between pork chops with different labels and price points. Labels tested included a carnosine health claim, a nutrient content claim, a Nutrition Facts Table (NFT) entry, a protein claim, and a Verified Canadian Pork label. Most consumers discounted pork labelled with carnosine health or nutrient claims — they actually needed a lower price to consider buying it. However, listing carnosine in the NFT generated a small positive willingness to pay. Protein claims and the Verified Canadian Pork label were the clear favourites. 

Consumers trust what they recognize. If you're raising pork with enhanced carnosine, the NFT may be your most credible path to a price premium — though regulatory hurdles make it challenging. Building consumer nutrition literacy could also help grow your market over time.

Canadian pig farms and plants are getting bigger, but the number of people running them is shrinking. That means producers need smarter tools to keep tabs on animal health, performance, and carcass quality — without adding hours to their workday. A team of Canadian researchers tested a range of new technologies across farms, research stations, and packing plants to see which ones could actually work in the real world. On the farm side, they looked at smart water drinkers, infrared cameras, weight-prediction cameras, and activity trackers. At the plant, they explored 3D carcass scanning, fat quality testing, and an automated belly-firmness sorter. Several tools showed real promise. Smart drinkers could flag potential health issues up to three days before visible symptoms appeared. Infrared cameras tracked body temperature changes linked to stress. 3D carcass scanning showed strong potential for predicting cut weights and lean yield more accurately and consistently. For producers, these technologies could mean earlier disease detection, less guesswork at shipping time, and better returns at the plant. The biggest next step is making these tools easier to use and connect — because collecting data is only valuable if producers can act on it quickly.

Boar taint — the unpleasant smell in pork from some intact male pigs — is a real barrier to raising uncastrated males, even though they grow more efficiently. Researchers wanted to know if selecting boars with better genetics could reduce this problem in their offspring.

They genotyped nearly 700 Duroc boars using 103 genetic markers and split them into "low taint" and "high taint" groups. Over 1,600 commercial pigs were then tested across three trials in Québec and Manitoba.

Results trended in the right direction — low-taint boars produced offspring with slightly less taint — but differences were small and mostly not statistically significant.

For producers, this research shows promise. Genetic selection alone won't solve boar taint yet, but combined with better markers and management practices, it could be part of a practical, welfare-friendly solution down the road.

Boar taint — the unpleasant smell or taste that can occur in pork from intact (uncastrated) male pigs — is a real concern for producers and consumers alike. Castration has long been the go-to solution, but animal welfare concerns are pushing the industry to find alternatives. Researchers from Canadian Centre for Swine Improvement, the Centre de développement du porc du Québec, and the University of Guelph tested whether selecting boars with favourable genetic markers could reduce boar taint in their offspring. They ran three commercial trials across Québec and Manitoba, tracking over 1,600 pigs from weaning to slaughter. Offspring from low-taint boars showed slightly lower androstenone and skatole levels (the two compounds behind boar taint), but differences were small and rarely statistically significant. This research is a promising first step toward using genomic selection as part of a practical, on-farm boar taint reduction strategy — though genetics alone likely won't be the complete answer.

Pork naturally contains a compound called carnosine — a molecule linked to slowing aging and protecting the body from disease. But are Canadian pigs producing as much of it as they could? Researchers set out to find out. A team of Canadian scientists studied carnosine levels across three major pig breeds — Duroc, Landrace, and Yorkshire — and tested whether adding beta-alanine (a building block for carnosine) to pig feed could boost levels further. Duroc pigs had the highest carnosine levels, and higher carnosine was linked to better meat colour and less moisture loss — signs of better pork quality. Beta-alanine supplementation didn't raise carnosine levels at the doses tested, but it did help reduce oxidation, which extends shelf life. For Canadian producers, this research points to a real opportunity. Selecting for higher-carnosine genetics — particularly Duroc lines — could improve both meat quality and the health appeal of Canadian pork in domestic and export markets.

Some boars look perfectly healthy and even have good semen quality — but their litters tell a different story. Researchers wanted to find out how common hidden chromosomal abnormalities (errors in a pig's genetic blueprint) are in Canadian swine herds, and what they're costing producers. A team from the University of Guelph tested 732 young boars across several Canadian farms. They analyzed each boar's chromosomes in the lab to check for structural errors. Nearly 1 in 60 boars (1.64%) carried a chromosomal abnormality. Affected boars produced litters with 4–46% fewer total piglets born, and more stillbirths and mummified piglets compared to their herd average. Because Canada lacks routine chromosome screening, these defects are quietly spreading through herds undetected. Researchers estimate the annual cost to Canadian producers could reach $4.6 million in lost piglets. Routine chromosome testing of boars before they enter breeding programs — especially AI centres — could prevent these losses and protect herd productivity for generations.

Pork producers and breeders know that marbling (the fat running through muscle) makes loin cuts more valuable — but too much marbling in hams can actually lower their value for processors. So how do you breed for one without unintentionally affecting the other? Researchers from the Canadian Centre for Swine Improvement (CCSI) and Quebec's CDPQ explored whether ultrasound scanning — already used successfully to measure loin marbling in live pigs — could also predict marbling in ham muscles. They scanned 60 pigs before slaughter, then confirmed results through lab analysis after. The ultrasound showed promising results for ham muscles, with correlations ranging from 0.35 to 0.59. They also found a moderate link between loin and ham marbling levels. For Canadian producers, this matters because it suggests future genetic selection programs could potentially target high loin marbling without automatically driving up ham marbling — protecting value across both cuts. More refinement of the technology is still needed before it's ready for wide use.

Canadian producers know that marbling (the fat running through the meat) makes pork more tender and flavourful. But how do you reliably increase it? Researchers from CCSI and CDPQ studied 6,000 Duroc pigs across Canada to find out. They tested two approaches: selecting boars with high genetic potential for marbling, and using a special low-lysine diet designed to encourage fat development in the loin. Both strategies worked. The special feed boosted loin marbling noticeably, though it also added backfat and slightly slowed growth. Selecting high-marbling boars increased marbling without any negative effects on growth or carcass quality. The best results came from combining both strategies. Pork from pigs bred for high marbling and fed the special diet scored highest for tenderness and overall eating quality in taste panel evaluations. For producers targeting premium pork markets, this research shows that pairing smart genetics with targeted feeding is a practical path to better eating quality.

Measuring pork quality isn't always straightforward. Different plants and researchers use different tools and methods, making it hard to compare results.

This handbook brings together over 40 standardized measurement methods for Canadian pork carcasses. It covers everything from carcass weight and loin size to meat colour, marbling, firmness, and drip loss — for the loin, ham, and belly.

Each method spells out exactly what to measure, when, with what tools, and how. Some methods are objective (numbers and instruments), others are scored by eye.

For producers, this means more consistent data across the supply chain. Better measurements lead to better breeding decisions, better feedback from packers, and ultimately, higher-quality pork for customers.

Keeping pigs healthy is one of the biggest challenges Canadian producers face. Researchers wanted to know if simple blood tests could help identify pig families that are naturally more resistant to disease. A team from the Canadian Centre for Swine Improvement collected blood samples from 893 Yorkshire, Landrace, and Duroc pigs across 13 herds in Canada. They measured blood cell counts and immune system responses to see whether these traits varied between breeds and could be passed down to offspring. They found meaningful differences between breeds, and importantly, many of these blood-based traits appear to be heritable — meaning they can be influenced through selective breeding. This is promising news for producers. If disease resistance can be measured through blood tests and selected for in breeding programs, it could mean healthier, more resilient pig herds over time — reducing illness and mortality on-farm. Researchers plan to follow up by linking these results to actual mortality and performance data.