Pork is a type of meat used worldwide as a basic food for all kinds of dishes. It is an ideal meat to produce due to pigs growing and maturing quickly. The majority of pigs do not live above 5 years of age and most of the time they are sacrificed before they even turn 1 year old.
Pigs have other uses too and are not exploited only for their meat. They are used for making shoes, clothes and cosmetics.
The classification of the pigs are given depending on their breed, what they are fed and their environment throughout growth. Principally, the breeds are distinguished between the white pig and the Iberian pig. The white pig breed, which is mostly used for human consumption, is called Landrace. The quality of the meat of this type of pig is purely determined by what it is fed, the living conditions and the age of the animal. Equally taken into account, is the stress the pig suffers through its living condition, which plays an important role to the pork quality when it comes to sacrificing pigs. For this reason, Mactan Trading assures a strict procedure inspected by the European Union which guarantees the complete traceability of the product.
On the other hand, the Iberian pig is considered a native breed of the Iberian Peninsula. This pedigree possesses unique nutritional values. In Spain, this pig breed is considered to be quite a delicacy according to the feed it receives throughout its life and, such as the Landrace breed, the environment it grows in are what play a key role to the quality of the meat. There are three types of Iberian pork: Bellota, Cebo de Campo and Cebo.
The Duroc Breed
This specific pedigree originates from the United States however; most of the world has adapted a liking to it for its high quality meat and speed of growth of the pig. Its meat is known to be lean and is characterized to have a high degree of fat infiltration, which makes it magnificent for the production of jamón serrano. In Spain, the Duroc is normally crossbred with other pig breeds for the production of jamon iberico or crossed with the Landrace breed to give it that extra jump of quality.
It is important to highlight its great capacity of reproduction (as it is a breed known to produce numerous piglets), its high meat production and possessing an excellent ability to adapt to its environment. It should be taken into consideration that it is a breed that is highly resistant to diseases and a warm climate. These qualities are also taken into account and gives it more reason to be crossbred with other pigs.