Pigs

Oink.

Photo by Diego San

Also Called

Sow (when a mother)

Piglet (when young)

Swine

Hog

Boar

Meat

Pork

By-Products

Gelatin (from hooves)

Suede (from skin)

Skin Grafts (from skin)

Heart Valves (for human heart replacement)

Insulin (for people with diabetes)

Fetal pig plasma (for vaccines)

Information

Pigs are four-legged animals with even-toed hooves. They are omnivores, with one stomach, consuming both other animals and vegetation. With only one stomach, do not chew the cud. Pigs don't have sweat glands, so they roll around in the mud to stay cool. Pigs have been domesticated by humans for 8-10,000 years for meat.

Other than meat, the bodies of pigs are used for many purposes. Gelatin, an ingredient in Jell-o and gummy bears, is made from the hooves of pigs. Modern medicine uses pig by-products for a number of uses, including but not limited to, heart valves, skin grafts, and the creation of insulin and vaccines. Pork by-products are broken down into a number of products used in everyday life, from plastics to insulation.

The consumption of pigs is highly discouraged in Judaism, based on their text, the Tanakh, and in Islam, based on their text, the Quran. Christians, have varying takes on the subject, and many choose to allow pork.

Photo by Farm Credit Knowledge Center

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