Although pork was marketed as “The Other White Meat” in a famous 1987 campaign designed to position it alongside poultry, its scientific classification is different. The USDA considers pork to be red meat, mainly because of its myoglobin content and overall nutrient profile.

Myoglobin is a protein found in muscle tissue that stores oxygen and gives meat its characteristic color. Pork generally contains more myoglobin than poultry, which places it in the same broad scientific category as beef and lamb, even though some cuts of pork can appear quite light in color.

The confusion largely comes from marketing and appearance. The phrase “The Other White Meat” helped promote pork as a lighter alternative to beef and made it seem closer to chicken or turkey, but marketing terminology does not change its biological classification.

The color of pork can also vary depending on the cut, the animal’s age, and how it is prepared. So despite its familiar nickname, pork is red meat according to scientific and USDA classification — the “white meat” label was primarily a successful advertising strategy.