Pork Checkoff

1996   The second Market Basket
          Study confirms the
          comparable fat content 
          between pork cuts and
          poultry cuts. This 
          Checkofffunded study also
          reinforces the initial Market
          Basket Study that provided revised data for
          USDA's pork nutrient database, which
          continues to be used by nutritionists as a
          standard food reference.

1998   U.S. government imposes Hazard Analysis
          Critical Control Point (HACCP) rules on
          packers. The Pork Quality Assurance®
          (PQA) Program provides producers a
          mechanism to comply.

1998   United States becomes the second largest
          pork exporter in the world.

2000   A Northwestern University study ranks the
          Pork. The Other White Meat® slogan as the
          fifth most recognized tagline in
          contemporary advertising.
         

2000   The Pork Checkoff plays a key role in         
          shaping the U.S. Department of
          Agriculture’s point-intime national study of
          the U.S. swine industry. Results are
          distributed in the National Animal Health
          Monitoring System (NAHMS).

2001   Changes from the Pork Checkoff agreement
          with USDA take effect July 1. The national
          Pork
          Checkoff has its own location, own
          accounting system and own staff to expand
          domestic and foreign markets, conductm
          research and provide consumer information.

2001   The Checkoff-funded Trucker Quality
           AssuranceTM (TQA) program starts,
          providing information on proper techniques
          to use when handling, loading and
          transporting hogs. By 2005, 330 trainers are
          certified to administer TQA examinations
          and more than 10,000 drivers are TQA
          certified.
2002   The Pork Checkoff rate drops 5 cents, to
          $0.40 per $100 of value for hogs sold in the
          United States.

2002   The new Pork Checkoff           Service Center is
          working with individual
          pork producers when they
          call (800) 456-PORK as
          well as by calling them directly.

2002  Checkoff-funded research determines that
          consumers spend an average of four
          minutes deciding what to buy in the
          meatcase, compared with one minute in
          other parts of the store. By showing that
          consumers take time to make their
          decisions at the meatcase, this research
          indicates that point-of-purchase
          promotions can be an effective way to
          bring pork to their attention.

2002   Pork Checkoff launches Consumer’s
          Choice Pork AwardsSM to showcase best
          new pork-based products in supermarkets.

2002   Checkoff-funded research leads to the
          development of Biosecurity and Security
          Guides.

2003   The Pork Checkoff launch
          the Swine Welfare
          Assurance ProgramSM
          supported by
          sciencebased research.
          This education and
          assessment program
          allows producers to
          demonstrate the care and
          welfare of their animals. This initiative was
          led by the pork producer members of the
          Animal Welfare Committee.

2003   The Pork Checkoff now has two primary
          Internet sites: pork.org is for pork
          producers and TheOtherWhiteMeat.com
          is for consumers.