People consumed 962 million pork meals last year Men consume 43% of all pork cuts More than a quarter of pork cuts are eaten on a Sunday Pork is most commonly roasted (45% of meals) Fresh pork sales grew 3.9% to £665m last year A healthy but underperforming meat Pork is increasingly considered the healthy option in red meat. It is eaten because it is easy to cook and prepare and remains a favourite for taste, but health is also a key driver. That's reflected in the age profile of pork consumers, where adults aged 45 and over, who are more traditional in their eating habits but also more health-conscious, account for 55% of occasions. However, fresh pork is underperforming total red meat in terms of sales. It posted sales growth of 3.9% to £665m, while sales of red meat as a whole grew 5.2% to £2.7bn. The household penetration of pork also fell, from 76.1% to 74.6%. The rejuvenation of traditional cuts, such as belly pork and roasting loin, has not been enough to boost volume sales of fresh pork either. Just under 60% of meals involving cuts of pork are in the evening. This meal occasion is the vehicle for 50% of total red meat cuts - significantly lower than for pork. Pork cuts also over-index in consumption at lunch and teatime. Pork consumption is heavy on Sunday at the beginning of the week and then steadily declines. Popularity on Sunday is driven by the traditional English Sunday roast. Lauratu Osu

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