From Garbage to Gourmet: Why What Pigs Eat Matters for Your Pork

Most people don’t spend a lot of time thinking about what pigs eat, but it has a direct impact on the pork that ends up on your table. In New Jersey and across the country, there are still farms that practice something called garbage feeding. It is exactly what it sounds like: feeding pigs food waste collected from restaurants, schools, or other institutions.

At first glance, this might seem like a smart way to recycle leftovers and reduce waste. But garbage feeding comes with risks that most consumers never hear about.

A Brief History of Garbage Feeding

For centuries, farmers gave scraps to pigs. It was a way to be resourceful, especially during times when food was scarce. During the Great Depression and even in wartime, pigs were often raised on whatever was available.

Today, garbage feeding continues in some large commercial NJ operations. With so much food waste available near urban centers, it can be a cheap way to cut feed costs.

The Risks of Garbage Feeding

There are real concerns with feeding pigs scraps from unknown sources.

• Disease transmission Illnesses like swine flu can spread through contaminated food waste. This is why the NJ Department of Agriculture tests farms for swine flu and other diseases.

• Regulation vs. reality Rules exist to require that garbage-fed scraps be cooked to kill pathogens. Even with regulations, the risk of improper handling remains.

• Transparency gap Shoppers often have no idea whether their pork came from a pig fed carefully balanced grain or from one that ate leftovers scraped off cafeteria trays.

The Argument in Favor

To be fair, garbage feeding does have its supporters.

• It reduces food waste by keeping scraps out of landfills.

• It lowers feed costs, which can make pork cheaper for consumers.

• It has tradition behind it, since farmers have done it for generations.

For some people, these benefits outweigh the risks. But many consumers are looking for a higher standard when it comes to the food they feed their families.

Why Wormuth Farm Chooses a Different Path

At Wormuth Farm, we raise pigs with a focus on health, quality, and transparency.

• Our pigs live on pasture, where they can root and forage naturally.

• Their diet is made up of carefully sourced feed, not food waste.

• We prioritize safety and flavor, because what goes into our pigs directly affects the taste and quality of the pork we sell.

When you choose our pork, you know exactly how it was raised. No garbage-fed shortcuts, just clean, pasture-raised pork from a farm you can trust.

The Takeaway

Garbage feeding is legal, and it helps some farms keep costs down. But it is not the kind of system that delivers the wholesome, flavorful pork most people expect.

At Wormuth Farm, we believe your food should come from animals raised on healthy diets in natural settings. That is what makes our pork different, and why so many of our customers tell us they can taste the difference.

👉 Explore our Pasture-Raised Pork Collection and see why what pigs eat really does matter.