There is much controversy about the role of fat in coronary heart disease. Although pork contains fat, a large proportion is visible and can be trimmed off without much difficulty. The fat in pork is, like most fats in nature, a combination of saturated, polyunsaturated and mono-unsaturated fatty acids in varying amounts. Pork however, contains less than 50% saturated fatty acids - while the rest is mono- and polyunsaturated. 

By keeping servings moderate and by trimming off excess fat, only nutritious muscle fibre is retained without increasing fat consumption. All lean, trimmed pork cuts with no more than 3 mm visible fat, are approved by the Heart Foundation

Nowadays pork is low in fat and low in kilojoules as it contains a low percentage of intramuscular fat, making it an ideal choice for slimmers and for healthy eaters. Once visible fat has been trimmed, pork contains only 1,5% intramuscular fat.

Cholesterol is a substance which is both manufactured and absorbed by the body. Pork is not excessively rich in cholesterol. Thus a 100-g portion of boneless cooked pork seldom contains more than 80 to 1 1 mg cholesterol whereas the recommended cholesterol intake is 300 mg per day. A moderate portion of pork therefore contains well below the recommended amount of cholesterol.