No Pork Allowed: Religions that Forbid Pig Meat
Followers of Islam and Judaism represent over a billion people globally that don‘t eat pork due to religious food restrictions. What drives this taboo? How has it impacted different cultures and industries? As an avid gamer, I set out to uncover everything about the divine swine prohibition!
Kosher Laws: No Bacon for Jews
Jewish kosher rules, which date back over 2000 years, ban pork along with shellfish, reptiles, most insects, and the mixing of meat and dairy. These restrictions are drawn from verses in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, where God declares the pig (along with camels, hares and rock badgers) to be "unclean":
"And the pig, because it has a cloven hoof that is completely split, but will not regurgitate its cud; it is unclean for you." (Leviticus 11:7-8).
But why were pigs considered taboo in the first place? Likely because Bronze Age pigs were roaming disease carriers that lacked sweat glands to expel toxins the way other livestock did.
Biblical codes also prohibited Canaanite pagan rituals like pig sacrifices. As Judaism developed, avoiding pork became a way for a dispersed ethnic group to maintain cultural identity. Jews living in Ancient Rome or 19th century America had plenty of unfamiliar customs around them – at least they could control what they put in their mouth!
Stats on Kosher Pork Avoidance:
17% of American Jews keep kosher, avoiding pork and only eating meat from ritually slaughtered animals [Pew 2013]
$12.5 billion estimated size of global kosher food market [MarketsandMarkets 2019]
6 hour advance notice required for an observant Jew to eat in a non-kosher restaurant! This gives time for the pork/cheeseburger smell to clear out.
Observant Jews thus have to carefully verify unfamiliar food ingredients and preparation methods. For them, a bacon emoji can evoke a forbidden substance instead of appetizing delight!
No Swine for Muslims Either!
Like Judaism, Islam prohibits pork consumption based on scripture and tradition:
"Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine…" (Quran, 5:3)
Likely reasons include pork spoilage in hot climates and watching pigs eat refuse. Muslims also emulate the Prophet Muhammad, who specifically banned eating swine.
As converts joined Islam across Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe, avoiding pork became a way that Muslims could align moral behavior in their changing social contexts.
Halal Pork Stats:
- 1.9 billion Muslims worldwide serve as a massive market for halal certified products [Pew Research 2013]
- $2.3 trillion forecasted spending on halal food & lifestyle sectors by 2024 [DinarStandard 2021]
- 0 tolerance in many Islamic nations for pork traces in food. Malaysia threatened to revoke Cadbury‘s halal certification when pork DNA fragments were detected.
Gamers and gaming platforms attempting to appeal to Islamic digital consumers will need to understand these dietary limitations!
Other Abrahamic Offshoots
A couple other lesser known Abrahamic faiths also give pigs a miss:
- Rastafarians consider pork an "unclean" food that goes against Livity ́s pure vibrations.
- Ethiopian Orthodox Christians abstain from pork as they follow Jewish kosher law more closely.
Meanwhile, mainstream denominations like Catholicism and Protestantism place no restrictions on eating Miss Piggy!
Pork Prevalence and Exceptions
Pork is the most consumed meat globally, with over 100 million tonnes produced annually! But adherence to kosher and halal diets creates interesting cultural contrasts:
| Country | Annual Pork Consumption | % Muslim/Jewish |
|---|---|---|
| China | 55 lbs per capita | 2% combined |
| Germany | 87 lbs | 2% |
| Israel | 22 lbs | 75% Jewish |
| Saudi Arabia | 0 lbs | >90% Muslim |
While Islamic Indonesia still eats pork, its Chinese-influenced region of Bali is a big pork producer. Some Gulf states allow pork sales to foreign residents like Filipino expats. Even Israel permits sale of pork products not labeled kosher!
The Divine Swine in Games
Games don‘t get a halal/kosher pass – religion still shapes reactions to virtual pig portrayal! Issues like:
Midnight Club LA censored in Saudi for pixel billboard of pork hot dogs
Muslim criticism of pig character Peppa in Roblox adoption games
Jewish gamers feeling excluded from popular titles like Angry Birds with pigs as antagonists
Of course religions change over time. More liberal branches may interpret ancient scripture less literally. As global exposure increases, perceptions can gradually shift too – spam became a cherished treat in South Korea!
Until then, sourcing alternative meats for side quests could provide the safest option when developing games for audiences that avoid chowing down on pigs. Just don‘t let it turn into a stale ham-fisted cliche!
With flavor text this rich, there‘s enough meaty discourse to fill a whole saga without resorting to taboo topics that alienate players. Games have always connected people across boundaries – no need to butcher that spirit by boaring anyone!
