Pork Cuts Purine Ranking: Lowest to Highest

Lowest Purine Pork Cuts

Highest Purine Pork Cuts

#10pork neck, raw70.6 mg

#9pork ribs, raw75.8 mg

#8pork sirloin, raw90.9 mg

#7pork shoulder, raw93.7 mg

#6pork tenderloin, raw119.8 mg

#5pork roast and chops, cooked119.8 mg

#4pork, ground, raw183.1 mg

#3pork loin, boneless, skinless, raw237.2 mg

#2pork loin, tenderloin, boneless, raw244.0 mg

#1pork loin, boneless, skinless, cooked4333.5 mg

Category Average: 156.8 mg/100g

The average across 10 Pork Cuts foods with lab-measured data. Foods below this average are better-than-typical choices within this category.

How to Use This Ranking

The purine ranking is sorted from lowest to highest. Rank #1 is the lowest-purine food in the category. Foods in the top half (above median) should be consumed with more awareness of portion and frequency. The difference between adjacent ranks varies: in some categories, rank #5 and #10 might be only 10 mg apart; in others, the gap can be 100+ mg. Always check the actual milligram value, not just the position. Rankings do not account for fructose or alcohol — use individual food pages for a complete risk assessment.

ACR 2020 Guideline Context

The American College of Rheumatology recommends that gout patients focus on purine awareness rather than complete food group elimination. Within any category, there is a wide purine range. The goal is to shift toward lower-purine choices within categories you already eat, rather than eliminating entire food groups. This ranking helps you identify which specific items to prioritize and which to limit.

Japanese guidelines recommend under 400 mg of total dietary purines per day. Using this ranking, you can estimate how much of budget each food uses per typical serving.

How This Comparison Is Built

Each item here is scored by a three-factor risk engine covering purines, fructose, and alcohol. Purine values draw on the USDA+ODS-NIH PURINE DATABASE Release 2 (March 2025) and Kaneko et al. (Biol Pharm Bull 37(5):709-721, 2014, PMID: 24553148); fructose comes from USDA SR28 tables. Classification uses ACR 2020 thresholds — Safe under 50 mg purine and 2 g fructose with no alcohol, Moderate in between, Avoid above, or when alcohol is present. Each food page labels its data quality as T1 (lab-measured), T2 (measured plus consensus), or T3 (category estimate).

This comparison is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Individual tolerance to purines and fructose varies. Consult a healthcare professional for personalized dietary guidance. Last reviewed: 2026-09-03.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which pork cut is lowest in purines?

Among 10 pork cuts with measured purine values, the lowest options include pork neck, raw at 70.6 mg/100g and pork ribs, raw at 75.8 mg/100g. Leaner cuts and smaller portions are the main levers for gout management.

Is pork bad for gout?

Pork is red meat, and the ACR 2020 guideline recommends limiting red meat for gout. Purine values vary by cut — loin and lean cuts are moderate, while fatty and processed forms run higher. Portion and frequency matter more than the specific cut.

Which pork cut is highest in purines?

The highest-purine pork cuts in our database include pork loin, boneless, skinless, cooked4 at 333.5 mg/100g. Fattier cuts and processed pork products are the higher-risk choices to limit.

Pork Cuts Ranked by Purine Content