Blue Skinned Pig? Real or Fake?

All over Facebook there seems to be images of a Blue skinned pig that has blue skin, Well technically its Blue fat under the skin. I have to say that I was a little skeptical when first seeing the images, but there may yet be an explanation!

Blue Skinned Pig Backstory

According to the original story A couple of Morgan Hill, CA ranchers out on ATV’s spotted a hog and decided to cull the hog to provide meat for there family. After loading the hog on there ATV’s Draining the blood and returning home they proceeded to skin the hog to start the quartering process.

Upon cutting into the Hog they were surprised to find that the inside of the pigs flesh was a florescent blue. Upon further inspection it was not a blue skinned pig, but a blue fat hog that they had on their hands. All the other tissue and muscle other than the fat was the normal flesh tone color it should have been.

Hog Wash and Speculation

Many have speculated that the Florescent Blue of the pigs fat has been caused by consumption of copper  causing copper poisoning. Although there are no copper mines close to the ranch this is one plausible explanation. There is however a number of old mercury mines in the area that have been abandoned and filled in.

I have some speculation of my own on the cause of the Blue Skinned Pig. Based on a paper that i have read I believe that the cause of the Pig’s florescent Blue fat is due to Fat Necrosis.

And I quote

“In some four-hour specimens can be found fat cells located at the margin of the encompassing wall of leucocytes in which solidification has taken place, where the solid material takes a blue stain with haematoxylin about the same in intensity as ordinary nuclear standing. The blue staining substance seems to form in a fume-like projections from the wall of the fat cell, often inclining clear spaces in the meshes it forms. This seems to mark the earliest stage in the formation of calcium salts, and from its location at the edge of the necroses it seems due to inion with calcium salts diffusing in from the outside.”

Samples and Testing

What ever the explanation the two Morgan Hill, CA ranchers have taken a sample and sent it to UC Davis for further studies and examination. My question is would you eat this Blue Skinned Pig? I think i will await further information before i would indulge in some Blue eggs and ham.

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