Why Do I Get Stomach Pain After Eating Pork?

Bacon, ham, and pork chops make for tasty meals, but for some people, pig products can cause stomach pain.

If you regularly experience stomach cramps or diarrhea after eating pork, it's possible you have a food allergy or intolerance. Another possibility: The meat you ate may have been undercooked.

Pork Allergy Signs, Causes, and Symptoms

• Diarrhea
• Stomach cramps
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Tingling or itching in the mouth (called oral allergy syndrome)
• Hives
• Mouth swelling
• Anaphylaxis — a life-threatening reaction resulting in the inability to breathe

People with a pork allergy may also find that the severity of symptoms depends on how the pork was prepared.

“Fresh (undercooked) pork meat or dried and smoked pork products tend to cause more reactions, while well-cooked pork meat causes fewer reactions,” says Niket Sonpal, MD, a gastroenterologist in New York City.

It May Be a Pork Intolerance

While an allergic reaction to pork will generally be severe and near-immediate, an intolerance typically comes on a bit differently.

“Allergies occur when the body reads a component of a food as a dangerous substance and releases chemicals in response that give you the symptoms of an allergy,” Dr. Sonpal says. “Intolerances have more to do with the gut and the inability of your gut to process the food.”

• Diarrhea
• Stomach pain
• Heartburn
• Gas
• Bloating
• Digestive upset

Diagnosing food intolerances isn't always an exact science. “Because the body's symptoms overlap with other conditions and illnesses, it can sometimes be difficult to diagnose a hypersensitivity to a certain food,” Sonpal says.

To shed light on your situation, he recommends keeping a diary of the foods you've eaten, as well as your symptoms.

Another helpful tool for diagnosing a pork intolerance is an elimination diet. “We refrain from consuming the suspected food — in this case, pork — for a period between two and eight weeks,” Sonpal says. During this time, it’s important for the rest of your diet to remain the same.

“If symptoms subside, this can be an indication that there is a food intolerance to pork,” Sonpal says. “You can then introduce a small portion of pork into your diet and observe the effects to confirm the intolerance.”

While you can undertake an elimination diet on your own, experts say it's best to do so with the guidance of a doctor or dietitian.

Pork and Food Poisoning

When diarrhea or stomach cramps become a pattern after eating pork, it's logical to consider an allergy or intolerance. However, if you experience these symptoms just once, the more likely culprit is food poisoning from undercooked pork.

• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Stomach pain
• Fatigue

• High fever
• Muscle pain and tenderness
• Swelling of the eyelids or face
• Weakness
• Headache
• Sensitivity to light
• Pink eye

If you get food poisoning from pork, it doesn't mean you can never eat it again. Just be sure to do so safely, cooking it to an appropriate temperature.

The Takeaway

• If you experience stomach pain, nausea, or diarrhea consistently after consuming pork, you may have a pork allergy or intolerance and should discuss your symptoms with your doctor.
• Severe allergy symptoms, including difficulty breathing after consuming pork, require immediate medical attention, as this may indicate a life-threatening condition called anaphylaxis.
• If you experience GI symptoms once after eating pork, it’s likely the result of food poisoning, which can occur when meat is served undercooked.
• While most cases of food poisoning clear on their own without medical treatment, if you experience digestive symptoms, along with muscle pain and swelling, about a week after consuming pork, talk to your doctor, as this may be a sign of a severe infection.