🐖 The Great California Pork Crackdown

The Aporkalypse Is Now

🎄 Hopefully, you had your last bite of Christmas ham—because if you live in California, it may be your last bite for good.

While crime surges 🚨, homelessness grows 🚧, and wildfires rage 🔥, California has chosen a curious new priority: pork. 🥓🍖

On January 1st, 2022, a new law quietly kicked in that may soon make bacon, ham, and sausage an endangered species in the Golden State.

It's 2025 an the Aporkalypse hasn’t fully hit California yet—but it marks another front in the ongoing war on real food. And it’s only a matter of time before this and other staples come under fire. 🍳🥩🥬

🗳️ The Birth of Prop 12

Back in 2018, voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 12—a well-meaning but controversial animal welfare law requiring that animals raised for meat sold in California be given more space to move. Specifically, pigs must now have at least 24 square feet of living space—enough to turn around 🐷. Chickens and veal calves were already phased in. Now it’s pork’s turn.

The catch? Only 4% of U.S. hog farms currently meet these standards.

🥓 The “Aporkalypse” Is Real

The headlines said it best:

“People Are Panicking About a Potential Pork Crisis.”

Industry leaders have even dubbed it the “Aporkalypse.” Why? Because California consumes 15% of all U.S. pork, but produces less than 20% of what it uses. Most pork comes from states like Iowa, and farmers there haven’t complied—mainly due to the 15% increase in per-animal costs, the need for new infrastructure, and the absence of clear regulatory guidance from California.

Result? Pork supply in California could disappear virtually overnight, and bacon prices may skyrocket by 60% or more. 🥓💸

🧑‍⚖️ Lawsuits, Loopholes & the Supreme Court

Unsurprisingly, the National Pork Producers Council, along with the American Farm Bureau Federation, and a coalition of California restaurants and grocers, have taken legal action. After losing in state court, they're now petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that California has no right to dictate production standards to other states—a legal concept known as extraterritoriality. 🏛️

They’re also invoking the Dormant Commerce Clause, which says Congress alone controls interstate commerce—even if it’s doing nothing at all. 💤📜

Meanwhile, industry groups have pleaded with Governor Gavin Newsom to delay implementation, hoping at least to sell pork already in the supply chain to buy more time.

🍽️ A Cultural Gut Punch

At Comfort Keto, we’re concerned. Many of our Asian- and Hispanic-inspired dishes feature pork as a primary protein. 🥢🌮 These communities make up a significant portion of California’s population—and pork is a cornerstone of their traditional cuisine. Taking pork off the table doesn’t just affect brunch menus—it affects cultural identity.

🚫 What Prop 12 Doesn't Do

While Prop 12 sets standards for animal comfort, it’s silent on another major concern: worker safety. Slaughterhouse and processing plant conditions remain unaddressed—raising eyebrows about the law’s true priorities.

Final Thoughts: Ideals vs. Reality 🌍⚖️

In a state as large and influential as California, laws like Prop 12 have the power to shift national industry standards—whether the rest of the country wants them or not. But this time, voters may soon learn what it means to pay for your ideals at the grocery store checkout.

🥓 Better start rationing that bacon.

See this in depth article about the court cases in process published by Idyllwild Town Crier on Jan. 4, 2022