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Introduction The electron microscope and electron microprobe analyser are two of the newest and most advanced instruments available for corrosion and oxidation research. Metallographic techniques with a light microscope are very limited for the typically rough surfaces of corroded metal, and even a simple brown rust spot (Fig. 1a) takes on a new character when viewed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fig. 1b. The depth of focus is at least three hundred times better than the light microscope, which makes the SEM very suitable for examining the surface topography of worn surfaces, fatigue fractures, hydrogen embrittled specimens, stress corroded materials or high temperature oxidation products. Normally, as the materials are conducting, the only preparation needed is to stick the piece of corroded metal on to a stub with conducting paint. Where specimens are too large to put into the microscope's vacuum system, a positive replica of the surface may be used instead.

The aim of this paper is to highlight and summarize the main factors found along the pork supply chain, which affect the quality of pork products, taking into consideration the product attributes demanded by consumers.

The paper is a review of the pork supply chain literature, and the main objective is to describe and analyze the complexity of the pork production industry from a holistic perspective. An extensive review of the relevant literature was done together with discussions and reflexions carried out with pork sector researchers.

The paper highlights the complexity involved in the pork supply chain in order to obtain quality products and demonstrates that, by looking at pork production as a chain instead of as individual steps made by different companies, the meat sector can more easily meet the challenge of accurately responding to changing customer demands.

The contribution describes the main factors and attributes found along the pork supply chain, which are relevant to the quality of the final product as perceived by the consumer. Further research could be done on the effects of the interactions between the factors on pork chain analysis and consumer satisfaction.

The main lesson to be learned from this work is the opportunity supply‐chain agents get from collaboration, which allows them to become more competitive than if they stay isolated and without a global perspective of the whole chain. The findings contribute to further research on the pork sector from a supply chain perspective.

The paper provides a holistic perspective of the pork supply chain and can be useful for researchers and practitioners involved in the management of pork product quality and new product development.