Backfat is the fatty tissue over the back of animal carcasses. Pigs carry an especially thick layer on the back, substantial enough to be separated and used as a cut in its own right. Swine backfat is fairly soft at room temperature, prized for charcuterie, lard rendering, and pastry-making, where its clean pork flavour and plasticity excel. The thickness of this layer is thought to influence pork attributes such as flavour and eating quality, and breeders measure it routinely as a leanness indicator. For processors, managing backfat means balancing consumer demand for leaner meat against the culinary value of this traditional fat for sausages and cured products.