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KEYBOARDING PERIOD 8
MRS. WENDY SEILER

BACON :

DELICIOUS, NOT NUTRITIOUS

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By Armon Gardner

INTRODUCTION
Bacon is a type of salt-cured pork made from various cuts, particularly the belly or less fatty
parts of the back. It is eaten for all meals, and in many countries.

Cuts of Bacon

Bacon type differs depending on the primal cut of pork, which depends on local preference.

Side bacon, or streaky bacon, comes from the pork belly. It has alternating layers of fat and
muscle parallel to the rind. This type of bacon is the most common in the United States.

Back bacon contains meat from the loin in the middle of the pig’s back. It is a leaner cut than
side bacon with less fat.

Collar bacon is taken from the back of a pig, near the head.

Cottage bacon is made from the lean meat of a pig, typically in an oval shape.

Jowl bacon, also known as hog jowl, is cured and smoked pig cheeks.
Pros and Cons of Bacon

1. Advantages
One 10-g slice of side bacon contains 4.5 g of fat, 3.0 g of protein, and 205 mg of sodium.
The fat, protein, and sodium content varies depending on the cut and cooking method.
Several alternatives to and substitutes for bacon have been developed for those who cannot
or prefer not to eat standard pork bacon, including beef, chicken, turkey, bison, soy, and
coconut bacon.

2. Disadvantages
Studies have consistently found the consumption of processed meat to be linked to increased
mortality, and to an increased risk of developing a number of serious health conditions
including cancer, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Bacon can contain nitrites,
which can form carcinogenic nitroso-compounds such as S-Nitrosothiols , nitrosyl-heme and
nitrosamines. In the United States, sodium nitrite cannot exceed certain levels in bacon.
Vitamin C (ascorbate) or sodium erythorbate can be added to bacon, which greatly reduces
the formation of nitrosamines but has no effect on S-Nitrosothiols and nitrosyl-heme.

Curing and Smoking

Bacon is cured through either a process of injecting it with or soaking it in brine, known as wet
curing, or rubbed with salt, known as dry curing. Bacon brine has added curing ingredients, most
notably nitrites or nitrates, which speed the curing and stabilize color. Cured bacon may then be
dried for weeks or months in cold air, or it may be smoked or boiled. Fresh and dried bacon are
typically cooked before eating, often by pan frying. Boiled bacon is ready to eat, as is some smoked
bacon, but they may be cooked further before eating. Differing flavors can be achieved by using
various types of wood, or less common fuels such as corn cobs or peat. This process can take up to
eighteen hours, depending on the intensity of the flavor desired.

IN CONCLUSION

A Jamaican was double takin’, ‘cause his forsaken creation (yes, bacon) was shakin’. The
Jamaican’s calculations were mistaken; the bacon (which was Asian) had awakened!