Is bacon "real meat"? Is it harmful to the body?

Enoki mushroom bacon rolls, bacon rolled mashed potatoes, cheese bacon rolls...there are so many delicious foods that can be made with bacon!

Especially the sizzling sound when bacon is fried in oil, and the charred taste after it is taken out of the pan, have captured the hearts of many "gluttons". In addition, bacon also has a salty and sweet taste and a smoky flavor, which has captured the taste buds of most people.

However, while bacon is popular among the public, there is also a lot of discussion about it.

Bacon is not expensive, but is it made of real meat? Is there any health risk if we eat it regularly? Don't worry, we will find out all about bacon in this article.

01 High-end meat products: original cuts

It is generally believed that bacon originated in the West and is also called bacon. It is a kind of cured meat. In fact, it can be traced back to 1500 BC in my country. Chinese chefs first used salt to cure pork to make cured meat, which can be regarded as the predecessor of bacon.

Bacon can be said to be a traditional delicacy | Tuchong Creative

Western-style bacon is a high-end meat product. It is made from high-quality pork belly meat that is pickled and smoked. It has a firm and elastic texture and a mellow smoked flavor, so many people like bacon. Of course, the cost of raw bacon made in this traditional way is high and the price is not low.

As people become more and more interested in bacon, in order to reduce the production cost of bacon, reconstituted bacon made of minced meat has gradually appeared on the market instead of being cut directly from a whole piece of meat. The price of this kind of bacon is much lower than that of original cut bacon, and the taste is also different.

02 Did you buy the original cut bacon?

There are two types of bacon commonly found on the market: original cut bacon and reconstituted bacon. There is also a type of "artificial bacon" that is not very common, but is already being researched in the United States. [1]

The main ingredient of original bacon is meat, while the ingredients of reconstructed bacon made of minced meat include some meat, soy protein, carrageenan and other additives to increase elasticity and shape. Artificial bacon is plant meat, and its main ingredient is soy protein.

How to judge whether the bacon you buy is pure meat or reconstituted? Mainly look at the following 4 points:

① Ingredients: The only ingredient of original cut bacon is pork, and some salt, added sugar, sodium nitrite, etc. are also added, such as the one shown below.

▲Picture: E-commerce platform

The ingredient list of reconstituted bacon includes not only pork, but also soy protein, carrageenan, etc., such as the one in the picture below.

▲Picture: E-commerce platform

② Look at the appearance: the texture of original cut bacon is clearer, with fat and lean strips alternating; while the texture of reconstituted bacon is more messy.

③ Observe the changes during cooking: Original cut bacon generally produces more oil when cooking, and will shrink when fried in oil; while reconstituted bacon retains its shape better after heating, but is easy to burn.

④ Taste: Original cut bacon has a strong aroma, while reconstituted bacon has a weaker aroma.

03 Is eating bacon regularly harmful to your health?

Bacon is so delicious that you can’t get enough of it, but eating too much is not good for your health, so you really have to control your intake.

As early as 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) under the World Health Organization classified processed meat products such as bacon, sausage, ham, and bacon as Class 1 carcinogens. In other words, there is sufficient evidence to show that processed meat products such as bacon can cause cancer in humans. Why is the delicious bacon so unfriendly to the body?

Bacon is a cured and smoked product. Smoking gives bacon a good smoky flavor and color, and also reduces its water activity and increases its salt concentration, thereby ensuring its biological safety. [2] However, it is also the long-term smoking that increases the content of heterocyclic amines in bacon, making it carcinogenic in cell and animal experiments.

Smoked meat may cause cancer | Tuchong Creative

In addition, biogenic amines and nitrites in meat products react to produce N-nitrosamines, which are carcinogens. Many of the bacon we buy contain nitrosamines. A study analyzed the nutritional and safety quality of 10 Western bacon brands on the market. The results showed that 9 types of N-nitrosamines were detected in different amounts in the bacon products investigated, of which N-nitrosodimethylamine exceeded the standard by 60%. [3]

The excessive nitrosamine in bacon is related to the nitrite added when making bacon. Nitrite has the special functions of coloring, inhibiting lipid oxidation, giving the bacon a unique flavor, and inhibiting the growth of Clostridium botulinum and the production of its toxins, and it cannot be completely replaced. It is not only in bacon, but also in the ham sausage we often eat.

On the other hand, bacon is high in calories and eating it often can make you fat. It also tastes salty. For example, even if you only eat 50 grams of the original cut bacon mentioned above, you will consume about 1.5 grams of salt, which accounts for 25% of the maximum recommended daily salt intake. Eating it often can easily lead to excessive salt intake, which increases the risk of high blood pressure, osteoporosis and other diseases.

▲Picture: E-commerce platform

Therefore, eating bacon regularly is really harmful to your health.

04 Eating fresh meat is healthier than eating bacon

Bacon is mainly made from pork, which is a type of processed meat. According to an analysis of data from 10 studies, it is estimated that consuming 50 grams of processed meat per day will increase the risk of colorectal cancer by about 18%. [4] In particular, smoked meat products promote the formation of N-nitroso compounds, further increasing the incidence of colorectal cancer. [5]

How much bacon is in 50 grams? About 2.5 slices.

Fresh ingredients are healthier than smoked meat | Tuchong Creative

So for the sake of health, you should eat less bacon. So what kind of meat should we eat? According to the recommendation in the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents", it is recommended to eat 40 to 75 grams of livestock and poultry meat per day. It is recommended to choose more fresh meat and eat less processed meat products such as bacon.

In addition, it is also a good idea to eat some seafood every day, about 40 to 75 grams, such as fish, shrimp, shellfish, or a palm of fish, seven or eight large shrimps, or about 15 clams.

Summary: Bacon is delicious, but don’t be greedy! If you really like to eat it, be sure to control the amount you eat and eat it with fresh fruits and vegetables. The vitamin C, calcium, chlorophyll and polyphenols in fresh fruits and vegetables can inhibit the formation of N-nitroso compounds or other carcinogens, which can make your diet healthier. [6]

References:

[1] iiMedia Research

https://www.iimedia.cn/c460/65482.html

[2] Du Hongzhen, Zhang Pin, Tian Xinglei, Zhang Lang, Liu Qian, Kong Baohua. Effect of smoking time on heterocyclic amine content and product quality of bacon[J]. Food Science, 2020, 41(01): 16-23.

[3] Chen Wenjing, Zhang Yongmin, Yang Hua, Ma Lizhen, Ren Xiaoqing. Analysis of nutritional and safety quality of 10 commercially available Western bacon brands[J]. Freshness and Processing, 2021, 21(01): 117-123+130.

[4] WHO. Frequently asked questions on the carcinogenicity of red meat and processed meat products

.https://www.who.int/features/qa/cancer-red-meat/en/

[5] Zhang Yueshu, Wu Junrui, Li Chunqiang. Research progress on the relationship between red meat and processed meat products and colorectal cancer risk[J]. Food Industry Science and Technology, 2019, 40(09)

:323-328.DOI:10.13386/j.issn1002-0306.2019.09.055.

[6] Centre for Food Safety, Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

https://www.cfs.gov.hk/sc_chi/multimedia/multimedia_pub/multimedia_pub_fsf_113_01.html

Author | Xue Qingxin, member of Chinese Nutrition Society, registered nutrition technician, health manager, public nutritionist

Review | Song Shuang, Associate Researcher, Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Editor | Jiang Fan

Editor | Ding Zong

This article was first published on Science Refutes Rumors