Every meal starts with a careful choice of ingredients, so it makes a difference which bacon you throw on your barbecue or any meat and vegetable delicacy. We’ll now show you what to look for when buying bacon.
When you pick a packet of bacon off the shelf at the grocery store, make sure you check the label carefully. To start with, the longer the list of ingredients, the more you might start to suspect that you’re not dealing with a high-quality product. Bacon should only be made from pork, and the higher the meat content, the better. Ideally, the fat layer should be no more than one and a half centimeters thick. Another ingredient that must not be missing is the salt used to preserve the meat. Price is also an important factor: needless to say, the cheapest product is not the best choice, but you don’t have to go for the most expensive option either, because it is not a guarantee that you will get the best quality.
If possible, avoid quick-cured products, as the marinade is injected into the already vacuum-packed meat. The really good quality bacon is not preserved by this method, but is smoked on beech wood and preserved by salting.
The colour and of course the taste of the meat can vary depending on the breed of pig, the feed, the way it is slaughtered and even the way it is processed. Importantly, bacon can only be made from pork and the higher the meat content, the better the quality of the product. However, what is worth bearing in mind is the list of comparators. The more items on this list, the less recommended it is to buy. Good bacon is not coloured and no unnecessary additives are added – so there is no need to list them on the packaging. But there is one ingredient you will certainly see on the label, and that is the salt used to preserve the meat.
Not everything needs sugar
It may come as a surprise to many people, but the fact is that most meat products on the shelves contain small amounts of added sugar. Bacon is no exception, with some sugar being used in the curing process, in varying amounts depending on the brand.
The amount of sugar varies from brand to brand, but generally ranges between 0.5-1g per 100g of product, which is not really a significant amount, but a few slices of bacon are just one element of a home-cooked meal. On the principle that a little goes a long way, a healthy meal rich in vegetables and fresh meat can add a scoop of ice cream sugar to your calorie intake, virtually unnoticed.
Even if the ingredients do not mention sugar, look for dextrose and maltrodextrin on the label, i.e. added sugars, as well as fructose, molasses or even honey. If they are not on the label, there is a good chance that you are looking at a ‘sugar-free’ product.
Perfect quality pork bacon gets its flavour solely from salt and beechwood smoking. There are no flavour enhancers, no sodium glutamate and no bulking agents.
Not only delicious, it’s healthy too
It is important to mention the positive qualities of bacon, because although it is a fatty and therefore calorie-rich food, this does not mean that it should be banished from our daily diet. And it would be a shame to give it up, not only because of its taste, but also because it contains magnesium, phosphorus, selenium and iron, as well as calcium and B vitamins. It not only strengthens the heart, but also bones and muscles, and is even recommended for breastfeeding women.
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Last updated: September 24, 2023
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