Americans love their bacon. There is nothing more tempting than the sound of sizzling slices of salty bacon on a Sunday morning, maybe with eggs and toast or a BLT. In 2006, the United States consumed $2 billion worth of bacon products, according to Bloomberg Businessweek, even though two strips of sliced bacon may have a whopping 75 percent fat-to-calorie ratio, not to mention the cholesterol.
Pigs, Boars and Sows
In pork terminology, boars are male pigs, sows are female pigs, and the young ones, under 100 lbs., are technically the pigs. In 2007, pork production provided direct employment of more than 35,000 Americans, claims the National Pork Producers Association. It also stated that antibiotics are regularly used in pork production and the welfare of the animals is paramount to ensure a nutritious product is brought to your table.
Cuts of Bacon
The part of the pig that you know as bacon comes from the cured belly of the pork. The U.S. Department of Agriculture mandates that if bacon comes from any other part of the carcass, it must be labeled as such: for example, "pork shoulder bacon." If the label reads "certified," that indicates the bacon has been treated for trichinae, a type of roundworm that may be found in raw pork. Canadian bacon is the rib eye cut from the back of the carcass, soaked in brine and rolled in cornmeal. Originally, Canadians produced this bacon by rolling it in crushed yellow peas, from whence it got its name, peameal bacon.
Nutritional Facts
Bacon found in your grocery store normally comes in three different slices, thin, regular and thick. Thin-sliced bacon is about 1/32 inch thick with about 32 slices per pound; regular sliced is 1/16 inch thick with 20 slices per pound; and thick is 1/8 inch with approximately 14 slices per pound. Three slices of regular cut bacon is 380 calories, according to Nutrient Facts. It contains 14 g of saturated fat, 45 mg of cholesterol, 500 mg sodium and 40 g of total fat. Two slices of Canadian bacon, about 2 oz., contain 2 g saturated fat, 30 g cholesterol, 800 g sodium and 5 g of total fat.
American History of Bacon
Bacon has been part of the American diet since Sir Walter Raleigh landed the first sow in Jamestown in 1607. The Houston Chronicle notes that Frederic L. Olmstead, a renowned landscape architect, complained of an endless diet of bacon, corn pone and coffee, when he rode across Texas in 1850. It is synonymous with the cowboy era of bacon and beans; today, bacon and eggs are a breakfast staple; and the bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich, or BLT, reached popularity after World War II with the introduction of the supermarket and readily available fresh lettuce and tomatoes.
References
- Bloomberg Businessweek: Bring Home Better Bacon
- National Pork Producers Council: Animal Health and Food Safety
- United States Department of Agriculture: Food Safety and Inspection Service
- "Houston Chronicle"; It's a 'we love bacon' world; Alison Cook; 2009
- FoodReference.com: Bacon Trivia
- Nutrient Facts: Bacon
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