What Is The Difference Between Organic Bacon And Normal Bacon?

[Valeriea]

What is the difference between organic and normal bacon? Is organic bacon safe? I saw a newsclip of an English Doctor saying bacon was very bad and not to eat it. What do you all think?

[Clanad]

As with every thing else in life, moderation is the key. Bacon that's declared organic deserves the title only if the pigs from which it comes are raised organically. I suppose one could allow for non-organic hickory logs if used for the smoking process...

[ladyalex]

mainly the price, I think.

bacon may or may not be considered safe to eat...nitrates, salt content etc etc but we have been eating it for a very long time and I intend to continue.
As to organic anything, I think that is a gigantic con and actively avoid anything labelled organic.
just me....

[Zacs-Master]

Organic bacon is no more safe or dangerous than non organic. Read this which tells you about the general dangers of red meat:
http://healthland.time.com/2012/03/13/just-how-unhealthy-is-that-steak-the-deadly-dangers-of-eating-red-meat/

[Clanad]

It certainly doesn't make any difference in this discussion Zacs, but, here in the U.S., bacon, or any other prepared meat isn't classified as 'red' meat. Could be just a difference in a supposed common language though..

[tamborine]

Pigs eat meat but organic pigs have been fed veg. Any animal or poultry feeding on meat is dangerous for human.

Remember mad cow when cattle were fed recycled protein

http://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_cow_disease

[Zacs-Master]

Interesting. The article I posted the link to is from your great nation. I was assuming that no amount of organic husbandry and diet would change the biology of the pigs body and therefore the dangers of red meat were relevant.

[Clanad]

Has something to do with the preservation process of making smoked bacon, Zacs, as well as pork, generally (along with poultry) isn't considered a 'red' meat here… although it's probably a technical fact only…

Reading some of the threads here concerning bacon in the U.K., indicates it may be a somewhat different end-product than ours in many ways, perhaps...

[Zacs-Master]

Our bacon quality varies greatly Clanad and price isn't always an indicator of quality.

[ladyalex]

My son lives in the US now and cannot wait to get bacon when he comes home.All he can find in the States is what we would call 'streaky' bacon and he longs for back bacon....in case you are unfamiliar with this, Clanad, think of very thinly sliced pork chops. (Cured like bacon, of course.)

[tamborine]

A similar local case in 70s, I dont recall the pigs being removed from the food chain :(

http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Farmers-fed-victim-John-Iveson-pigs/story-15375668-detail/story.html

[Clanad]

That's interesting ladyalex… bacon here is only side or belly bacon and is very fat. Most of that is rendered out when frying it (or other wise cooking). I can see where the 'streaky' nomenclature could be applicable.

We like ours thick sliced… at least 1/4 inch, sugar cured and hickory smoked (just like my grandfather used to make it on the farm).

[ladyalex]

That sounds delicious, Clanad.

[237SJ]

I do like the bacon in the States but it is streaky (as we would call it). I`ve never had back bacon there. My Dad used to feed his pigs on swill from the local hotels and the meat was gorgeous. That was mainly because they were slaughtered much later. Nowadays, they`re killed much younger and they are much bigger which is why pork is so tasteless (organic or not)

[RATTER15]

237SJ " Nowadays, they`re killed much younger and they are much bigger which is why pork is so tasteless (organic or not) "

I totally agree, I had pretty much given up eating bacon due to its tastelessness and maybe eating a little smoked bacon instead as it still has some flavour. I must say though, since moving to Wales my faith in bacon has been restored, as long as we can stay away from that highly processed plastic wrapped stuff, the fresh butchers bacon is thick and really tasty.

As for "organic" I also avoid it, just a big con!

[EcclesCake]

As far as I can recall animal matter hasn't been fed to livestock for more than 10 yrs.

I'm pretty sure what we know as back bacon can be found in theUS sold as Canadian bacon.

I buy organic produce from soil association approved producers or other small local producers who are known to me, safe in the knowledge that the animal welfare has been higher.

[diddlydo]

"Proper" bacon is one of life's great pleasures - not that horrid stuff that's been pumped full of goodness knows what that leaves a white sludge in the pan. Dry some dry-cured (organic or not) Suffolk black back and you'll see what I mean.

[tamborine]

Organic pork would be more lean than 'normal' farmed pork.

[BlueToffee]

Price!

[Clanad]

Well… live and learn… we've had Canadian bacon for years here in the colonies, but I always assumed it to be some sort of processed pork akin to Spam or some such. It appears here in the U.S. as part of the McDonalds breakfast sandwich humorously labeled Egg McMuffin… English Muffin, egg, American Cheese and Canadian Bacon… the least that can be said for it is it's an international concoction!

Didn't know the Canadian bacon is the British back bacon!