Piled high on burgers, served with eggs, or enjoyed with loaded baked potatoes—bacon just screams salty flavor. It’s one of those foods that tastes great with pretty much anything. However, bacon does not come without its cons. For starters, mass-produced bacon is often injected with chemical additives, including potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate, which are used as both preservatives and fillers. Also, according to research, bacon (along with other processed meats) has been linked to an increased risk of disease, dementia, and even male infertility.
“Bacon can be made with additives, fillers, flavorings, and other ingredients that many of us don’t want in our diets,” says Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, registered dietitian and author of The First Time Mom’s Pregnancy Cookbook and Fueling Male Fertility.
To help you decide which bacon to pick up the next time you’re at the grocery store, and which to avoid, here are seven bacon brands that use low-quality ingredients.
Great Value Bacon, which is often sold at stores such as Walmart, is cheaper for a reason—it’s not high-quality. One of the first ingredients listed is “water,” which can be a clear indicator that you’re getting a “pumped” or low-quality product.
This brand’s bacon is also packed with additives like sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, and sodium phosphate, which may have negative effects on your health. For example, studies have discovered that higher levels of sodium phosphate in the body have been linked to vascular damage and accelerated aging.
Yes, Oscar Mayer has a line of natural cold cuts that are made with zero nitrites or nitrates, but their Hardwood Bacon is another story.
Don’t let the word “naturally” throw you off. Oscar Mayer’s Naturally Hardwood Smoked Bacon is full of unnatural ingredients, including sodium nitrite, an additive you definitely want to watch out for. Sodium nitrite, which is often used to flavor and color meat, has been linked to higher risks of developing colorectal cancer, as well as breast and prostate cancer.
This product’s packaging also gives zero information about the animals it’s sourced from, such as what they were fed and how they were treated.
Jamestown Brand makes meat products such as pork sausage and bacon, and they can be found at many grocery stores across the country. Even though your taste buds may feel good after eating these strips, you won’t be happy to hear that this bacon is made with two troubling ingredients we’ve mentioned above: sodium nitrate and sodium phosphate. Instead of falling for this pesky sodium duo, look for bacon made without these preservatives.
Hormel’s Black Label Bacon may be delicious, but its low-quality ingredients leave much to be desired. It’s made with additives sodium erythorbate and sodium nitrite, and it also contains dextrose.
Another name for corn sugar, dextrose is an added sugar that is commonly used as a sweetener or preservative and is known for its high glycemic index. When added sugars like dextrose are consumed in excess amounts, they have the potential to cause weight gain, heart disease, and other chronic diseases.
Kunzler’s Black Forest Sliced Bacon has ingredients in it that seem not only unnecessary but also unhealthy, with additives such as gelatin, corn starch, and caramel coloring. Corn starch, which is a refined carbohydrate often used as a thickening agent, is known for being high in calories and carbohydrates, and low in vitamins and nutrients.
