You can enjoy bacon’s savory taste and satisfying crunch in a lot of different ways. You can add it to a casserole or pizza, mix it into cookies, or just eat a few strips by themselves. This food is not only tasty, but it also has a lot of good protein and can be cooked in different ways.
It goes without saying that bacon is very popular! Coleman Natural Hickory Smoked Uncured Bacon is always a top seller, and we can see why. On top of tasting great, we’re proud to say our pork bacon is made with simple, natural ingredients. Plus, it’s uncured.
Maybe you want to know the difference between cured and uncured bacon and why we make all of our bacon uncured. Let’s look at how bacon is made and what the curing process is. Table of Contents.
Turkey bacon has become a popular lower-fat and lower-calorie alternative to traditional pork bacon. But when you’re shopping for turkey bacon you may notice some packages labeled as cured while others are uncured. So what exactly is the difference, and which is healthier?
An Overview of Cured vs Uncured Turkey Bacon
The main difference lies in the curing process and ingredients used:
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Cured turkey bacon contains nitrates and nitrites added during processing for preservation, color, and flavor.
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Uncured turkey bacon does not contain added nitrates or nitrites. It relies on natural sources like celery powder for curing.
While the terms make it sound like uncured turkey bacon isn’t cured at all, it still undergoes a curing process—just without the use of chemical additives.
Below we’ll take a deeper look at how each type of turkey bacon is made, along with the health implications of nitrates/nitrites.
How Cured Turkey Bacon is Made
Curing is the process of preserving meat and preventing bacterial growth through the use of salt, nitrates, nitrites or sugar This helps extend the shelf life of products like turkey bacon
There are a few different curing methods used for cured meats:
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Dry curing: The meat is rubbed with a dry mixture of salt, seasonings, nitrates, and sometimes sugar. It cures for 1-2 weeks.
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Wet curing: The meat soaks in a brine solution containing salt, nitrates, nitrites, sugar, and spices. Pumping injects the brine deep into the meat for rapid curing.
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Smoking: After curing, meats are smoked to enhance flavor, color, and preservation. Commercial operations may use liquid smoke.
The nitrates and nitrites provide several functions:
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Preservation – They inhibit bacterial growth to prevent spoilage.
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Color – They give cured meats like bacon and ham their characteristic pink color.
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Flavor – They help develop the distinctive cured meat flavor.
However, there are some health concerns associated with nitrates and nitrites added during curing. Let’s explore those next.
Potential Health Risks of Nitrates/Nitrites
For decades, sodium nitrate and nitrite have been commonly used for curing meats like hot dogs, deli meats, bacons and hams. But research has linked these food additives to some health risks:
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Carcinogenic nitrosamines: Nitrates/nitrites can convert into compounds called nitrosamines in the body, which are carcinogenic (cancer-causing).
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Cell damage: Nitrite can interfere with cells’ oxygen transport and cause cell damage.
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Reproductive issues: Studies link nitrite/nitrate exposure to adverse reproductive effects including spontaneous abortions, congenital malformations, and reduced fertility.
Due to these concerns, there’s growing demand for uncured turkey bacon and other meats with no added nitrates or nitrites. Next we’ll look at how these uncured products are made.
The Uncured Turkey Bacon Process
Even though it’s labeled as “uncured,” uncured turkey bacon still undergoes curing. The main difference is no nitrates or nitrites are added.
Instead, uncured turkey bacon uses natural sources of nitrate like:
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Celery powder/juice – Celery is naturally high in nitrate.
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Cherry powder – Cherries also contain nitrate.
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Sea salt – Contains trace nitrates.
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Cultured celery extract – Converts nitrate to nitrite with natural lactic acid bacteria.
These natural curing agents provide the needed nitrates/nitrites for preservation, flavor and color development. And studies show the nitrates from vegetable sources are less likely to form carcinogenic compounds compared to artificial nitrate additives.
Other than the curing agents, uncured turkey bacon follows a similar process:
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The natural curing mixture is rubbed on the meat, or injected as a brine.
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It cures for up to 2 weeks.
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Smoking with real hardwood provides flavor.
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The turkey bacon is then sliced and packaged.
Now let’s do a quick comparison of the nutrition and taste.
Nutrition Comparison
There are some minor nutritional differences between cured and uncured turkey bacon:
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Calories – Uncured is slightly lower calorie (about 5-10% lower) since it contains less added sodium.
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Sodium – Uncured has around 25% less sodium on average.
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Preservatives – Uncured has none of the added nitrates/nitrites.
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Taste – Most people find both varieties taste quite similar. Uncured may have a slightly less “salty” flavor.
So in terms of nutrition and health factors, uncured turkey bacon looks to be the better choice by avoiding nitrate/nitrite additives.
How to Choose the Healthiest Turkey Bacon
When shopping for turkey bacon, here are some tips for picking the healthiest option:
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Look for uncured and no nitrates/nitrites added on the label
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Check the ingredients list and avoid products listing sodium nitrate or sodium nitrite.
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Choose turkey bacon with the fewest ingredients overall.
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Look for turkey bacon made from turkey raised without antibiotics or hormones.
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Look for certified organic and free-range turkey when possible.
And when cooking your turkey bacon, pan-frying or baking are healthier than microwaving, which can produce harmful compounds.
The Bottom Line
While cured and uncured turkey bacon both provide the crispy, savory flavors we love, uncured is the healthier choice. By avoiding concerning chemical additives like nitrates and nitrites, uncured turkey bacon reduces your risk of negative health effects like cancer. It still undergoes natural curing to provide the taste and texture of bacon, just through more natural processes.
So for your next BLT, breakfast sandwich, or turkey bacon snack, go for uncured turkey bacon to avoid the potentially harmful additives found in conventional cured meats. With similar taste and nutrition, you get all the joy of bacon without the health drawbacks.
Cured vs. Uncured Bacon
The main difference between cured and uncured bacon is in the ingredients used for curing. Yes, contrary to what these terms imply, both cured and uncured bacon are cured. They just use different curing agents.
More meat products are cured than you might think. Popular cured meats include hot dogs, ham, and smoked sausages like bratwursts and Polish kielbasa.
Cured bacon utilizes nitrates and nitrites, such as sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite. There are chemicals and food preservatives in the meat that help it stay pink and get better.
Uncured bacon doesn’t contain added nitrates or nitrites. Instead, it relies on natural ingredients such as cultured celery powder and sea salt during the curing process. While these products are still technically cured, the USDA requires bacon without nitrate and nitrites to be labeled with the phrase “Uncured Bacon, No Nitrates or Nitrites Added.”
Now that you know the difference between cured and uncured bacon, let’s talk about why it’s important.
Added nitrites and nitrates may be harmful to your health. Studies have shown that these chemical additives are not easily processed by your body, and may turn into nitrosamines. Nitrosamines are carcinogenic, meaning that they may lead to the development of cancer. They may also cause reproductive issues and birth defects.
You could, however, skip the nitrates and nitrites and instead choose bacon that has been cured with cultured celery powder. Coleman Natural uses this natural ingredient in our uncured bacon because it is thought to have no bad effects on health.
What Does Curing Do?
This process of curing meat and bacon is meant to make them last longer and keep them from going bad. It also inhibits the formation of harmful bacteria that can cause foodborne illnesses. It helps keep meat fresh, makes it safe to eat, and can also help preserve color and flavor.
As the meat absorbs curing agents, it loses some of its moisture and begins to inhibit the growth of microorganisms, including some pathogens. Clostridium botulinum, the toxin responsible for botulism, is just one harmful bacteria that can be stopped in its tracks by curing.
The curing process can also change the properties of meat. Cured meats often become more tender as they become resistant to bacterial growth and spoilage. That means cured meat is often juicy and full of flavor!.
At Coleman Natural, we only use natural ingredients to cure our bacon and other meats so that your family and friends can enjoy them.