What Happens if You Eat Bacon Raw? The Good, the Bad, and the Dangerous

The tantalizing smell of sizzling bacon can make it hard to resist sneaking a nibble before it’s fully cooked. While thoroughly cooked bacon can be enjoyed in moderation, eating it raw poses some significant health risks. Here’s an in-depth look at what happens if you eat raw bacon, the possible benefits, the dangers, and how to enjoy bacon more safely.

Why Raw Bacon May Seem Safe

There are a few reasons why raw bacon may appear “safe” to eat:

• Bacon is cured – The curing process preserves raw bacon longer than plain pork. This may make it seem edible uncooked

• Smoky flavor – Some bacon is smoked or made with liquid smoke extract. This can make uncooked bacon smell cooked.

• Familiarity – Since cooked bacon is commonly eaten, people may assume the raw version is fine too.

• Shelf life – Properly refrigerated, raw bacon lasts 1-2 weeks, leading some to think it’s not hazardous.

However, despite these factors that suggest otherwise, consuming raw bacon still carries significant risks

Potential Benefits of Raw Bacon

While not recommended, eating raw bacon does offer a few benefits:

• Protein – Bacon contains ample protein from pork that the body needs.

• Fat – The high fat content provides concentrated energy when eaten.

• Flavor – The salty, smoky, savory taste of bacon is attractive.

• Curing – The curing process does lower the risk of bacteria somewhat.

• Enjoyment – Some people may simply relish and crave the flavor of raw bacon.

However, there are far safer ways to obtain these nutrients and flavors than eating raw, uncured pork. The potential health threats outweigh these limited benefits.

Dangers and Risks of Eating Raw Bacon

Here are the biggest risks and dangers associated with consuming raw bacon:

• Parasites – Raw pork may contain worms like trichinella or tapeworms that can infect humans.

• Bacteria – Pathogens like salmonella, listeria, E. coli, and staphylococcus are risks in raw meats.

• Toxoplasmosis – The parasite toxoplasma gondii in raw pork can cause flu-like toxoplasmosis.

• Food poisoning – Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration are possible from bacteria.

• Allergic reaction – Some people may be allergic to pork, nitrates, or other bacon components.

• Choking hazard – Inhaling/choking on chewy, fatty raw bacon is a concern.

• High sodium – The salt content in cured bacon is unhealthy in large amounts.

Raw bacon should never be consumed regularly due to these potential health threats. Even fully cooked bacon is best enjoyed in moderation.

What Happens When You Eat Raw Bacon?

If you eat raw bacon, here are some of the symptoms and effects that may follow:

• Nausea and vomiting – The high fat content can cause an upset stomach.

• Diarrhea – Common when pathogenic bacteria disrupt digestion. Dangerous dehydration can result.

• Abdominal pain and cramps – Parasites, bacteria, and digestion issues irritate the GI tract.

• Fever, chills, and fatigue – Immune response to bacteria and parasites causes flu-like symptoms.

• Coughing or choking – Inhaling fatty bacon pieces can cause coughing, gagging, or choking.

• Headaches and muscle pain – Toxins from pathogens in raw pork cause body aches.

• Skin rash or itching – Potential allergic reaction to pork, nitrates, or other components.

• Persistent or recurring illness – Worms and parasites may continue to spread infection internally.

While a one-time bacon slip-up could just lead to a day of acute food poisoning, regular raw bacon consumption raises your risk of chronic parasitic infections that can cause lasting health consequences. Prompt medical treatment is key.

How Much Raw Bacon Is Dangerous?

Any amount of raw bacon exposes you to some risk, but larger portions are especially hazardous. Here are some general guidelines:

• More than 2-3 strips of raw bacon at once is extremely risky.

• Ingesting raw bacon daily or regularly makes illness much more likely.

• Children, elderly, pregnant women, and those with weak immune systems have lower raw bacon tolerance.

• Patients with liver or stomach diseases are more vulnerable to foodborne pathogens.

• Even healthy adults should never eat more than one strip of raw bacon, if any.

• Any amount of raw bacon can potentially harbor parasites, bacteria, or toxins.

• With raw bacon, it’s impossible to definitively determine a “safe amount.” It’s best avoided altogether.

The only truly safe bacon is fully cooked bacon. Be extra cautious around raw pork.

How to Treat Bacon Food Poisoning

If you develop concerning symptoms after eating raw bacon, here are some tips for treatment and recovery:

• Stay hydrated with water, broth, electrolyte drinks to counteract diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration.

• Eat mild, bland foods like rice, toast, applesauce, bananas when able to prevent further stomach upset.

• Take OTC medication like Pepto-Bismol as directed to relieve nausea, cramps, and diarrhea.

• Get plenty of rest to allow your immune system to fight the infection.

• Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen to reduce fever and body aches.

• Seek medical care promptly if severe symptoms like bloody stools, inability to keep liquids down, high fever, or neurological issues develop.

• Specify “raw bacon exposure” to your doctor so appropriate diagnostic tests and treatment can be provided.

• Finish all prescribed antibiotics fully, even after you start feeling better, to eradicate lingering bacteria.

With appropriate self-care and medication, most cases of food poisoning resolve within a few unpleasant days. But recurrent or worsening symptoms warrant medical investigation to check for parasitic infections or other complications.

How to Cook Bacon Safely

To avoid the risks of raw bacon, always cook it thoroughly to an internal temperature of at least 145°F. Here are some tips:

• Choose uncured bacon when possible to limit nitrates.

• Cook bacon on the stovetop, in the oven or microwave until fully cooked and crispy.

• Fry bacon on medium heat to render the fat properly and cook the meat through.

• Drain bacon grease into a heat-safe container instead of the sink to avoid clogs.

• Use a meat thermometer to verify bacon reaches 145°F minimum internal temperature when cooked.

• Let bacon cool briefly before eating to prevent mouth burns.

• Store cooked bacon properly in the refrigerator and eat within 5 days.

Following safe handling and cooking directions reduces your risks when eating bacon. The small sacrifice of waiting an extra few minutes for cooked bacon is worth it.

Is It Ever OK to Eat Raw Bacon?

The consensus among health experts is no – raw bacon should never voluntarily be eaten. The risks outweigh any potential benefits. While properly frozen and thawed raw bacon carries slightly lower risks, it is still never considered completely safe to eat uncooked. Stick to cooked bacon only.

Very rarely, some may choose to eat a small piece of raw bacon on a dare or as an experiment. But this is extremely inadvisable, especially on a repeated basis. Raw bacon should absolutely be avoided by young children, elderly people, pregnant women, and those with compromised immunity.

If you accidentally ingest a tiny amount of raw bacon, monitor for symptoms carefully. But never purposefully eat raw, uncooked bacon. Doing so is fundamentally risky and poses threats you don’t want to gamble with. Cook it through instead and enjoy guilt-free.

The Takeaway

Raw bacon contains parasites, bacteria, toxins, and other hazards that can cause foodborne illness. While it may look, smell, and taste fine uncooked, it should never be consumed raw deliberately. Cook all bacon thoroughly until crisp to minimize the risks and enjoy it safely. So sizzle up that bacon, but don’t take a bite until it’s done. Your patience will be rewarded with healthier guilt-free eating.