Turkey Bacon - Or Not?

This morning, I finally had my first meal to include this processed meat product. It actually wasn't bad. I won't say it was exactly like real bacon, but we're talking poultry here, not pork. If you are looking for an alternative to pork bacon, this will fit the bill. However, if you're trying to eat healthier, and removing pork bacon is part of your plan, there are a few things you need to know.

First, it is made to look like bacon. Sort of. It's made with less fat than pork bacon naturally comes with. That means when you've finished frying it, you won't have drippings in which to fry your eggs. You also won't have to worry about spattering grease while you cook.

Second, turkeys don't have belly fat like pigs do. On that note, you have to understand that bacon in the United States is not the same as bacon in all other countries. The U.S. uses pork belly for bacon. In Europe and Canada, they use the loin in the middle of the back, which is meatier and more like ham (think pork chop). Since turkeys don't have the same physiology, you can't possibly get the same cuts of meat from them.

So where does the meat for turkey bacon come from, and how can it possibly taste anything like "real" bacon? According to the ingredient list on a package of Jenni O's turkey bacon, the meat strips are made from "turkey, mechanically separated turkey". What happens is this: turkey meat is skinned, removed from the bones and processed with additives, including sugar, salt, three more forms of sodium, plus several vegetable oils and natural flavorings (maybe some form of Liquid Smoke?), then put into an extruder to form the strips.

Pork bacon is cured with salt, and natural flavorings are added to give that smokey flavor. Some flavors, like maple, will have sugar added. That's it. No other additives.

Back to the question of whether turkey bacon is healthier than pork bacon - not really. All that added sodium is no good. And the oils added to make the "fat" strips are not likely to be unsaturated fats. The benefits are these: there are fewer calories per slice, and those who are forbidden to eat pork due to religious constraints can enjoy this alternative.