Bacon

Bacon is a popular food made from cured pork belly or back. It's prepared by salting, often with nitrates or nitrites, and sometimes smoking, which gives it a distinct flavor.

Manufacturers add bacon to foods for its savory, smoky flavor and crispy texture. It's commonly found in sandwiches, soups, appetizers, and as a topping for various dishes.

Bacon is a meat product regulated by the USDA and FDA as a food, not a food additive. It is generally high in saturated fat and sodium. The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend keeping saturated fat intake under 10% of daily calories, and the FDA Daily Value for sodium is 2,300 mg per day. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified processed meats, including bacon, as "carcinogenic to humans" (Group 1) based on evidence linking them to colorectal cancer.