How much pork should be in bacon?
Consumer member Phil Palmer bought Medallion shoulder bacon from his local supermarket. It was a good price and he thought he’d made a good purchase. But after cooking and eating it, Medallion shoulder bacon will be permanently off his menu.
After reading the ingredients list which included pork (only 56 percent), water, potato starch, dextrose, vegetable fibre, antioxidants and thickeners he felt ripped off. He asked us whether this was misleading labelling and felt this product shouldn’t be labelled as “bacon” at all. “Pork-flavoured frying rashers would be more honest”, he told us.
Was Phil ripped off or is this product legitimate bacon? According to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code there are no requirements for the minimum percentage of pork in bacon. It’s a good idea to check the ingredients list for how much pork is in the pack.
We agree with Phil that 56 percent is definitely on the low side – when we tested bacon in 2009 all the products in our test had 75 percent or more pork.
Water is added to bacon to make it heavier, so manufacturers can put less meat in each packet and charge a lower price per kilogram. It’s also added as part of the modern curing and brining process. Stabilisers, phosphates, food conditioners, mineral salts and emulsifiers are used to retain the water in bacon. Starches and vegetable gums are thickening agents and also hold in the water. Antioxidants help the fat from going rancid.
You can buy dry-cured or even traditionally cured bacon that should have a lot less liquid in it – but the catch is you usually pay more for it.
More from consumer.org.nz
- Bacon and ham - our 2009 test of the water content of bacon and ham products
Member Comments
Got a question or comment on this topic? Share your views and experiences with other Consumer members...
To add a comment you need to be a member of consumer.org.nz. Login or Join.
Read what our members have to say close
To save money on essentials and make buying decisions easy, you can't go past Consumer. We're proud to have over 65,000 members all enjoying our independent information online or in Consumer magazine.
Here's what some of them say...
"Just wanted to let you know that I find your site excellent! Easy to find my way around, everything at my fingertips - just a click away.
I only took out a 3 month membership as I wasn't sure but it is actually really easy to use and if I want it on paper I can print the
reports. Thanks again".
Denise Watkinson - Waitakere
"My mother (74) got a renewal letter from her insurance company for her car insurance, wanting $570. After reading
your article on car insurance, I contacted one of the companies you recommended, who quoted her $318 for the same
level of cover. I just wanted to stay thank you very much for your article, as it has saved my mother a substantial amount of money".
Adrian Lane - Kapiti Coast
"I've been a member to the magazine since 1997 and enjoy reading it a lot. I've found lots of helpful information on different issues...
Thank you for being so helpful".
Peter Kovalenko - Porirua
"I have been a member of the Consumer NZ for 20 or more years and have enjoyed much reliable advice.
I turn to their tests before making significant purchases".
Lyndal Print – Auckland
Join Consumer now and make your decisions easy on a huge range of products and services
- Over 500 reports, plus interactive tools and calculators
- Independent advice from NZ's trusted source of information
- Join over 65,000 members who help us get all NZers a fairer deal
from just $28
What's appalling is that someone is allowed to make bacon that contains only 65% piggies, but then write 'made from 100% pure New Zealand' pork, i.e. the two-thirds that is pork, is made from pork. What an outrageous statement. Are there no rules on that? What about not giving with the large print and taking away with the small print? Consumers have no rights.
Bacon, like ham or corned silverside is brined, which means salted water is added. An ancient method of preserving meat. However, it is open to 'abuse'. Essentially you pay for what you get. Cheap bacon will end up a skinny boiled string of meat when you try and fry it. I whole-heartedly agree that bacon manufacturers should have to declare how much meat and water is in their pack - otherwise how will a consumer know whether what they're buying at a good price is good bacon or just a meat sponge?
Support good bacon makers and avoid the tricksters!
My greatest concern when buying pork and bacon is to know if the animals have been humanely treated. I would like to see compulsory labeling on whether the pigs have been cage reared or free range. The labeling gives the percentage of meat, but not water. This is a critical piece of information to know how much real product one is buying.
That's awful. Anyway we should all be buying free range. I buy Havoc here in Manawatu and will soon try Pauatahuni Free Range Pork (happypigs.co.nz) their bacon is between $12.65 and $13.85 for 500g which is very reasonable and less distance to where I live. Sorry but you get what you pay for as with most things in life!
Well what do expect from look alike bacon???
If you want bacon you have to buy the real thing
i would expect a product that looked like that to be a cheaper form of processed bacon more like luncheon sausage - regular shape, homogenous texture with no fat or rind. With bacon, the more you pay the better you get, but Kiwi is a good run of the mill brand and the packaging claims 80% pork.
I agree the "Bacon" should be mainly pork.
What is also disconcerting is when I buy a vacuum packed bacon package that looks good from both sides only to find when I open it that in the middle is very scrappy bacon that is mostly fat and gristle. This surely has to be misleading packaging.