Is Applewood Thick Cut Bacon Vegan?

The Ingredient Breakdown

As a food scientist, I look beyond the surface of the label. The ingredients list for Applewood Thick Cut Bacon—WATER, SALT, SUGAR, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM ERYTHORBATE, SODIUM NITRITE—appears simple, but there is a hidden complexity regarding the SUGAR.

The primary flag for veganism here is the SUGAR. Not all sugar is vegan. In the United States, a significant portion of refined white sugar is processed through filtration beds that contain bone char (ground animal bones) to bleach the sugar crystal. Unless the manufacturer specifies that their sugar is organic, unrefined, or specifically sourced from beets (which are not processed with bone char), strict vegans must assume it is not vegan.

Furthermore, the curing agents present a biological origin issue. SODIUM NITRITE is a chemical compound, but historically, nitrites were derived from saltpeter (potassium nitrate), which was mined. However, in modern industrial food production, while synthetic sodium nitrite is chemically manufactured, the processing aids are rarely disclosed. The SODIUM PHOSPHATE is used to retain water and texture; while usually mineral-based, phosphate mining can sometimes involve animal by-products in the filtration process, though this is less common than the sugar issue.

Ultimately, because the source of the SUGAR is not explicitly defined as vegan-friendly on the packaging, we cannot classify this product as definitively vegan.

Nutritional Value

From a nutritional standpoint, Applewood Thick Cut Bacon is high in fat and sodium, typical of cured meats. The SUGAR content, while low in grams, contributes to the calorie count and the curing process.

For those monitoring their intake, the SODIUM NITRITE is a preservative that converts to nitrosamines under high heat, which is a consideration for overall health, though not a vegan issue. The SODIUM PHOSPHATE helps the meat hold water, which affects the calorie density per slice. If you are on a strict low-sugar or low-carb diet, the trace sugars here are negligible, but for a vegan diet, the nutritional 'cost' of the sugar processing method is the main concern.