Bacon lovers squirm as they see grisly process for making processed meat

17 July 2023 , 15:24

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Bacon is an incredibly versatile food made from pork which can be used in anything from sandwiches to pasta dishes.

But many fans of the salt-cured pork snack have so far been enjoying the food without giving a second thought to how it's actually made. A video has now resurfaced showing how pre-cooked bacon is made in factories - and it's been an eye-opener for those who didn't realise what went into the process.

While for some people watching it made them want bacon even more - for others they admitted part of the process was quite gross. The clip from How It's Made, which was originally shown on the Discovery UK channel in 2018, reappeared on YouTube, detailing some of the more grim aspects of processed meat making.

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People were appalled to see how bacon was made (Discovery)

In the video, viewers can see how bacon, which is processed through a meat-curing process and sometimes pre-cooked in factories, is mass-produced.

First, large pieces of pork belly are tossed into a big tumbler, which softens them so it's easier to remove the skin. They are then placed skin-side down on a conveyer belt, which takes them to a blade which slices the skin off. In a very detailed clip, viewers can see the pig skin flop onto the conveyer belt, before being moved along to make pork rinds.

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Then the pork belly pieces are flipped by a machine, so inspectors can remove any excess skin. Next is the curing process, which involves mixing salt and water until it's fully dissolved, before adding liquid smoke and other flavourings.

The skin will be used for something else (Discovery)

Back on the conveyer belt, the pork belly slices are injected with the curing solution with needles that repeatedly stab them. A metal hanger called a comb is then attached to the edge of the meat so it can be hung on a rack.

The stacks of hanging pork bellies are then transported to the "drench cabinet" so they can be showered with liquid smoke, which adds flavour and colour to the meat.

They are then ready to be transported to an oven, where they cook for five hours on low heat - allowing the flavours to permeate the meat. After it's cooked, the bacon is moved to a blast freezer for a quick cool down, before going to another cooler for a few days. This makes it easier to slice the bacon.

The meat is cured using several needles (+Discovery)

Before this, they are taken to the "sizing station", where their sides get trimmed down, and also pass through a metal detector to make sure no pieces of the hanger have gotten stuck inside. They are then stacked and transported to a freezer, where they wait until they are ready to be sliced and turned into bacon. When the time comes, the meat slabs are put into chutes, which sway back and forth over a blade to cut them into slices.

But it doesn't end there. The bacon strips fall neatly onto a conveyor belt so they are ready for the browning microwave, which cooks off the bacon and the fat trans into a trough. The fat will be used to make gravy and pet foods. After that, the bacon is checked by an inspector, who discards slices that aren't up to the company's standard.

Mechanic wheels are then used to roll the browned bacon slices onto parchment paper, and a tiny electronic eye keeps track of the number. Finally, after the bacon is stacked for packaging, and ready to be distributed. While many were fascinated by the process, others were horrified to see how it's made.