Beef bacon vs pork bacon: closer than the label suggests

Swapping pork bacon for beef bacon changes less than people hope. The firmest evidence on this page is about red meat in general, and even that is weak. A network meta-analysis of 36 randomized trials found that replacing red meat with plant protein lowered LDL cholesterol by 7.3 mg/dL (0.19 mmol/L) (95% credible interval 0.03 to 0.36), at low or very low certainty, and most of that meat was unprocessed rather than bacon. Per 100 g cooked, the two bacons are close: 449 calories and 34.4 g of fat for beef, 468 calories and 35.1 g for pork. Beef bacon has more saturated fat, 14.4 g against 12.0 g, and about three times the iron, 3.14 mg against 0.95 mg, each a single USDA survey value with no spread. A slice is small. USDA survey coding weighs a cooked beef slice at about 6 g and a medium pork slice at about 8 g, which gives about 37 calories and 135 mg of sodium per pork slice.

How much is actually in it

• Per 100 g cooked, beef bacon and pork bacon are close in calories and fat (449 vs 468 calories, 34.4 vs 35.1 g), but beef bacon has more saturated fat (14.4 vs 12.0 g) and about three times the iron (3.14 vs 0.95 mg). — — Evidence E source
  Beef vs pork bacon per 3.5 oz (100 g): energy 449 vs 468 calories; protein 31.3 vs 33.92 g; fat 34.4 vs 35.09 g; saturated 14.35 vs 11.964 g; sodium 1500 vs 1684 mg; iron 3.14 vs 0.95 mg; cholesterol 119 vs 99 mg
• Across 69 USDA samples of restaurant pork bacon, sodium ranged from 1280 to 2590 mg and fat from 25.8 to 47.9 g per 3.5 oz (100 g). — — Evidence E source
  Per 100 g, 69 samples: sodium 1280-2590 mg (median 1800); fat 25.8-47.9 g (median 36.7); saturated 7.84-17.5 g; iron 0.92-3.6 mg
• UK composition data give grilled streaky pork bacon 337 calories, 26.9 g fat and 1680 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g), lower in fat than the USDA figure for cooked US bacon. — — Evidence E source
  CoFID 19-018 per 3.5 oz (100 g): energy 337 calories; fat 26.9 g; saturated 9.80 g; protein 23.8 g; sodium 1680 mg; iron 0.80 mg

What a real portion looks like

• In USDA survey data a cooked slice of beef bacon weighs about 6 g and a medium slice of pork bacon about 8 g, so a medium pork slice carries about 37 calories and 135 mg sodium. — — Evidence E source
  Beef bacon slice 6 g (about 27 calories, 90 mg sodium); pork bacon thin 5 g, medium 8 g (37.4 calories, 134.7 mg sodium), thick 12 g

What your body absorbs

• In a randomized crossover trial in 19 women, adding 2.1 oz (60 g) of pork to each main meal raised non-heme iron absorption to 7.9% versus 5.3% on a vegetarian diet. — Healthy women, 3 x 5-day whole-diet periods, 60 g pork per main meal, high-phytate diets (n = 19) Evidence B source
  Fractional non-heme iron absorption 7.9% (Danish meat) and 6.8% (Polish meat) vs 5.3% vegetarian

What cooking and storage change

• A meta-analysis of 28 food chemistry studies found that smoking raised carcinogenic PAH4 levels in beef more than grilling and barbecuing. — Beef and beef products in 28 food analysis studies (n = 28 articles) Evidence D source
  Thermally processed vs control beef g' = 1.64; smoking > grilling and barbecuing (g' > 0.8)

What it does to your health

• In a 14-day randomized crossover trial in 20 healthy men, replacing 240 g a day of red and processed meat with mycoprotein lowered LDL cholesterol by 12.3% from baseline. — Metabolically healthy adult men, 240 g/day red and processed meat vs mycoprotein, 14 days each (n = 20) Evidence B source
  LDL -12.3% and total cholesterol -6.74% from baseline with mycoprotein (P = 0.02); waist -0.37 in (-0.95 cm) vs meat
• A network meta-analysis of 36 randomized trials found that replacing red meat with plant protein lowered LDL cholesterol by 7.3 mg/dL (0.19 mmol/L), with low or very low certainty. — Adults in 36 RCTs comparing red meat diets with various replacement foods (n = 36 RCTs) Evidence A source
  LDL-C MD -7.3 mg/dL (-0.19 mmol/L) (95% CrI -0.36 to -0.03) and TC -0.14 for plant protein vs red meat
• A meta-analysis of 42 observational studies linked higher bacon intake with a 37% higher risk of gastric cancer. — 12 cohort and 30 case-control studies up to April 2013 (n = 42 studies) Evidence C source
  Bacon RR 1.37 (95% CI 1.17 to 1.61); beef RR 1.28 (1.04 to 1.57); processed meat RR 1.45
• A meta-analysis of prospective studies linked each extra 50 g a day of processed meat with an 18% higher risk of colorectal cancer. — Prospective studies published to March 2011 Evidence C source
  Processed meat RR 1.18 (95% CI 1.10 to 1.28) per 50 g/day

What people believe that the data does not support

• An umbrella review rated most links between processed meat and cancer, heart and metabolic disease as low or very low certainty, while IARC and WCRF name no safe level of intake. — 34 articles and 54 meta-analyses up to May 2025 (n = 54 meta-analyses) Evidence C source
  GRADE low to very low certainty for most outcomes; IARC and WCRF: no level of intake confidently safe

Who this works differently for

• In an 8-week randomized trial in 52 iron-deficient women taking an iron supplement, eating it with 4 oz (113 g) of beef improved iron status no more than eating it with a plant-based meat. — Non-pregnant women of reproductive age with serum ferritin below 25 ug/L, 32 mg iron daily with lunch, 8 weeks (n = 52) Evidence B source
  Ferritin +10.7 ug/L over time in both groups; treatment-by-time interaction P > 0.05 for all indicators

The bottom line

Salt varies more than fat between packs. Across 69 USDA samples of restaurant pork bacon, sodium ran from 1280 to 2590 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g). British grilled streaky bacon comes out leaner in the UK tables, at 337 calories and 26.9 g of fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), though it is a different cut and cooking method from US bacon. The cancer link is observational, and its certainty is low. A meta-analysis of 42 studies, 30 of them case-control, linked higher bacon intake with a 37% higher risk of gastric cancer (RR 1.37, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.61) and beef with a 28% higher risk. A meta-analysis of prospective studies linked each extra 50 g a day of processed meat, about six medium pork slices, with an 18% higher risk of colorectal cancer (95% CI 10 to 28%). These are associations. An umbrella review of 54 meta-analyses rated most processed meat links low or very low certainty, and it quotes IARC and WCRF saying no level of intake can be confidently considered safe. We found no study of beef bacon on its own. Smoking is part of how bacon is made. A meta-analysis of 28 food chemistry studies on beef, not bacon, found smoking built up more of the carcinogenic PAH4 compounds than grilling or barbecuing. That was measured in the meat, not in people. The iron argument for beef bacon is thin. In a crossover trial in 19 healthy women, 2.1 oz (60 g) of fresh pork per main meal raised non-heme iron absorption from 5.3% to 7.9%. In 52 iron-deficient women taking a 32 mg iron supplement for 8 weeks, eating it with 4 oz (113 g) of fresh beef improved iron status no more than eating it with a plant-based meat. Neither trial used bacon. In 20 healthy men over 14 days, replacing 240 g a day of red and processed meat with mycoprotein lowered LDL cholesterol by 12.3% from baseline. We have no evidence card on allergy, pregnancy, children or drug interactions for either bacon, so this page cannot tell you who should be more careful.

Sources

1. bpbc-daily-r1-09 · dataset
   Beef, bacon, cooked (fdc_id 2705856) per 100 g: Energy 449 KCAL; Protein 31.3 G; Total lipid (fat) 34.4 G; Fatty acids, total saturated 14.35 G; Sodium, Na 1500 MG; Iron, Fe 3.14 MG; Cholesterol 119 MG. Pork bacon, smoked or cured, cooked (fdc_id 2705889) per 100 g: Energy 468 KCAL; Protein 33.92 G; Total lipid (fat) 35.09 G; Fatty acids, total saturated 11.964 G; Sodium, Na 1684 MG; Iron, Fe 0.95 MG; Cholesterol 99 MG
   USDA FoodData Central survey (FNDDS) 2024-10-31, food codes 21601000 (fdc_id 2705856) and 22601000 (fdc_id 2705889) · checked 2026-09-29
2. bpbc-daily-r1-10 · dataset
   Pork, cured, bacon, cooked, restaurant: Sodium, Na 1830.0 MG, range 1280.0-2590.0 (median 1800.0), 69 samples; Total lipid (fat) 36.5 G, range 25.8-47.9 (median 36.7), 69 samples; Fatty acids, total saturated 12.6 G, range 7.84-17.5, 68 samples; Iron, Fe 1.28 MG, range 0.92-3.6, 69 samples
   USDA FoodData Central Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30, Pork, cured, bacon, cooked, restaurant · checked 2026-09-29
3. bpbc-daily-r1-11 · dataset
   Bacon rashers, streaky, grilled (CoFID 19-018): Energy (kcal) 337; Fat (g) 26.9; Protein (g) 23.8; Satd FA /100g fd (g) 9.80; Iron (mg) 0.80; Sodium (mg) 1680
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England / OGL v3.0, code 19-018 (Bacon rashers, streaky, grilled) · checked 2026-09-29
4. bpbc-daily-r1-12 · dataset
   Beef, bacon, cooked (fdc_id 2705856): 1 slice, cooked (approx .8 oz, raw) 6 g; 1 oz, cooked 28 g. Pork bacon, smoked or cured, cooked (fdc_id 2705889): 1 thin slice 5 g; 1 medium slice 8 g = 37.4 KCAL, 134.7 MG sodium; 1 thick slice 12 g
   USDA FoodData Central survey (FNDDS) 2024-10-31, fdc_id 2705856 and 2705889, household measures · checked 2026-09-29
5. bpbc-daily-r1-03 · RCT (crossover)
   The mean fractional absorption of non-haem iron was 7.9 (se1.1), 6.8 (se 1.0) and 5.3 (se 0.6) % for the Danish and Polish meat diets and vegetarian diet, respectively.
   Br J Nutr, 2005 · checked 2026-09-29
6. bpbc-daily-r1-08 · meta-analysis of food analyses
   A meta-analysis of 28 articles indicated that thermally processed beef had significantly higher PAH4 levels than did the control beef (g' = 1.64; P < 0.001). Smoking caused greater PAH4 buildup than did grilling and barbecuing (g' > 0.8; P < 0.001).
   Meat Sci, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
7. bpbc-daily-r1-01 · RCT (crossover)
   Mycoprotein consumption led to a 6.74% reduction in total cholesterol (P = 0.02) and 12.3% reduction in LDL cholesterol (P = 0.02) from baseline values.
   Eur J Nutr, 2023 · checked 2026-09-29
8. bpbc-daily-r1-02 · network meta-analysis of RCTs
   Consuming plant proteins resulted in a greater reduction in total cholesterol (TC) levels (mean difference (MD) = -0.14; 95 % credible interval (CrI): -0.28 to -0.001, p < 0.05) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels (MD = -0.19; 95 % CrI: -0.36 to -0.03, p < 0.05) compared to red meat interventions.
   Clin Nutr, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
9. bpbc-daily-r1-05 · meta-analysis of observational studies
   Positive findings were also existed in the items of beef (RR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.04-1.57), bacon (RR: 1.37, 95% CI: 1.17-1.61), ham (RR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.00-2.06), and sausage (RR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.16-1.52).
   PLoS One, 2013 · checked 2026-09-29
10. bpbc-daily-r1-06 · meta-analysis of cohorts
    When analyzed separately, colorectal cancer risk was related to intake of fresh red meat (RR(for 100 g/day increase) = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.05-1.31) and processed meat (RR (for 50 g/day increase) = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.10-1.28).
    PLoS One, 2011 · checked 2026-09-29
11. bpbc-daily-r1-07 · umbrella review
    Most studies suggest that PM consumption is associated with diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and metabolic disorders, but the certainty of evidence for most outcomes is rated as low or very low by the GRADE system. Based on the report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO-IARC) and the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), no level of PM intake can be confidently considered safe for the prevention of chronic diseases such as colorectal cancer.
    Front Public Health, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
12. bpbc-daily-r1-04 · RCT
    Findings suggest that the "meat factor" does not contribute substantially to improvements in iron status in women of reproductive age with iron deficiency when consumed with an iron supplement for 8 wk.
    Am J Clin Nutr, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29