The Fabrication of Turkey Bacon

Abstract

Turkey thigh, breast, and skin were used in the fabrication of turkey bacon. The thigh and breast meat were included to give the alternating colors of white and red characteristic of pork bacon. The turkey thigh meat was ground (9.5 mm) or cut in 1 × 5 cm pieces. It was then mixed with curing brine to prepare the dark portion of the bacon. Breast meat was ground (6.35 mm) or chopped, and mixed with the other nonmeat ingredients except nitrite. A skin paste at a level of 10 to 20% was blended with the meat materials, or added to the breast meat only in one treatment. The dark and white portions were alternately layered in aluminum foil pans. The fabricated loaves were fully smoke-cooked to 60 C. After chilling, the bacons were removed from the pans and sliced.Turkey bacon was analyzed before reheating for serving and found to contain 70.1% water, 8.7% fat, 17.8% protein, and 3.6% ash. Microwave heating of the product decreased the amount of water more than heating by pan frying. A consumer taste panel evaluated the appearance, texture, flavor, and greasiness of pork bacon, Sizzlean®, and turkey bacon, and found the turkey bacon to have acceptable sensory qualities when compared with the other products.