Sales in the nitrate-cured form of bacon fell by 7.3% during the 12 weeks to January 25 compared with the same period the year before.
Data collected by consumer analysts Worldpanel by Numerator and published by the Coalition Against Nitrites also said that sales of the nitrite-free alternative rose during that quarter to £9.4m, up 21.7% on the £7.8m.
In 2016, the World Health Organisation declared that processed meat, including bacon, was a cause of cancer.
Nitrates are used on bacon to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria (Image: Getty Images)
Does eating nitrate-cured bacon increase your risk of cancer?
There is a mixed opinion over whether nitrates in food can increase your risk of cancer.
Professor Chris Elliott, a leading food safety expert who is part of the Coalition Against Nitrites, said: “Consumers are moving first, responding to the overwhelming scientific evidence linking nitrite-cured meats to cancer and the realisation that these chemicals simply don’t need to be used to make the bacon and ham that so many of us love to eat.”
He added: “The use of carcinogenic nitrites is increasingly out of step with public expectations.
“This is no longer a fringe issue.
“It is a mainstream market correction, backed by cross-party political support.”
However, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said the link between nitrates and health “remains inconclusive”.
The organisation shares that nitrates are used for processed meats to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria like Clostridium botulinum.
Additionally, it is used to preserve the colour and flavour of these meats.
Why has there been a fall in nitrate-cured bacon?
Hamish Renton, CEO of HRA Global Food & Agri, says that the public health debates that play out on social media might have had an impact on sales.
He explained: “The scale and speed of the demand shift in nitrate-cured bacon hints that we have passed a tipping point likely triggered by health concerns and social media fanning these flames of awareness.”
Due to the fall in the volume of sales alongside value, Renton suggests that shoppers are not trading down to cheaper bacon options but are actively moving away from the product altogether.
He adds: “The shopper switching game in bacon is clearly afoot.
“Perhaps some shoppers switched out of bacon in January due to Veganuary, but you can clearly see a push-pull dynamic between nitrite-cured and nitrite-free bacon playing out.
“We have seen this story before in many other categories when the core product process is questioned on health grounds.”
Jorge Thomas, Founder of Swaledale Butchers, believes there is still a strong demand for bacon, but customers are being more selective.
He said: “We’re not supermarket experts as such, but as a wholesale butcher supplying restaurants and also selling direct to consumers online, I’d say this reflects a more informed customer.
“People are still buying bacon, but they are reading labels more closely, asking more questions about curing methods, ingredients and provenance, and becoming more selective overall.”
Nick Allen, the chief executive of trade body the British Meat Processors Association, said it was up to individual bacon producers to decide whether to use nitrites or not.
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He explained: “Competing brands commission their own-label recipes, which can be quite varied.
“There has been significant and ongoing work by processors to reduce nitrites in cured pork products.
“Our producers have, over several years, been implementing new methods to get nitrite use as low as possible without jeopardising public health.”
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