Eating raw Canadian bacon can lead to some potential health risks that cooking the bacon properly can help avoid. Raw pork products like Canadian bacon can contain harmful bacteria that cooking helps kill. However, the chances of getting sick are low if the raw bacon is fresh, properly handled, and only consumed occasionally. Here’s an in-depth look at what could happen if you eat raw Canadian bacon.
Can you eat raw Canadian bacon?
While it’s not recommended, you can eat raw Canadian bacon in small amounts if it’s good quality and fresh. Raw pork from reputable suppliers is less likely to contain harmful bacteria. However, there is always a minor risk of foodborne illness when eating raw meats. Cooking Canadian bacon to an internal temperature of 145°F helps kill any potential bacteria.
Is Canadian bacon fully cooked?
No, Canadian bacon is not fully cooked when you purchase it raw from the store. It is cured, smoked, and ready to eat after cooking. The curing and smoking process adds flavor and extends the shelf life but does not cook the bacon. For food safety, raw Canadian bacon needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F before eating.
What bacteria could be in raw Canadian bacon?
Some of the main bacteria that could be present in raw Canadian bacon include:
- Salmonella – Causes salmonellosis food poisoning with symptoms like diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps.
- E. coli – Can lead to severe food poisoning with bloody diarrhea and vomiting.
- Listeria monocytogenes – Causes listeriosis which can be fatal in high-risk groups like the elderly, pregnant women, and those with weak immune systems.
- Staphylococcus aureus – Leads to staphylococcal food poisoning with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Proper handling, storage, and cooking help prevent the growth and spread of these bacteria in Canadian bacon and other raw pork products.
What are the health risks of eating raw Canadian bacon?
Some of the main health risks associated with eating raw Canadian bacon include:
- Food poisoning – Raw pork may contain disease-causing bacteria that lead to foodborne illness. Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting.
- Parasitic infection – Raw pork can harbor parasites like trichinella, tapeworm, and toxoplasma which may cause symptoms when ingested.
- Severe illness – Certain high-risk groups like pregnant women, infants, elderly, and immunocompromised individuals may develop severe, life-threatening illness from bacteria in raw pork.
- Long term complications – Some foodborne pathogens can cause long term issues like kidney failure, chronic arthritis, and neurological problems in some cases.
Overall, the chances of getting sick from eating raw Canadian bacon are low, especially if it’s consumed occasionally in small amounts. But cooking the pork eliminates any risks.
How to cook Canadian bacon safely
To reduce the risks of consuming raw Canadian bacon, it’s important to cook it properly. Follow these tips for safely cooking Canadian bacon at home:
- Cook to an internal temperature of 145°F or until piping hot.
- Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature.
- Avoid cross-contamination by using separate cutting boards and utensils for raw bacon.
- Wash hands, utensils, and surfaces after handling raw bacon.
- Refrigerate Canadian bacon promptly after buying – use within 5 days.
- Cook frozen Canadian bacon without thawing first.
- Cook bacon thoroughly even if frying or grilling.
Typical symptoms of food poisoning from raw Canadian bacon
If you do get sick from eating raw Canadian bacon, food poisoning symptoms may include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal cramps and pain
- Diarrhea – may be bloody or watery
- Fever and chills
- Fatigue and muscle aches
- Headaches
Symptoms can start anywhere from 1 hour to a week after eating contaminated raw bacon. Food poisoning usually resolves on its own within a week. See a doctor if symptoms are severe or bloody.
Who is most at risk from raw Canadian bacon?
Some people have a higher risk of developing severe or even life-threatening illness from harmful bacteria in raw Canadian bacon. Higher risk groups include:
- Pregnant women – can harm fetus
- Young children
- Elderly
- Those with weakened immune systems
- People with chronic diseases like diabetes, kidney disease, or cancer
- Organ transplant recipients
- Patients on steroid medications or chemotherapy
These populations should avoid consuming raw or undercooked pork products including Canadian bacon. Cook pork thoroughly to safer internal temperatures.
Can you eat Canadian bacon medium rare?
It’s not recommended to eat Canadian bacon medium rare or pink in the middle. To kill any potential harmful bacteria like salmonella, Canadian bacon should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 145°F.
Cooking the bacon just until pink but not fully cooked may not be hot enough to destroy bacteria that could cause foodborne illness. So for food safety, it’s best to cook Canadian bacon fully until no longer pink inside.
How long does food poisoning last from raw Canadian bacon?
The duration of food poisoning illness caused by eating raw or undercooked Canadian bacon can vary depending on the source of contamination:
- Salmonella – Symptoms last around 4 to 7 days.
- E. coli – Diarrhea and symptoms may persist for 5 to 10 days.
- Listeria – Can cause illness lasting up to a few months in higher risk groups.
- Campylobacter – Diarrhea lasts 2 to 5 days in most cases.
See a doctor if you have severe diarrhea lasting over 3 days, bloody stools, high fever, dehydration, or worsening symptoms. Otherwise, food poisoning usually goes away on its own within a week.
When to see a doctor for food poisoning from raw bacon
Most cases of food poisoning from eating raw Canadian bacon can be managed at home with rest and hydration. However, you should seek medical care if you experience:
- Blood or pus in the stool
- Diarrhea for more than 3 days or excessive vomiting
- A fever higher than 101.5°F
- Signs of dehydration like dizziness or fainting
- Severe abdominal pain or bloating
- Neurological symptoms like numbness or muscle weakness
- Exposure in an infant, elderly person, pregnant woman, or person with a weakened immune system
Seek prompt medical treatment if food poisoning symptoms are severe or you belong to a high-risk group.
Can you die from eating raw Canadian bacon?
It is very rare to die from food poisoning caused by raw Canadian bacon alone in otherwise healthy individuals. However, certain high-risk groups are more vulnerable to severe, life-threatening illness.
Pregnant women, infants, elderly people, or those with compromised immune systems have a higher risk of developing dangerous complications and infections from bacteria in undercooked pork that could lead to death in rare cases. But for most healthy people, the chances of dying solely from eating raw Canadian bacon are extremely low.
Long term consequences of food poisoning from raw pork
While most food poisoning cases resolve without complications, some pathogens can occasionally cause long lasting effects such as:
- Chronic arthritis – Joint pain from reactive arthritis following salmonella or campylobacter infection.
- Kidney failure – Hemolytic uremic syndrome linked to E. coli O157:H7.
- Neurological problems – Guillain-Barré syndrome triggered by campylobacter.
- Heart issues – Inflammation of the heart muscle after salmonella poisoning.
However, these severe long term effects are not common. Most people fully recover within a week or so after food poisoning illness from raw pork products like Canadian bacon.
Can you get parasites from raw Canadian bacon?
It’s possible but unlikely to get parasitic infections from eating raw or undercooked Canadian bacon. Raw pork can sometimes contain parasites like:
- Trichinella – Causes trichinosis with diarrhea, muscle pain, fever, and fatigue.
- Toxoplasma – May cause flu-like symptoms and brain and eye damage in congenital cases.
- Taenia solium – Leads to taeniasis tapeworm infection with mild symptoms.
However, improved pork production and processing standards make parasites in pork products like Canadian bacon very rare today in developed countries like the United States and Canada.
Can you get worms from raw Canadian bacon?
It’s less of a concern today, but there is a very small chance of getting parasitic worms from eating raw or undercooked Canadian bacon if it contains worm larvae. Two worms sometimes found in pork are:
- Trichinella spiralis – Causes trichinosis when the worm larvae encyst in the muscles.
- Taenia solium – Leads to taeniasis tapeworm infection when pork containing the cysts is consumed.
However, modern pork safety standards, inspections, and production practices have made worms in Canadian bacon extremely uncommon. Freezing and cooking pork to an internal temperature of 145°F kills any worm parasites.
Can you get trichinosis from Canadian bacon?
Trichinosis caused by the Trichinella worm parasite is very rare with today’s pork farming practices. However, it was more common decades ago when undercooked pork often contained the worm larvae.
Eating raw or undercooked Canadian bacon could potentially expose you to Trichinella worms that could lead to trichinosis infection. Symptoms appear within 1-2 days and include diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, fatigue, fever, and muscle pain.
Trichinosis is treatable with prescription anti-parasitic drugs. But again, trichinosis cases are now extremely rare in the U.S. and Canada due to regulations and production methods.
Pasteurization standards for Canadian bacon
Canadian bacon sold commercially in the U.S. and Canada must be cured, smoked, and processed according to government food safety regulations. However, the bacon is not required to be pasteurized or cooked to a specific temperature.
Pasteurization involves heating food to destroy harmful pathogens. For ready-to-eat meats like hot dogs and deli meats, the U.S. and Canada require pasteurization to an internal temperature of:
- 160°F – For pork products
- 150°F – For poultry products
However, these rules don’t apply to raw pork products like Canadian bacon. Consumers are expected to cook raw Canadian bacon thoroughly at home before eating.
Trichinosis infection rates from pork in North America
Due to modern production methods, trichinosis from eating pork in North America is extremely rare today. Some key statistics include:
- Less than 10 trichinosis cases per year in the U.S.
- Most cases due to consuming wild game meat, not pork
- Around 5 cases per year in Canada
- Less than 3 cases per billion pounds of pork produced in the U.S.
For comparison, there were over 400 trichinosis cases per year in the U.S. in the mid 20th century when pork safety standards were lower. The infection rate has dropped over 99% since new regulations were implemented.
Steps for avoiding illness from raw Canadian bacon
You can minimize the risk of foodborne illness from consuming raw Canadian bacon by:
- Cooking the bacon thoroughly to an internal temperature of 145°F.
- Avoiding cross-contamination by using separate surfaces and utensils for raw pork.
- Washing hands properly after handling raw bacon.
- Refrigerating bacon right away and using within 4-7 days.
- Avoiding raw bacon if pregnant or in a higher risk group.
- Freezing raw bacon for 3 weeks to kill any potential parasites before cooking.
Alternative uses for Canadian bacon
Instead of eating it raw, consider these safe ways to enjoy Canadian bacon:
- Grilled breakfast sandwiches
- Baked with pineapple and brown sugar
- Wrapped bacon-wrapped appetizers
- Chopped in mac and cheese or potato casseroles
- Crumbled on salads and pizzas
- Cooked in stir fries, frittatas, and omelets
Canadian bacon adds great salty, smoky flavor to many cooked dishes. Avoid health risks by fully cooking the bacon to safe internal temperatures before eating.
Summary
Eating raw Canadian bacon comes with a small risk of foodborne illness. To stay safe, it’s important to cook Canadian bacon thoroughly to destroy any potential bacteria or parasites before consumption. While Canadian bacon is cured, smoked, and ready to eat after cooking, it still requires proper handling and cooking just like regular raw bacon.
In most healthy people consuming a small amount of raw bacon occasionally, the chances of getting sick are low. But there is no health benefit to eating raw bacon instead of the properly cooked version. Fully cooking Canadian bacon eliminates any food safety risks and allows you to enjoy the great flavor safely.
