[grecy]

Eh, we know for a fact the nitrates in bacon cause cancer, but how many people stopped eating it?

[ben_w]

First time I was in California, visiting partner and their family, their mom saw the California Cancer Warning of Doom label on a restaurant, and wanted to know why they couldn't simply not allow the substances known to cause cancer.

One of those substances is alcohol, and this place sold drinks.

Also she was a smoker at the time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Proposition_65_list...

[Timpy]

Unfortunately I know people who drink diet coke like it's water. If somebody ate bacon at that volume they wouldn't live long enough for cancer to get them.

[chiefalchemist]

Also the number of ppl having bacon at every meal is small. The number of ppl drinking diet soda - and consuming diet anything else - multiple times per day is significantly larger, at least in the First World.

[4ad]

In the third world, far more people drink diet soda than eat bacon. In the first world, I wouldn't be so sure.

[4ad]

Nitrates in bacon are essential for making bacon. Aspartame is not essential for making coke.

[ben_w]

Bacon isn't an essential food, at least not for humans. You don't need to eat it at all.

Likewise cola, of course.

[pxeger1]

You can buy nitrite-free bacon - doesn't that mean it's not essential?

[Ariarule]

"No nitrates or nitrites added" bacon still has nitrites as they are generated by the production method: https://www.americastestkitchen.com/cooksillustrated/how_tos...