Think Twice Before Buying Jennie-O's Turkey Bacon

Turkey bacon is a healthier alternative to regular bacon when it comes to factors like calories and fat content. As for quality, some turkey bacon brands offer a nice salty, smoky flavor, but take note that the operative word here is "some." Not all brands offer the same level of quality, and some options are downright off-putting when they show up on your breakfast table.

In our list of turkey bacon brands ranked from worst to best, Jennie-O's turkey bacon came in dead last. As our reviewer wrote, "The first thing we noticed about Jennie-O's turkey bacon was that it was slimy," and based on other reviews of the product, this unappealing textural issue was not an anomaly. According to reviews on the Jennie-O website, multiple consumers had problems with sliminess. According to one reviewer, "New package opened and it was all slimy. Very disappointing," while another reviewer wrote, "the last two times I bought this Turkey Bacon, it was covered with slime so thick that I had to discard the whole package." Similar issues were aired on the Walmart website, where one reviewer claimed, "The inside is covered in thick slime. It's so thick that even when I try to clean some off with a paper towel it wouldn't all come off."

According to the USDA, spoilage can cause distinct changes in a food's aroma, color, and texture. When it comes to textural changes caused by the growth of pathogens,  food may develop an unpleasant, slimy texture that signals it's no longer safe for consumption. While you're actually more likely to get food poisoning from vegetables than from meat, spoiled turkey can also harbor pathogens like campylobacter bacteria and salmonella, both of which can lead to nasty bouts of illness.

While consumers are encouraged to be mindful of changes to their food's texture, there may be other reasons for slimy turkey. For example, turkey slices can sometimes develop an unappealing texture due to lactobacillus bacteria, which generate slime as they feed on any sugars in the meat, though this type doesn't carry the same health risks as other types of bacteria. Jennie-O turkey bacon does contain sugar, so that could explain why the breakfast meat is prone to becoming slimy. In this case, it's probably alright to eat the bacon if there are no foul odors and the expiration date hasn't yet passed. Still, you may want to choose another brand the next time you're shopping for turkey bacon.