April 11, 2007— -- This month, after conducting 1,000 hours of research, a group of scientists at Leeds University shed light on a question of international significance: how to make the perfect bacon sandwich.
The results of the study will be particularly newsworthy in Britain where the sandwich, known there as the "bacon buttie", is an integral part of the national cuisine.
The study was commissioned by the Danish Bacon and Meat Council, the UK subsidiary of the organization that represents all Danish pig producers -- Denmark supplies a quarter of all bacon consumed in Britain.
Dr. Graham Clayton, who led the research, said his team had set out to discover the best way to cook the bacon itself, as the other ingredients in a bacon buttie -- bread and sauce -- vary according to individual tastes.
Going into the study, Clayton hypothesized that the most important elements in defining the consumer's experience are texture and sound, rather than taste or smell. Dr. Clayton and his team experimented with grilling, frying and microwaving, attempting to achieve the exact kind of audible crispiness predicted to be a consumer favourite.
After tinkering with his measurements, Clayton tried out the results on actual human tasters. "We used a multi-prong approach," Clayton said.
The results of the research, published on the Danish Bacon's website, came down to this equation: N = C + {fb(cm) . fb(tc)} + fb(Ts) + fc . ta, where N is the force in Newtons required to break the cooked bacon, fb is the function of the bacon type, fc is the function of the condiment/filling type, Ts the serving temperature, tc is the cooking time, ta is the time or duration of application of condiment/filling, cm is the cooking method, and C is the Newtons required to break uncooked bacon.
The equation accounts for all the variables in the sandwich making process. However, according to Dr. Clayton, when it comes to the ideal bacon buttie, what doesn't vary is the force exerted to take a bite (.4 newtons) or the volume of the sound that bite emits (.5 decibels).
And how does all of this translate in the kitchen? Dr. Clayton recommends seven minutes on a pre-heated grill, turning once.
The release of Dr. Clayton's results coincides with the launch of Danish Bacon's latest advertising campaign, which this year is centered around the bacon buttie. John Howard, a spokesman for the company, said the research commission was inspired by the fact that 40% of bacon consumed in Britain is now consumed in sandwich form. "People are very passionate about their bacon and particularly about their bacon sandwiches," Howard said. "We are committed to our consumers and wanted to know, what technical advice can we give them to help them enjoy our product?"
On their website, Danish Bacon recommends:
• Cut two slices of white farmhouse bread (one to two centimetres thick) • Take two or three (or more!) rashers of Danish back bacon (smoked or unsmoked – whichever is your preference) • Place under preheated oven grill for approximately seven minutes on high (preferably 240 degrees) • Turn once during cooking • Add sauce to taste, and enjoy!
For Dr. Clayton, the research has applications beyond the immediate bacon buttie. For instance, he points out that Danish Bacon has significantly reduced the sodium content of their bacon in the last ten years. Should they continue to make changes to their product, it would be crucial to have established a baseline standard, Dr. Clayton said. "They would need to be able to ask themselves, 'how far removed are you from the ideal bacon of 2007?'"
