Britons ditch traditional bacon as nitrite-free sales continue to sizzle

Britons are increasingly swapping traditional bacon for versions made without added nitrites, as concerns about the health effects of curing chemicals grow. Spending on nitrite-free bacon reached £34.8m in the year to September 2026, up 11.4%, while sales of conventional bacon declined. Supermarkets are responding: Waitrose has doubled its nitrite-free range and sales of some products have risen sharply. However, the Food Standards Agency says there is currently no evidence that processed meat made without nitrites is safer. Nitrite-free bacon is also often more expensive, potentially making the switch costly for consumers.

Nitrite-free bacon sales boom in UK amid fears over curing chemicals | Meat | The Guardian

1. Explain how concerns about the health effects of nitrites could affect the demand for nitrite-free bacon.

2. Analyse how the availability of nitrite-free bacon could affect the market for conventional bacon. Use a demand and supply diagram in your answer.

3. Assess whether information failure is likely to be an important reason for the increase in demand for nitrite-free bacon.