Eddie Miller, age 9, of El Paso, Tex., for his question:

HOW IS BACON MADE?

Bacon is a cured and smoked meat obtained from the sides of pigs. Meat to be made into bacon is cut from the rib bones or spareribs. The flat pieces of meat are trimmed and cured in a mixture of salt, sugar and a small amount of sodium nitrite.

The salt preserves the bacon and gives it flavor. Sugar overcomes too much saltiness and makes the meat more agreeable to the taste.

The nitrite helps the meat to retain its red color and it also helps prevent the growth of bacteria that causes botulism, a kind of food poisoning.

Curing bacon requires from 20 to 30 days. After curing, the bacon is smoked over a hardwood fire to help preserve it and to give it a better flavor.

Bacon is considered a valuable energy food because it contains a high percentage of fat.

Canadian bacon is made from rounded strips of meat, called loins, which lie along each side of a pig's back. It has less fat than bacon from the sides.