New research shows “special” bacon might be safe to eat for people who obtain a red meat allergy from a lone star tick bite.
The surprising source for the loophole around the allergy: genetically modified pigs. Known as “Gal-Safe” pigs, these animals were created for organ transplant research.
The name “Gal-Safe” comes from the allergy, called alpha-gal syndrome.
The pork from the animals is not readily available in grocery stores. The company that bred the pigs for research, Revivicor Inc., said it shares its small supply, for free, with allergy patients.
Nebraska Extension said the lone start tick is the second-most prevalent tick in Nebraska.
“There are several diseases that are not great that ticks can pass, but I think in Nebraska, if you take away someone’s read meat – their steak, their hamburgers – they’re really going to stop to think about it,” said Nebraska Extension Urban Entomologist Jody Green.
The Associated Press said while xenotransplants (animal to human) still are experimental, Revivicor’s “GalSafe” pigs won Food and Drug Administration approval in 2020 to be used as a source of food.
There are still many questions about this discovery, including whether those genetically modified pigs should enter the food supply once they’ve assisted with an organ transplant. The “GalSafe” pigs that do enter the supply chain have not assisted with an organ transplant.
But for now, Revivicor Inc. said thank-you letters relating the joy of eating bacon again line a bulletin board near the freezer in their corporate office.
