Butterball vs Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon: 130 vs 220mg Sodium

Per 1 slice, the Butterball Original Turkey Bacon label lists 130 mg sodium and 2 g protein on a 14 g slice, while the Oscar Mayer Original Turkey Bacon label lists 220 mg sodium and 3 g protein on an 18 g slice. The ingredient lists differ too: Butterball names mechanically separated turkey first, and Oscar Mayer lists soy lecithin and a 'CONTAINS: SOY' statement. This guide puts the printed label facts side by side and leaves the choice to you.

Key takeaways

• Per 1 slice, Butterball lists 130 mg sodium and 2 g protein (14 g slice); Oscar Mayer lists 220 mg sodium and 3 g protein (18 g slice).
• Per gram, label math gives about 9.3 mg sodium for Butterball and about 12.2 mg for Oscar Mayer. These are calculations, not printed values.
• Butterball's first ingredient is mechanically separated turkey, a term defined in 9 CFR 381.173. The Oscar Mayer ingredient list does not include it.
• Both products list sodium nitrite. Oscar Mayer also lists soy lecithin and the allergen statement 'CONTAINS: SOY'.
• The label facts cannot show health outcomes, so those questions are left open here.

How do Butterball and Oscar Mayer Original Turkey Bacon compare at a glance?

The two labels differ most on sodium per slice, protein per slice, slice weight, and ingredient makeup. The table below shows the printed values for one slice as each brand lists them.

Label fact	Butterball Original (1 slice, 14 g)	Oscar Mayer Original (1 slice, 18 g)
Calories	30	45
Total fat	2 g (%DV not printed)	3.5 g (4% DV)
Saturated fat	0.5 g (%DV not printed)	1 g (5% DV)
Cholesterol	15 mg (%DV not printed)	15 mg (5% DV)
Sodium	130 mg (%DV not printed)	220 mg (10% DV)
Protein	2 g	3 g
Total sugars	Under 1 g	0 g
Dietary fiber	0 g	0 g
Sodium per gram (calculated)	About 9.3 mg	About 12.2 mg
First ingredient	Mechanically separated turkey	Turkey
Soy	Not in the listed ingredients	Soy lecithin; 'CONTAINS: SOY'
Nitrite	Sodium nitrite	Sodium nitrite

The per-gram sodium figures are label math, not text printed on either package. Because the slices differ in weight, the per-slice and per-gram columns can point in different directions, so both are worth reading.

Which has more sodium per slice: Butterball or Oscar Mayer turkey bacon?

Oscar Mayer Original lists more sodium per slice, at 220 mg compared with 130 mg for Butterball Original. The serving sizes are different, so the per-gram calculation gives a second view: about 12.2 mg per gram for Oscar Mayer and about 9.3 mg per gram for Butterball.

The FDA's Sodium in Your Diet page states that the Daily Value for sodium is less than 2,300 milligrams per day. The agency describes 5% DV or less of sodium per serving as low, and 20% DV or more as high. The Oscar Mayer label prints 10% DV, which falls between those two thresholds. The Butterball brand page does not print a sodium %DV, so this guide does not place it in either category.

Both brands make sodium claims against other reference products. Butterball says its bacon has 40% less sodium than regular pork bacon, and Oscar Mayer says 44% less sodium than USDA data for cooked pork bacon. For more context on how sodium comparisons are framed, see Which Has Less Sodium, Hormel or Wolf Brand Chili?.

Which has more sodium, turkey bacon or pork bacon?

The materials do not include the pork-bacon reference values behind either brand's percentage claims, so this guide cannot say which turkey bacon has more sodium than pork bacon. The percentages on each package describe the brand's own comparison, not a direct sodium count for pork bacon.

How much protein is in one slice of Butterball vs Oscar Mayer turkey bacon?

One Oscar Mayer slice lists 3 g protein on an 18 g slice, and one Butterball slice lists 2 g protein on a 14 g slice. The Oscar Mayer slice therefore lists 1 g more protein, but it is also 4 g heavier.

Dividing each figure by slice weight gives about 0.14 g protein per gram for Butterball and about 0.17 g per gram for Oscar Mayer. These are calculations from the labels, not printed values. A single slice is also a small portion, and the protein a person gets depends on how many slices are eaten.

The labels do not state a package-level protein total for Butterball, so this guide does not calculate one.

How much does one slice weigh, and what does that mean for serving size?

One Butterball Original slice weighs 14 g and one Oscar Mayer Original slice weighs 18 g, so the per-slice values are not directly comparable. The Oscar Mayer package is listed as 12 oz and containing about 18 slices. The Butterball page lists 24 servings per container, but its package weight and slice count are not disclosed in the label facts used here.

The Butterball brand page gives two heating directions. Skillet heating takes 7 to 9 minutes, and microwave heating is listed as 4 slices for 2 1/2 minutes. The Oscar Mayer product is described as fully cooked. Whether Butterball Original is fully cooked is not disclosed, since the page gives only heating directions.

When comparing labels, shoppers can use these checks:

• Confirm the serving size printed on the Nutrition Facts panel before comparing numbers.
• Note the slice weight, since 14 g and 18 g slices produce different per-slice totals.
• Look for the package weight and number of servings, which are not always shown together.
• Compare per-gram values only as a calculated estimate, since they are not printed.

What is mechanically separated turkey, and is it in Butterball Original Turkey Bacon?

Yes, the Butterball Original ingredient list names mechanically separated turkey first, and the Oscar Mayer Original brand page does not list it. Its ingredient list begins with 'TURKEY'.

Federal regulations define the term at 9 CFR 381.173. The rule describes mechanically separated poultry as product 'resulting from the mechanical separation and removal of most of the bone from attached skeletal muscle and other tissue of poultry carcasses and parts of carcasses that has a paste-like form and consistency', and it lists Mechanically Separated Turkey as an example. The rule also states that bone solids content may not exceed 1 percent.

The Butterball ingredient list reads 'Mechanically Separated Turkey, Turkey, Water, Salt, Sugar' at the start. The Oscar Mayer brand page lists only 'TURKEY' for its meat ingredient. Whether Oscar Mayer uses mechanically separated turkey anywhere in production is not disclosed beyond what its brand page shows, so this guide relies on the brand page alone.

Which turkey bacon is not processed?

Neither label describes its product as unprocessed. Both ingredient lists include salt and sodium nitrite, and the Butterball list also includes mechanically separated turkey, so the labels do not support calling either product unprocessed.

Do Butterball and Oscar Mayer turkey bacon both contain nitrite?

Yes, both verified ingredient lists include sodium nitrite. Butterball also lists sodium erythorbate, and Oscar Mayer lists sodium ascorbate, sodium diacetate, and sodium phosphates alongside sodium nitrite.

Neither label states how much nitrite is in a slice, so the amount is not disclosed. The labels show only that sodium nitrite is an ingredient. For a comparison with another brand's bacon, see Does Oscar Mayer Bacon Have Nitrites? Yes, and So Does Hormel.

Which turkey bacon is nitrate free?

Neither verified ingredient list is free of nitrite, because both name sodium nitrite. Neither list names sodium nitrate, and neither label describes its product as nitrate free.

Does Oscar Mayer Original Turkey Bacon contain soy, and does Butterball?

Yes, Oscar Mayer Original lists soy lecithin in its ingredients and carries the allergen statement 'CONTAINS: SOY'. The verified Butterball Original ingredient list does not include soy, and its allergen statement is not disclosed in the materials used here.

Oscar Mayer also lists autolyzed yeast extract, which Butterball's list does not include. People with soy allergies should read the full allergen statement on the package they are holding, since this guide cannot assess individual reactions.

Is Oscar Mayer turkey bacon good for you?

The label does not establish whether it is good for any individual. Per 18 g slice, it lists 45 calories, 3.5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 220 mg sodium, and 3 g protein.

What do the marketing claims on each package say about fat, sodium, and hormones?

Both brands make fat and sodium claims against different reference products, and their hormone statements are worded differently. The claims are listed below as printed.

• Butterball: 60% less fat and 40% less sodium than regular pork bacon; no MSG or fillers; no added hormones or steroids; American Humane Certified.
• Oscar Mayer: 55% less fat and 44% less sodium than USDA data for cooked pork bacon; gluten free; fully cooked; 'Raised without hormones*' with the footnote '*federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in turkey'.

The reference values for pork bacon behind the percentage claims are not disclosed, so these percentages cannot be checked against the label facts. The Oscar Mayer footnote explains that federal regulations prohibit hormones in turkey, which is a regulatory statement rather than a claim unique to that brand.

How can shoppers spot these differences on the ingredient list and label?

Shoppers can check the serving size, sodium and protein per serving, the first ingredient, and the allergen statement on any turkey bacon package. The differences in this comparison appear in each of those places.

• Serving size and slice weight: 14 g for Butterball, 18 g for Oscar Mayer.
• Sodium and protein per serving, with %DV printed where the brand provides it.
• First ingredient: mechanically separated turkey for Butterball, turkey for Oscar Mayer.
• Curing agents: sodium nitrite appears in both lists.
• Allergen statement: 'CONTAINS: SOY' for Oscar Mayer; no soy in the Butterball list provided.

The evidence here comes from label data and federal definitions only. The materials do not include health outcome studies or current regulatory updates, so this guide does not assess the health effects of sodium, nitrite, mechanically separated turkey, or soy. Individual responses, populations not studied here, and open research questions are outside what these labels can establish.