Oxford Professor Creates Bacon Scented Patch for Vegans Who Need a Fix
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A professor of experimental psychology at Oxford University has partnered with Strong Roots, a plant-based food company, to create a bacon patch for vegans struggling to stay meat free, Business Insider reports.
The idea is that the person wearing the patch scratches it when they’re experiencing a craving for meat. After scratching, the patch will emit the smell of cooked bacon.
Professor Charles Spence, creator of the patch, specializes in sensory perception and the way the mind is connected to the senses of taste and smell. He told Business Insider that the patch may help those who don’t want to eat meat to refrain because the smell will let them imagine they’re eating bacon and will satisfy their cravings.
"Our sense of smell is strongly connected to our ability to taste therefore experiencing food related cues such as smelling a bacon aroma, can lead us to imagine the act of eating that food. Imagine eating enough bacon and you might find yourself sated," he told the outlet.
The patches are being trialed in a small market in the UK, where Strong Roots is based, but it hopes that it will become more widely available in the future. Strong Roots products are available in the U.S., but no word yet on whether or not the patch will make it across the pond.
British boxer and reality TV star Tommy “TNT” Fury, who is not vegan but says that he’s trying out “Veganuary” in partnership with the brand appears in the promotional campaign for the patches.
