Who says?

Have no fear; this is not the return of WNTE. This is simply a passing revisit . . . a savory belch to remind you of that last flavorful chomp.

A health inspector visiting a Waffle House (of all things) issued the following comment:

"Cardboard cannot be used to store bacon."

The same inspector -- apparently to his dismay and not at all a surprise to Awful Waffle regulars -- "found food particles on plates and silverware."

Bad dish washing aside, I think the cardboard-as-bacon-keeper comment is more of a challenge than a statement of fact. So, here is a quick perusal of some web-based bacon storage tips:

Rip off a large piece of aluminum foil. Place one strip of bacon horizontally at one edge of the foil. Fold the foil down to cover the strip. Repeat until all of your bacon is in the foil, accordion-style. Freeze your bacon until ready to use. (found it here)

Dishwasher-safe polypropylene plastic (example)

Bacon should be used within one to two months. If storing longer, double wrapping is suggested to help keep in moisture. Be sure to wrap tightly against the entire surface of the meat to prevent ice crystals from forming in areas that are loosely wrapped. (additional instructions)

Smoked and cured bacon produced at home needs to be frozen or stored in a refrigerator until eaten. Take off the rind, slice, wrap in freezer paper and place in freezer -- it's then good for 2 to 3 months. (look here for more than you want to know)

I guess you really shouldn't store bacon in or on cardboard. Who knew?