Bacon in chocolate

I read the discussion under shelf life and it touched on bacon and food safety. I wondered if anyone is making chocolate with bacon and what techniques to use. The food science dept. at a local university said I need to get the water activity to under 8 but I don't have a hydrometer to measure water activity. I was planning on caramelizing the chocolate first which seems like it should cook out any water but I am feeling cautious. I did like the suggestion to get it to taste and feel like I want it to and have a very short period on the shelf. Still ideas from those experienced with bacon would be helpful. Thanks
Bud

updated by @bud-stockwell: 04/14/16 06:41:59AM

I hope your food science didn't tell you go to to an Aw of less than 8 - i think they meant 0.88-)Also, it's worth noting that, in the US, the FDA wants to become involved - or treat you as a meat facility - if you include meat (including bacon) in your products at a 2% or > level. Vosages Haut is having to deal with this presently.

HI,I have been experimenting with this as well. First, I tried baking the bacon and then dipping it chocolate...so good. Then I tried putting inside a mold with a ganache type filling, again decadence. Since I make on demand there really hasn't been any problems but would love to hear how long a product like this is good for.~Melody

I have cooked the bacon to leech out the fat and then blended that into a ganache instead of the butter. It is a good taste!

here a couple of meaty links ... http://www.likecool.com/Bacon_Chocolate--Food--Body.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Likecool+%28Likecool%2C+coolest+gadget+magazine%29 http://post.primatage.co.uk/baconchocolatewin

The Food Channel show Unwrapped had a 2008 show titled "Candy Bar Bonanza" that talks in more detail about the Vosage bacon in chocolate process. I know that it showed again on 10/25/10 at 7:30PM. Not certain if you could Hulu it or find it some other way. Hope it helps.

I have always cooked the bacon crisp and prepared within 24 hrs of taking to an event.

Now someone wants in their boxes of Easter Truffles. It would be eaten within a week.

Safe?

If the bacon is cooked & dipped within 24 hrs of delivery, I would think I would be safe. However, there is the question of how quick the folks that receive the gift would eat the bacon truffle. So maybe I need to shy away unless it is for a party and prepared just before the event.

In Utah, we can't add bacon at any level without becoming a meat processing facility.

In NC you have to purchase precooked bacon or go to a restaurant facility to cook the bacon.