A bacon-scented patch has been developed "to help vegans and vegetarians with meat cravings". The unusual device, not dissimilar to a nicotine patch, was invented by Charles Spence, a professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford. His area of expertise is sensory perception (how smell affects the mind), and he joined forces with the plant-based food company Strong Roots to create the patch. The patches are activated when they are scratched and are said to produce a meaty smell not dissimilar to bacon. This vegan took her neighbors to court over the smell of their BBQ: [[jwplayerwidget||https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/OcR1FeSo-Q0L14jDU.mp4||OcR1FeSo]] According to Professor Spence, as per the <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/vegan-meat-patch-bacon-scratch-sniff-vegetarian-tommy-fury-strong-roots-a9301411.html">Independent</a>, the patch will allow its users to "imagine" eating meat without actually having to do so and by extension, satisfy their cravings. The author of Gastrophysics: The New Science of Eating said: "Studies have shown that scent can reduce food 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." Trials of the patches are taking place this week in Reading, Leeds, and Liverpool, with their production company hoping that they will become widely available in the future. One of the first people to try the patch is former Love Island contestant and boxer Tommy Fury. He said on his <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tommytntfury/?hl=en">Instagram story</a>: "I've been hearing a lot about Veganuary, and I really wanted to try it. One of my new year's resolutions was to cut back on meat." [[instagramwidget||https://twitter.com/IanMarber/status/1221343443580071936]] However, if reactions on social media are anything to go by, the general reaction to the patch has been one of widespread cynicism. "This surely can't be an actual thing," one person <a class="body-link" href="https://twitter.com/TheVeganPunk/status/1221013889900601344?s=20" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-vars-item-name="BL-9301411-https://twitter.com/TheVeganPunk/status/1221013889900601344?s=20" data-vars-event-id="c6">tweeted</a>.​ [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/TheVeganPunk/status/1221013889900601344?s=20]] "April Fool's Day has come early this year?” another <a class="body-link" href="https://twitter.com/MarkWroxham/status/1221039190802038784?s=20" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-vars-item-name="BL-9301411-https://twitter.com/MarkWroxham/status/1221039190802038784?s=20" data-vars-event-id="c6">remarked</a>. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/MarkWroxham/status/1221039190802038784?s=20]] What do you think? Would you try the bacon patch out?

Bacon-scented patch developed 'to help vegans and vegetarians with meat cravings'

Top Stories

News

Teacher allegedly fired for reading excerpt from illustrated diary of Anne Frank to eighth-graders

News

School forced to apologize after furious dad complains about 'disgusting' gift his daughter made

News

Judge rules boy, 14, is too young to be held criminally responsible for death of 16-year-old

News

Video of 'absolutely disgusting' mess left at McDonalds horrifies social media: 'Zero respect'

News

Man dips finger in Yellowstone hot spring, accidentally falls in and dissolves within a day

News

Man who died after fight at football game once saved a young girl from drowning