answer:To differentiate it from regular cured bacon. It is also reminiscent of the bacon served in Canada, although not the same as indicated below: From Wise Geek The cured **** product which Americans know as Canadian bacon is usually called back bacon in other parts of the world. It is made from the loin cut, which is in the center of the pig’s back. As a result, the bacon is much leaner than conventional bacon. Back bacon is prepared in the same way as conventional bacon, with a salting and smoking process intended to cure the meat. Slightly more sugar is usually used, lending a sweet quality to Canadian bacon. In much of Canada and Great Britain, however, “Canadian bacon” is an entirely different food, cured and treated in a different way before sale. Availability of the two different types of bacon varies, depending on one’s location.