Just guessing here, but it sounds like the white may have been more connective tissue than fat. Not all bacon is cut from the belly. There are some cheaper brands cut from other parts of the pig and processed to look like bacon.

I agree, there is bacon cut from other parts. We always had "jowl bacon", which is cut from the jowls, of course. So your bacon wasn't particularly lean, it was just different?

Annie

It appeared normal, with the normal amount of visible fat streaking. And as I said, it tasted, smelled and looked like any other bacon, but as it cooked there was hardly any fat drippings in the pan, in fact the eggs were sticking slightly.

i don't know the answer, but FWIW, I have seen the same thing once or twice with what I know is belly bacon. I tend to buy the Fresh Market's market bacon since they will sell you a single slice if that's all you need. I generally buy 1/4 lb at a time (which lasts me about three months) and there are times when it has behaved just as ritaweeda described, although it's usually totally normal. It puzzles me, too.

I've read that having too hot a pan when you put the bacon in can do this. I don't know why.

Guessing that, as Annie said, from a different part of the pig and the meaty part contained less fat than the meaty part of jowl bacon., and perhaps the processing method left less moisture in the bacon.
As far as I know the heat of the pan doesn't affect the amount of fat in the product. if it did we would have an amazing diet tool at our finger tips!

The heat of the pan is supposed to do something to the fat that keeps it from rendering, which is what, Ritaweeda, the OP, said had happened. I could probably count the number of times I've cooked bacon and don't know from experience. As I said, it's something I read. And all the instructions I've read for cooking bacon properly say to start with room temp bacon and a cool/not hot pan, which feeds the same concept.

The bacon was crisp, she said. indicating that the moisture was gone and what fat there was melted out.
I have for sure put refrigerator cold bacon into a hot pan and never had it not render the fat. It's the kind of thing you do when the kids eat all the bacon and there are still some left to eat. You pull more cold bacon out of the refrig and plop in to that hot pan. Never had a problem I thnik the fault was with the bacon.

Sometime store sales are planned way in advance and maybe they use different suppliers or mix up where they get their 'bacon' using the same label.

I cook and use it so many different ways...as a cut tiny 'crouton' for a soup or chowder...and do have different renderings no mater how prepared.

I don't buy consistently, always trying new ones. See it, try it.

I've heard Cosco has great bacon, a few different brands, but the quantity is way more than i would use in a reasonable amount of time. (does not freeze great long term).

I think it is the cut from where, and the processing, some being very speedy to hurry up the cure and smoke process to keep it cheap.

It all looks so different i've lost track on what to look for. I look for meaty and firm white fat....maybe start paying attention to the white and compare. Some is a bit fibrous and kind of separates. Some is more solid a slightly transparent like belly.