Supermarket Perimeter - August 2019 - 43

Meat & Poultry

THE BACON INDUSTRY HAS CHANGED a lot in the past decade and a
half, says Neil Dudley, vice president of sales of Hamilton, Texas-based
Pederson's Natural Farms.
"Seventeen years ago, our company was trying to ﬁnd out what to
do with bellies. Bacon had not hit the wave yet," Dudley says. "Then,
probably 10 to 12 years ago we started looking around, thinking, 'What
can we do to get more bellies?'"
Bacon has continued to ride that wave of popularity in the ensuing
years, Dudley says, and he doesn't see it breaking anytime soon.
John Hernandez, breakfast meats brand manager at Austin,
Minnesota-based Hormel Foods, couldn't agree more.
"Consumers are passionate about bacon and can't get enough of
it," he says. "The bacon category continues to grow year-over-year as
consumers keep ﬁnding more and more ways to use bacon outside of
breakfast."
Whether it's being used as an ingredient in a favorite dish, in an
appetizer or to elevate a main course, the multiple varieties and ﬂavors
available to consumers today mean there's something for everybody,
Hernandez says.
Hormel's Black Label Original, Black Label Applewood Smoked and
Natural Choice Cherrywood Smoked bacon, for instance, create more
reasons for consumers to want to use and enjoy bacon, he adds. "Bacon
is one of those unique products that makes everything better."

THE TURKEY ALTERNATIVE
Garner, North Carolina-based turkey titan Butterball
offers its own take on bacon - one that more and
more consumers are ﬁnding attractive.
"We see two primary groups of turkey bacon consumers-those who are devotees for its taste and
health attributes, and those who are open to switching
between turkey bacon and pork bacon when price
is the driver," says Allie McManus, Butterball brand
manager for consumer packaged goods.
Turkey bacon has retained its popularity over time,
she says, serving as a go-to for consumers who want
the savory, crispy taste of bacon but who are avoiding
red meat as a part of a healthy lifestyle.
"There has been a noticeable shift among consumers
for cleaner labels and 'better for you' food options,
including in the bacon space," McManus says. "We've
seen a desire for more all-natural products and lower
sodium options, but taste ultimately remains on the
top of consumers' lists."

Foodservice, new varieties, social media drive growth

PEDERSON'S NATURAL FARMS, HORMEL, BUTTERBALL

Bacon's popularity continues to grow year-after-year - for a number of
reasons, Hernandez says. First, social media provides bacon lovers with
a platform to engage and inspire other consumers to enjoy bacon in
new and engaging ways. The surge and growing popularity of experiential events such as the Bacon and Beer Classic has created an engaging and exciting platform to rekindle consumers' love for bacon.
Second, Hernandez says, restaurants are adding bacon to everything
on their menu, from breakfast items to appetizers to desserts, inspiring
consumers to ﬁnd new and creative ways to use a product they love.
Finally, retailers are in tune with consumers and providing them with
a variety of ﬂavors, cuts, convenience and health options to remain relevant with changing needs. "Bacon is extremely versatile and compatible
with diet trends such as keto and is paleo-friendly, which has helped
with its popularity in recent years," Hernandez says.
Oscar Mayer, a brand of Chicago-based Kraft Heinz, also continues to
see steady demand for superior quality, great-tasting bacon, says Matt
Riezman, associate director of marketing.
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Butterball also offers a low-sodium turkey bacon,
which has 65% less fat than regular pork bacon
and 40% less sodium than regular Butterball
Turkey Bacon.
In addition, all varieties of Butterball turkey bacon
have no hormones or steroids and are free from ﬁllers,
giving consumers the taste they love that ﬁts their
healthy lifestyle. In 2018, the company launched
its All Natural Uncured Turkey Bacon, which has no
added nitrates or nitrites and no artiﬁcial ingredients.

AUGUST 2019 - 43

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Supermarket Perimeter - August 2019

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