Bacon has become a bright spot in the day, all times of the day, for consumers, retailers, foodservice and processors alike. In retail, Information Resources Inc. (IRI), Chicago, reports bacon is performing very strongly, and in turn retailers are placing more bacon items on grocery shelves. Bacon is purchased by 75 percent of U.S. households, and on average U.S. families buy 10 pounds of bacon a year, IRI says.
“What we’re seeing is a real explosion in sales around flavors, and it’s also the source of where a lot of innovation is coming,” says Chris DuBois, senior principal for IRI. “We are seeing lots of new items with more elaborate flavors.”