Refrigerated bacon sales reached $4.4 billion, growing 3.5 percent in U.S. retailers for the year ending July 9, according to IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm. Bacon’s growth is not surprising as the product found a second life in the trend cycle a few years ago, when chefs and manufacturers began adding it to everything from donuts to vodka.
Bacon is all over menus, with chefs experimenting with new preparations, flavors and cuts. This trend has really continued to this day with bacon experiencing growth across all menu parts during the past year, including notable growth among desserts and beverages which are both up 17 percent, according to Datassential, Chicago.