Supermarket Perimeter - October 2021 - 38

Meat & Poultry: Bacon
We don't use liquid fillers or dyers, and we cook it for hours, not 15
minutes. "
When North Country branded bacon launched, the emphasis was
more on certified humane production, Kelly said. In the past couple
of years, however, there's been more emphasis on organic. Sugar-free
is also in greater demand. In fact, North Country's top bacon SKU at
Whole Foods is an 8-ounce sugar-free organic bacon.
Premium producers like North Country are finding that the retail
bacon category is increasingly open to products that stand out from
the pack.
" Retailers feel like they need to have something differentiated. When
you go in and look at bacon, in general almost all items are commodity, "
Kelly said. " But there are consumers out there who want this type of
product, not just five different types of maple or applewood. And they're
loyal customers, and their basket size is typically big. "
But whether it's commodity or niche specialty, it's a good time to be
in the bacon business, Kelly said, regardless of that particular corner of
it you occupy.
" People just love bacon right now, " he said. " You look at foodservice
or retail, it's included in more and more products. Bacon used to be just
a breakfast staple. Now you go into an upscale restaurant and you see
candied bacon for $18. "
Is it bacon? Is it sausage?
New this year in grocery stores nationwide are
Johnsonville Sausage Strips, a product line of fully
cooked smoked sausage that looks and cooks like
bacon, but is actually sausage.
Johnsonville Sausage Strips feature a smokedsausage
flavor and are made with premium cuts of
pork and no MSG. They retail for a suggested $4.99
and are available in four flavors: Original, Spicy,
Maple Flavored and Smoked Chorizo.
After a successful launch in 2020 among Midwest
consumers, Johnsonville Sausage Strips are now
available nationwide at retailers including Kroger,
Meijer, Albertsons-Safeway, HEB, Food Lion, many
Walmart stores and dozens of independent grocers.
Sausage Strips received the 2021 'Best New Product'
status in the breakfast meat category, according to
BrandSpark International.*
Hormel launches bacon sweepstakes
Bacon lovers rejoice -through Dec. 12, Austin, Minn.-based Hormel
Foods is giving customers a chance to win a 10 years' supply of its Black
Label bacon and other prizes.
Hormel is advertising the sweepstakes with bright green rectangular
game pieces located inside specially marked packages.
" The goal of the sweepstakes is to reward our Hormel Black Label
bacon lovers by giving them a chance to win a 10-year supply of bacon,
igniting yet another legendary moment in their lives, " said Samantha
Hovland, brand manager at Hormel Foods.
During the promotion period, there will be a supply of specially
marked packages of bacon online and at participating stores.
To participate without making a purchase, consumers can visit
BRINGHOMEBLACKLABEL.COM and complete and submit the
registration form within the promotional period.
" We know our consumers are motivated by gaming, sports and
winning, " said Jenny Rechner, associate brand manager at Hormel
Foods. " We are excited to give consumers the opportunity to bring
home the bacon for 10 years. "
38 - OCTOBER 2021
supermarketperimeter.com
" At Johnsonville, we are obsessed with sausage, so
naturally we're always looking for new ways to enjoy
it. When we thought of slicing sausage like bacon we
thought we had a pretty darn good idea and needed
to share it with the world, " said Steve Bembenista,
a senior brand manager on Johnsonville's innovation
team. " Ultimately, Sausage Strips were made
to add something flavorful and exciting not only
to breakfast, but also to sandwiches, burgers, or
whatever else your mind can dream up. "
They're a leaner alternative to bacon, he added, with
40% less fat and 30% less sodium, according to
USDA data. Preparation is quick and convenient with
a variety of cooking methods that work for the fully
cooked product, including in the oven, stovetop, air
fryer, or on the grill.
NORTH COUNTRY, JOHNSONVILLE
http://www.bringhomeblacklabel.com/ http://www.supermarketperimeter.com
Supermarket Perimeter - October 2021

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