Pork Products Gaining New Ground On Menus
Based on data from Technomic’s online MenuMonitor database, which tracks the menus of 2,000 restaurant menus, this article discusses the increase in the use of pig products in restaurants in 2011.
There was a 7% increase in the use of pork products in restaurants in 2011, compared with 2010. The most common pork products used are bacon, sausage, and ham. Pork is being used not just as a main entree, but is also being incorporated into dishes with other animal meats.
The rise in pork can be attributed to several factors. First is the higher cost of beef products, encouraging a shift to pork. Second, bacon has become a particularly popular food item. The Pork Board also suggests that their campaigns to get pulled pork on restaurant menus and their “Pork. Be Inspired.” tagline contributed to this shift as well.