How the COVID-19 Pandemic May Have Changed Consumers' Taste for Pork Permanently

As demand for U.S. pork continues to heat up around the globe, 2021 seems to be the year of pork. 

“It's been a really strong demand side that has driven hog prices higher than I would have suspected six months ago,” says Scott Brown, University of Missouri economist.

“The positive is good demand,” says Neil Dierks, CEO of National Pork Producers Council (NPPC).  “I have to point out our current hog markets aren't, because we had a huge problem with production or supply of animals.”

From the bacon jam cheeseburger now available at Sonic, to IHOP launching a bacon obsession menu featuring candied bacon pancakes and maple bacon milkshakes, bacon isn’t just back. It’s become a staple on many menus.

“We have loins up and stronger, with prices above $1. Yes, bellies are high as well. And bacon's been doing well,” says Brown. “But seeing what might have been a traditional grocery store purchase, like loins, continue to be high here in 2021 is some good news for the pork industry.”

The pork craze is fueled by demand that continues to heat up coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Here we sit now in June of 2021, and we have nearly record-high hog prices, record-high pork cut outs,” says Bill Even, CEO of the National Pork Board (NPB).

As restaurants cash in on a growing hunger for pork, retail is also seeing shoppers’ increased desire for pork.

“I do wonder if we haven't allowed consumers to refine pork a little bit in terms of on the grill, in the home, as well as away from home,” adds Even.

Even says during the pandemic, consumers went from over 50% of the food dollar spent dining out, to a sudden switch of 95% of that dollar spent on eating at home.

“And what we learned in that conversation was really what happened with ground pork. People are accustomed to grabbing hamburger, which is fine, but suddenly, when the stores were starting to run empty, people started grabbing ground pork and started experimenting with it and found, ‘Oh, wow, this is really tasty.’ It's really versatile,” says Even.

NPB is even piloting new ground pork offerings with some national grocery store change, and Even says the change in consumers’ taste could last.

“I think that's a pretty exciting thing and a positive thing that actually came out of the pandemic,” says Even. “People tried new foods and like them. Ground pork was one of them.”

As more shoppers turn to pork, the National Pork Board is cooking up another opportunity with what’s called “Real Pork.”

“’Real Pork’ is a way to give voice to real farmers on real farms that have real pigs that produce real pork,” says Even. “And we're really proud of what we're doing.”

From the traditional advertising and marketing to consumers, Even says it was time to flip the focus.

“So, here we sit in 2021, and it’s about giving voice to the producer and talking to the consumer who loves our product, but also has questions about how that product is raised,” Even adds.

That increased demand for pork isn’t just happening in the U.S.

“We see places like Mexico who's starting to increase their trade with us,” says Brown. “So some COVID-19 recovery, maybe, is part of what's happening here in 2021.”

The strong demand in April happened despite sales to China falling. The latest U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) report showed pork shipments hit a new record in April, despite purchases from China dropping 20%.

The growing hunger for U.S. pork is diverse, which is a refreshing trend for pork producers across the U.S.

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