Going Whole Hog in the food industry is a call to action. It means promoting environmental stewardship and reducing waste by utilizing every possible portion of the pork carcass.

In 2014, there was borderline hysteria among bacon consumers due to a potential pork belly shortage. Between increasing demand for bacon and a nationwide pork shortage at that time due to a rapidly spreading porcine virus, buyers were scrambling to get their hands on the precious pork belly and battling an unexpected “food cost inflation”. Not only was the cost of pork belly rising, but any food product containing bacon was undergoing a price increase as well.

This sent the Research and Development team at Pederson’s Natural Farms back to the drawing board to find new ways to utilize other portions of the carcass for bacon production. Aside from being the responsible thing to do, incorporating other areas of the carcass for bacon production had the potential to strengthen the industry as a whole and alleviate some of the effects of the belly shortage that were being felt globally.

Even at the present time, it seems everyone’s favorite breakfast meat has been more difficult to come by due to basic supply and demand.

Pederson’s Natural Farms has decided to think outside the box and go Whole Hog. Who says all bacon has to come from the pork belly? Pederson’s Natural Farms challenged their research and development gurus with the task of making more bacon with the same amount of pork. Their expertise led them to create new and innovative products that utilize other areas of the pork carcass, such as the loin and shoulder, in the bacon making process without sacrificing the flavor and quality that made them famous. In turn, a carcass has the potential to go from yielding approximately 10% bacon, to 43%.

Pederson’s Natural Farms is extremely proud of their Whole Hog campaign because it not only falls in line with their sustainability initiative, but it also offers a cohesive, easily marketable line of products that will tell a story and engage the consumer.

Wondering what all products are made using the Whole Hog?  Click below to find out!