Pork products make fast-food comeback

Monday, December 5, 2011

This column has long been extolling North America's homage to bacon. Now a cultural icon from another meat commodity admits it as well. In October, KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken), which bills itself as "the world's most popular chicken restaurant chain," announced it was adding bacon to flavour some of its "bowls," a meal on the fly containing mashed potatoes, "popcorn" chicken, gravy, cheese and kernel corn.

Another fast-food chain enjoying success with pork products is McDonald's, which re-introduced its McRib product to American restaurant menus for a month in October and November. According to MeatingPlace.com, McRib returned in 2010 for the first time in 16 years and sparked a 4.8 per cent U.S. sales increase in November. The sandwich is made from shoulder meat and University of Missouri Agricultural economist Ron Plain says it is often introduced in the fourth quarter of the year when pork is cheap.

Canadian McRib lovers already had their shot for the year. The sandwich was at all Canadian McDonald's in July, although also for "a limited time" as the advertisements say. BP