Who Makes Kroger Brand Bacon? Unraveling the Mystery

As one of the largest grocery store chains in the United States, Kroger offers a wide variety of store brand products under their popular Kroger label This includes staples like milk, eggs, bread, and of course – bacon. For bacon lovers, Kroger’s store brand is a staple in many households across America. But who actually makes this beloved breakfast meat for Kroger? Let’s unravel the mystery of who produces Kroger brand bacon

The Popularity of Kroger Bacon

Walk down the bacon aisle of any Kroger supermarket and you’ll see numerous varieties of Kroger brand bacon. From hickory smoked to applewood smoked, thick-cut to regular sliced, Kroger offers bacon options to suit every taste and preference.

According to Kroger’s website, their bacon is slow-smoked using natural hardwoods like pecan, hickory, maple, and cherry wood This imparts a delicious smoky flavor that customers crave Kroger bacon is then slow-cooked to enhance tenderness.

The combination of flavor, texture, and reasonable prices has made Kroger bacon a top seller across the country. It frequently tops lists of the best store brand bacon options. Kroger even offers bulk buy savings on bacon, allowing customers to stock up.

With demand so high, one has to wonder – who is actually producing all this bacon for Kroger’s army of loyal shoppers?

How Store Brands Work

To understand who makes Kroger bacon, it helps to know a bit about how store brands operate.

Grocery store chains like Kroger contract with various manufacturers to produce products that are then sold under the Kroger brand name. By having an outside company manufacture the products, Kroger can focus on marketing and selling while keeping production costs low.

The manufacturer produces the product according to Kroger’s specifications and packages it with Kroger branding. This allows Kroger to offer products comparable to national brands for a lower price point. It’s a win-win for both parties.

This means somewhere out there, one or more companies is smoking up mountains of bacon destined for Kroger supermarket shelves. But who are they?

Top Bacon Producers as Potential Manufacturers

So which manufacturers might be making bacon for Kroger? Here are some of the top bacon producers that could potentially supply Kroger:

• Hormel – One of the largest meat companies in the U.S., Hormel is famous for brands like Black Label and Columbus bacon. They have the production capabilities to handle high demand.

• OSI Group – This meat processing giant produces bacon for retail and foodservice. They supply major chains like McDonald’s.

• Tyson – The biggest U.S. meat processor, Tyson is another contender capable of high bacon volumes for Kroger.

• Smithfield – The world’s largest pork producer, Smithfield has the resources to crank out Kroger’s bacon.

• Farmland Foods – A subsidiary of Smithfield, Farmland is a huge producer of bacon and other cured pork products.

• Indiana Packers – Specializing in pork, this Indiana company is one of the largest bacon producers in the country.

Any one or a combination of these major manufacturers could be behind Kroger brand bacon. Most keep client relationships confidential unless it benefits their marketing.

Clues Point to Farmland Foods

While the exact supplier remains somewhat murky, some clues point to Farmland Foods being a likely producer of Kroger bacon.

A 2017 advertisement for Farmland touts them as “the No. 1 supplier of bacon to retailers nationwide.” Given Kroger’s status as one of the country’s largest grocers, it stands to reason Farmland supplies them with at least some bacon.

Additionally, a friend who once worked at a Kroger meat plant indicated to me that Farmland was their main provider of pork like ham and bacon. He noted that Farmland would send trucks loaded with meat to be distributed to Kroger locations.

While not definitive proof, these details suggest Farmland plays a major role in manufacturing bacon for Kroger’s store brand. As a subsidiary of Smithfield, they certainly have the capability and capacity.

The Takeaway: Quality Bacon Regardless of Source

Ultimately, as a consumer, the exact origin of Kroger bacon likely doesn’t matter too much. Feedback on the taste, texture, and quality remains positive across the board. Customers continue to buy it for the delicious flavor and reasonable prices.

By keeping manufacturing partners anonymous, Kroger can switch suppliers anytime to adapt to market conditions. That keeps costs low so customers can enjoy affordable bacon every day.

So while the producer remains somewhat of a mystery, what’s undisputed is that Kroger bacon remains a tasty product beloved by many. Whoever makes it, they’re doing a fine job delivering quality and value. At the end of the day, that’s what really counts.