There was bad news for food lovers everywhere this week when the Ohio Pork Council announced that America's bacon reserves are at a 50 year low, and that means shoppers could be paying more for their favorite crispy breakfast meat soon.
Yes, that's right. Americans are eating bacon faster than farmers can make it. We at Shared are willing to admit we may have been part of the problem, considering all the tasty bacon dishes we recommended, but the fact is our love for bacon is just too strong to deny.
"Today's pig farmers are setting historic records by producing more pigs than ever," the Pork Council's president Rich Deaton said in his announcement. "Yet our reserves are still depleting."
To put things in perspective, in December there were 17.8 million pounds of pig bellies (the main ingredient in bacon) in freezers around the country. That's a lot for a family breakfast, but not enough for a country of hungry bacon lovers.
The last time stocks were this low was 1957, which means you should expect to pay more for your bacon until this national disaster is solved. Prices for pig bellies went up 20% last month, and while they won't go that high in the grocery store (probably) this is a good time to start budgeting for your bacon.
