Tight beef supply creates opening for pork in snack market
Ready-to-eat bacon and sticks target younger consumers
1 July 2026
1 minute read
By: US pork's share of the meat snack market could grow as a contracting cattle herd tightens beef supplies and pushes up costs for jerky producers, according to a CoBank protein report.
Companies are experimenting with ready-to-eat bacon and pork sticks to attract younger consumers. CoBank noted that hogs' faster generational turnover compared to cattle gives pork producers a supply chain advantage in responding to demand shifts.
The report said the opportunity for pork and poultry "has never been stronger," though beef is expected to remain the dominant meat snack ingredient.
