The Jimmy Dean Sausage Shortage: Explaining the Lack of Links

Jimmy Dean is one of the biggest names in breakfast sausage. But if you’ve tried buying their iconic sausage links recently, you may have come up empty handed. Why exactly is there a shortage of Jimmy Dean sausages?

In this article, we’ll examine the factors causing the scarcity of everyone’s favorite breakfast meat

Jimmy Dean Brand Overview

• Founded in 1969, acquired by Sara Lee in 1984

• Known for frozen breakfast sandwiches and sausage links

• Also offers bacon, ham, pancakes, scrambles, bowls

• Sold over 1 billion sausage links annually

Parent Company: Tyson Foods

• Jimmy Dean is a subsidiary of Tyson Foods, the largest U.S. meat processor

• Also owns Hillshire Farm, BallPark, State Fair, Aidells and other brands

• Tyson processes 20% of beef, chicken and pork in the U.S.

• Meatpacking plants owned by Tyson and competitors like Smithfield and JBS are at the root of shortages

Why There’s a National Meat Shortage

Several key factors have created today’s meat supply issues:

• Labor Shortages: Meat processing plants rely heavily on immigrant workers, many of whom are not working due to immigration crackdowns.

• Plant Closures: Over 20 meatpacking plants shut down after COVID-19 outbreaks sickened thousands of employees working in close quarters.

• Reduced Capacity: Although most plants have reopened, many are still not operating at full capacity due to worker absenteeism and physical distancing requirements.

• Surging Demand: Retail meat sales spiked over 40% as restaurants closed and consumers cooked more at home during lockdowns.

Why Jimmy Dean Specifically is Impacted

As a subsidiary of Tyson, Jimmy Dean has been unable to escape the supply chain issues faced by its parent company:

• Tyson shut down pork plants in Iowa and Indiana after COVID-19 outbreaks, stifling Jimmy Dean’s pork sausage production.

• Increased demand for retail breakfast meats further strained Tyson’s reduced pork processing capacity.

• Tyson prioritized producing higher volume items like bacon, limiting production of low volume Jimmy Dean sausage.

• Jimmy Dean requires specialized equipment only found in a couple Tyson plants; less flexibility in where sausages can be produced.

• As a lower margin product, Tyson has less incentive to maximize Jimmy Dean production relative to higher margin meats.

How Long Will the Shortage Last?

Tyson stated it may take the rest of 2020 before supply normalizes as plants struggle to resume full capacity production.

However, shortages of Jimmy Dean sausage specifically may persist even longer given:

• Specialized equipment and factories required to produce sausages

• Lower priority versus high volume, high margin products

• Sustained high demand for breakfast meats as remote work continues

Coping With the Jimmy Dean Drought

Here are some tips for managing until the iconic links return:

• Try other brands like Bob Evans or Swaggerty’s for breakfast sausage

• Substitute with loose pork sausage or ground sausage you form into patties

• Make your own breakfast sandwiches using eggs, cheese, meat etc.

• Skip the meat and opt for vegetarian breakfast sandwiches

• Check smaller, local grocery stores that may still have inventory

• Set alerts on store websites for restock notifications

The Takeaway

The temporary loss of Jimmy Dean sausage is an unfortunate byproduct of the complex, consolidated meat supply chain in the U.S. COVID-19 disruptions magnified vulnerabilities and stresses across the system. Until capacity fully rebounds, lovers of easy breakfast sandwiches must explore alternate options or get creative in the kitchen. But take heart – Jimmy Dean isn’t gone forever. The links will return once supplies stabilize.