Tracing the Source of Kroger’s Bacon

As an avid bacon lover, I frequently find myself reaching for those familiar Kroger packages when I’m shopping for my fix of salty, smoky pork belly strips. Kroger bacon can be found in the refrigerated meat case of Kroger grocery stores across the country. With multiple varieties and flavors, it’s clearly a popular choice for many households.

But with all the bacon options lining store shelves these days, we become more mindful about understanding where our food comes from So as I toss pack after pack of Kroger bacon into my cart, it got me wondering – where exactly does their bacon come from?

I decided to do some digging on the origins of Kroger’s bacon supply. As America’s largest grocery retailer, they have a complex food sourcing operation that’s not so easy to unravel. But gathering bits of information from a variety of sources helped me piece together the process.

Here’s what I learned about where Kroger gets their succulent bacon from farm to shelf,

An Overview of Kroger’s Bacon Sourcing

Kroger procures their bacon inventory through large pork processing facilities across the U.S. These plants process fresh pork bellies into ready-to-sell bacon. Kroger then buys the packaged, cured bacon to distribute to its 2,800 stores.

The pork plants that produce Kroger’s bacon get their pig bellies from multiple hog farms and suppliers. So the bacon on Kroger shelves doesn’t come from just one single source.

There are two primary ways Kroger sources their bacon:

• Directly from large pork processors – Kroger has supply agreements with major pork companies like Smithfield and Tyson.

• Through food distribution networks – Kroger uses food distributors like Sysco to buy bacon and other products. Distributors source from various suppliers.

Now let’s look more closely at each step of the bacon supply chain process for Kroger.

Step 1: Raising & Processing the Pigs

Well before it even gets to Kroger, bacon starts its life on a hog farm. Pork processors have contracts with thousands of family-run and industrial hog operations across the Midwest and South.

On these farms, pigs are raised until they reach market weight of approximately 280 pounds. Then they are sent to harvesting facilities.

Smithfield Foods is one of Kroger’s biggest pork suppliers. Pigs raised under contracts for Smithfield are processed at their slaughter plants. The carcasses are then further processed to produce pork cuts like bellies.

Other major pork companies like Tyson, JBS, and Cargill also process hogs and supply pork products to Kroger. Each company sources from networks of local farms as well as their own hog production operations.

Step 2: Turning Bellies into Bacon

Once pork bellies arrive at processing facilities, they are injected, cured, smoked, and sliced to transform into delicious bacon.

The pork belly is first injected with a brine solution containing water, salt, sugar, nitrites, and spices. This cures the meat to preserve it and add flavor.

The bellies then soak in the curing brine for 4-10 days depending on the bacon recipe. They are subsequently smoked at low temperatures using natural wood smoke.

After smoking, the cured pork bellies move to the slicing room. Here they are sliced into the familiar thin strips we recognize as bacon.

From here, the sliced, smoked bacon is packaged and labeled for retail sale. Kroger buys the packaged bacon to sell in their stores.

Step 3: Getting the Bacon to Kroger

Kroger stocks their meat departments through direct contracts with major suppliers like Smithfield and Tyson who operate bacon processing plants.

For instance, Smithfield might produce bacon at their facilities specifically for Kroger’s in-house brands like Private Selection. This bacon gets shipped directly to Kroger warehouses.

Kroger also uses third-party food distribution companies to buy bacon and other products. For example, Sysco is one of Kroger’s biggest distributors. They purchase bacon from various meat companies to resell to Kroger.

The packaged bacon arrives at Kroger’s distribution centers by refrigerated trucks. Here inventory is organized before being dispersed by refrigerated trailers to local Kroger stores several times a week.

At the stores, employees stock the fresh bacon in refrigerated meat cases. Shoppers like me can then conveniently grab bacon packs for our family’s breakfasts!

Kroger’s Bacon Comes from Across America

When you trace back all the steps in the farm-to-shelf bacon supply chain, it’s clear Kroger’s bacon originates from pigs raised all across the country.

The pork processing facilities that produce their bacon source live hogs from thousands of hog farms and operations spanning multiple states. This diversified sourcing model allows Kroger to offer bacon in its stores nationwide.

Here are some of the major pork-producing states that contribute to Kroger’s bacon inventory:

• Iowa
• Illinois
• Minnesota
• Indiana
• Missouri
• North Carolina
• Oklahoma

So while it’s impossible to pinpoint one single source for Kroger bacon, we can say it comes from pork raised and processed all across America!

Why Understanding the Source Matters

In today’s food landscape, consumers are paying closer attention to where store-bought products originate. We want insight into the housing conditions of animals and practices used by food suppliers.

Many of us have become more concerned about:

• Animal welfare
• Use of hormones and antibiotics
• Environmental impacts
• Safety protocols
• Nutritional value

Kroger recognizes this consumer trend towards transparency. While they don’t provide farm names or locations, you can find out more about their approach to sourcing quality pork by reviewing their animal welfare policies online.

Understanding the source and supply chain of our food enables us to make more informed choices at the grocery store. We can feel better about buying meat products that align with our personal values regarding farm animal treatment and sustainable practices.

So next time I’m grabbing an armload of bacon packs at Kroger, I’ll appreciate how that bacon got there – starting all the way back at hog farms across rural America!