First Take Pork Rinds

The demand for low-carb, high-protein snacks is riding a high wave into the new year, as many take the opportunity of a fresh start to also set healthy lifestyle and eating goals for themselves. As nutritional science becomes more nuanced, particularly in highlighting the importance of balancing macronutrients, consumers are also digesting this information with great interest in pursuit of their own health and wellness goals. How we think about animal products, their preparation and nutritional worth has evolved with the research to the point that pork rinds are appealing to a much wider demographic of shoppers. Pork rinds category leaders are eager to share their latest innovations and points of differentiation with a savvier consumer base already seeking snacks to suit their dietary needs.

Benestar Brands has several labels to offer the category including Mac’s, PÖRQ, Turkey Creek Snacks, 4505 Meats and Cazo de Oro. Shundrikka Owens, Chief Marketing Officer, shared the company’s perspective for the new year includes a “renewed focus on flavor and packaging innovation to continue to offer our consumers safe exploration, permissible indulgence and more ways to consume pork rinds that meets their needs throughout the day.”

The pork rinds category has been pushed into the spotlight by keto, paleo and low-carb trends in recent years, Owens said. “While these trends continue to go strong, there are new solutions for consumers every day,” she said. “Pork rinds’ continued growth will be supported by diehard category lovers who enjoy pork snacks for the savory taste, hearty crunch and nostalgic satisfaction that comes with each bite. Flavor and packaging innovation will bring in new consumers and new occasions to the category. Benestar Brands will continue to drive this innovation as the leader of the category with powerhouse brands such as Mac’s and 4505 in partnership with our retail partners.”

There’s no better time than the start of a new year to push that message out. “’New Year, New You’ continues to be a huge drive period for the pork snacks category,” she said. “Pork rinds will always be an integral part of any lowcarb diet and an easy way for consumers looking to make healthier choices, to continue to enjoy satisfying snacks without giving up on taste and texture —and without breaking their budget. We support this time of the year with strong trade, social, shopper marketing, sampling and public relations programs. This ensures consumers have easy access to our portfolio of low-carb pork snacks whenever they crave them. And that makes sticking to any new lifestyle plan that much easier.”

“Overall, people are continuing to discover that pork rinds have seven grams of collagen, are a protein snack with zero carbs and unlike what they’ve been taught all these years, we’re a genius junk food,” Mark Singleton, VP of Sales and Marketing for Rudolph Foods, which makes the Southern Recipe Small Batch brand, said. “We’ve got a good story to tell if people will just listen. Even though the category is flat, it’s going to continue to grow just because household penetration is still rather low. When contextualized against pretzels and popcorn, we still have 1 out of 5 consumers eating them. If we get to 1 out of 3, that’s a 50 percent growth in the category. There’s tremendous runway for the category.”

Public perception of pork rinds is clearly changing, and Rudolph Foods is meeting the moment in part with its external presentation. Last summer, Southern Recipe Small Batch upgraded its packaging to reflect a more feminine aesthetic with a brighter, bolder color palette in an effort to reach a wider audience. “What is going on is purposeful eating,” Singleton said. “People aren’t dieting. They have found what works for them. They’re sticking to it because they figured out they don’t have to be hungry to lose weight. They don’t have to be unhealthy to lose weight. Eating the right things at the right times at the right amounts when combined with exercise and adequate hydration leads to some miraculous stories. That’s probably the coolest thing is just getting to be part of that success in somebody’s life. I’m more excited than I was 20 years ago when I first got in the business just because of the success we’ve had. About one-third, or 31 percent of our market is college educated women with $100,000-plus income. That’s a totally different consumer and requires a totally different product by the way. You’re not going to get away with a cheap looking bag of homemade pork rinds selling to that consumer. It’s got to be elevated.”

Rudolph Foods has further brought about pork rind innovations like heatat-home air-fry packages and pork rind salad toppers. “Italian herb and butter garlic will be our first two launches— we’ll be launching those in January and they’ll be in salad aisles across America with a small pork rind crouton sized that is a wonderful substitute for someone who trying to get the carbs out of their diet,” Singleton said.

Interestingly, demand for pork rinds isn’t always about having an elevated experience or even dynamic flavors. “While the premium pork rinds are fueling category growth, the lion’s share of the category revenue is driven by mainstream brands, like Mac’s which is the No. 1 pork rind brand in America,” Owens with Benestar Brands said. “The Mac’s consumer knows what they are looking for when they come to the shelf. They know and love pork rinds for their savory taste and satisfying crunch. While they understand and acknowledge the low-carb and gluten-free attributes, that is not what is bringing them to the shelf. They are there for the love of pork rinds and that ensures pork rinds continues to be a relevant and sustaining category within salty snacks for our retail partners.”

Benestar Brands remains committed to its retail partners to ensure every demographic of customer has what they need, she said. “An omnichannel strategy actually makes it easier to connect with our consumers. National, large scale programs always provide a better return on investment and helps to drive trial and awareness more easily. We continue to collaborate with our retail partners to tailor products, programs and messaging that is relevant for their core consumer. At Benestar Brands, we have a snack for everyone.”