BOWLING GREEN, KY. — Tyson Foods is opening a new state-of-the-art bacon production facility in Bowling Green, Ky., in fall of 2023. Once operational, the 400,000-square-foot facility will employ 450 people and help meet growing demand for the company’s Wright Brand and Jimmy Dean bacon line.

Additionally, in 2023, Jimmy Dean will be introducing chopped bacon and Wright Brand will be rolling out a steak cut variety.

One of the biggest barriers for many bacon consumers is the mess it creates on the stove or in the oven. Hormel Foods recently created a no-mess product designed to cook bacon in the microwave to ensure easy clean up without sacrificing quality or taste.

New bacon products are also on the way from the company as Hailey Tranchitella, senior brand analyst for Hormel Foods, said that the company is always looking for new ways to innovate in the bacon segment.

“Our first shipment of a new convenience bacon item — Hormel Black Label fully cooked thick-cut bacon is coming out soon,” she said. “With this 10-oz pack size, consumers will receive about 48 slices of bacon all in a convenient zip-pack design.”

With consumers looking for more ways to cut down on food waste in their homes, this will likely push retailers and brands to rethink bacon packaging.

“Currently, there are only a few bacon brands with resealable packages,” said Patrick Fleming, a bacon brand specialist for Midan Marketing. “However, shoppers are increasingly conscious of wasting food due to inflationary pressures, so being able to re-seal bacon packages will become a selling point.”