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Making sure pork remains a “go-to” item at the grocery store

The outbreak of COVID-19 has changed consumer buying patterns and the Pork Checkoff is working to ensure pork is still a go-to at the meat case.

Tara Ann Dugan, director of research and insights for the National Pork Board says they’ve reconfigured some of their marketing efforts to meet consumer needs.  “At the start of COVID-19, the Checkoff quickly took a look at the content on hand,

She tells Brownfield they want consumers to feel comfortable preparing pork at home and their data supports those efforts.  “One of the things that we’re really excited about is that more than 32-million-consumers have seen pork cooking information in the last three weeks,” she says.  “This really helps them prepare more meals at home and we know that’s incredibly important as folks are spending more time sheltering in place.”

And with the grilling season right around the corner, Dugan says, “a lot of consumers are really excited to be able to come out of the kitchen and have some versatility in their cooking methods.”

And when social distancing restrictions are lifted, she says they anticipate a huge resurgence in pork consumption at the restaurant level.