A number of checkoff-funded promotions through restaurants and other outlets are helping to push pork sales to increase demand.
Partnerships with Holiday Inn, Country Kitchen and others are featuring pork as permanent menu items and through joint promotions.
“With predictions of low prices, these fourth-quarter promotions will be beneficial to create an increased demand for pork,” says Steve Schmeichel, Hurley, SD, pork producer who chairs the Pork Checkoff Demand Enhancement Committee.
Prior to the Fourth of July, the pork checkoff sponsored a promotion involving taking Famous Dave's pork platters to radio disc jockeys promoting pork on the air.
Also, a partnership with Jewel-Osco food and drug stores will feature money-saving coupons good on pork products and Famous Dave's sauces.
Country Kitchen is introducing two new pork dishes, pork loin in a cinnamon pork loin dinner and an apple pork loin melt sandwich for the restaurant's Apple Harvest Festival beginning this month.
From late June through mid-September, Holiday Inn featured one pork product quarterly in Ohio, Michigan and Washington, DC.
Taco Johns has a 12-store test of four new pork menu items using shredded pork.
Pork checkoff funds also contributed to development of the new breaded pork loin sandwich that McDonald's is offering in more than 400 sites in Indiana, Kentucky and Missouri.
“Growing demand for pork is a primary goal of all pork producers,” states National Pork Board member Mark Reding, Howardstown, KY, pork producer.