How Removing Friction Can Drive Food Innovation

How did the world’s first no mess, no touch, oven-ready bacon for home use make it to market?

It all started in 2019 with an innovation contest at Hormel Foods that gave employees the opportunity to bring ideas forward for potential commercialization. Enter Dan Vierkandt, bacon product manufacturing manager at Hormel Foods.

Dan worked on the idea for years, testing different materials and tray designs before eventually securing patents around the concept. The product itself reportedly took several years to move from idea to shelf.

Some of the best innovation ideas can come from your own internal team.

Is this concept going to take over the entire bacon retail case? I doubt it. There are only eight slices in the package, and some consumers may see it as over-packaged.

But for certain shoppers, it may be exactly what they needed to return to the fresh bacon category.

Innovation doesn’t always have to create an entirely new category - removing friction may be all that's needed. In this case: no touching raw bacon, no pan to clean, and a consistent cooking experience.

Take a cue from Hormel - identify the annoyance and remove it.

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