Sizzlean was a cured meat product manufactured throughout the 1970s and 1980s and marketed as a healthier alternative to bacon. Swift & Co. originally produced the product and rolled it out to major United States markets in 1977.[1][2][3] In 1990, ConAgra Foods acquired Swift from Beatrice Foods and continued to market the product until about 2005.

Sizzlean was the subject of a series of commercials featuring the tagline: “Move over, bacon, there’s something leaner!” or “Move over, bacon, now there’s something meatier!”[4]

Although the product contained less fat than bacon, it was still 37% fat by weight, causing complaints that the "lean" name was not accurate.[5]

References

  1. ^ Reckert, Clare M. (26 August 1977). Esmark Profit Up 14.3% in Quarter; Dividend Raised, The New York Times ("The processed meats company through its sales of Brown 'N Serve and Dry Sausage product lines plus new products, mainly Sizzlean, produced increased earnings over last year.")
  2. ^ Farm Journal, Vol. 101 (1977) ("Latest entry in the race to build a better bacon is Sizzlean from Swift & Company. Already available in a number of US cities, it's one more indication that formed and flaked meat can compete with substitutes for new markets")
  3. ^ Finding the Bacon at Swift, Financial World (Vol. 146, No. 13) (1977) ("Swift's Sizzlean breakfast strips, introduced to half of the country are doing "incredibly well." Says Watchman, "Sizzlean will actually turn a profit while it's still being launched." ")
  4. ^ "What Happened To Sizzlean Bacon?". CulinaryLore. 2017-09-06. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  5. ^ (11 November 1985). Lean Language, Not Cuisine, The New York Times

See also

Categories