Presidential candidates tend to talk about significant issues like the economy, foreign policy, immigration, and taxes, but a sizzling topic this cycle has been bacon - specifically, the price of bacon.
Vice President and presidential candidate Kamal Harris has used food company price gouging as a talking point on the campaign trail, while her opponent, former President Donald Trump, has said even he has been cutting back on bacon.
So, what's really going on with bacon?
Michigan State University food economist David Ortega says there has been a convergence of factors on supply and demand dating back to the days of the pandemic.
"If you go back to the COVID-19 pandemic, that's where we saw a lot of disruptions to the processing plants," Ortega said. "We saw a lot of workers fall ill, and some of the plans had to either shut down temporarily or reduce their capacity," leading to a rise in pork prices.
Fast forward to early 2022, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Ortega said, led to a surge in the price of grains and other commodities. While the surge was short-lived, it translated to higher feed costs, which bacon producers incur.
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Ortega says a new law in California has impacted bacon prices, too.
"Proposition 12, the animal welfare law, mandates that producers meet new animal welfare standards that increase the cost to producers," Ortega said, but it's not just supply.
"You also have factors on the demand side," Ortega said. "Even when you adjust for inflation, bacon is your staple breakfast protein that a lot of Americans consume, so there's been a strong demand for bacon."
He said all this together leads to the bacon price increases, 23% compared to four years ago.
As for why it's such a talking point for the presidential candidates, Ortega says it makes sense because food prices are a big deal for people.
He says we encounter price changes at the supermarket weekly, if not more frequently, making it the "face of inflation."
In September, bacon averaged $6.95 a pound.
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