Who invented turkey bacon?

Answer 1

Norman Rich, the President of Louis Rich, in 1980. The company had just merged with Oscar Mayer, and the latter was trying to launch a similar pork product called 'Lean N Tasty' to compete with Swift's SizzleLean, and O.M.'s management would not let us at Louis Rich launch the product. Lean N Tasty bombed, we left Louis Rich and Oscar Mayer in late 1981 after General Foods purchased Oscar Mayer. OM later produced and marketed the product. General Foods later was acquired by Philip Morris, who bought Kraft and merged the two with Kraft being the surviving company. Kraft then decided to put the Oscar Mayer name on Louis Rich products. Over time the Louis Rich label began to shrink until it was gone. Products like Turkey Ham, Turkey Pastrami, all Louis Rich service deli products sold to be sliced in the deli, and fresh ready to cook Turkey products were dis continued. Every Louis Rich plant except the Newberry SC plant were closed.

Answer 2

What we learned here. Louis Rich did not launch Turkey Bacon it indeed was done later in a new product development project called the Wall Project led by Bob Howard to create big new product ideas. It was inspired after turkey bacon concept conversation by Bob Howard with the Plant Line Manager for Lean and Tasty facing declining sales and possible layoffs. Turkey Bacon was presented as a product concept during an ideation session. It became the top scoring concept of 20 product concepts tested. Gary Winchester led final product development and launch. At no time during this project was it in any way influenced conversations that took place 5 years prior. Without question this launch went national and created the Turkey Bacon category.

Answer 3

Turkey Bacon was conceived by Bob Howard as part of a new product development project at Louis Rich/Oscar Mayer in 1986.