If you walked down the hallways on Friday of the 2014 Cattle Industry Summer Conference the buzz word you heard coming out of everyone’s mouths as they grabbed their sack lunches was Schmacon. I guess I have been living under a rock in my Southwest Missouri home because I had never heard of such a thing until then.
The SLT sandwiches were an overwhelming hit for attendees and many took to wearing the scratch and sniff Schmacon pins striking up some unusual conversation. I spoke with Steve Walt, Executive Director of Innovation & Culinary for NCBA, during the lunch hour and he shared with me the history of The Un-Bacon.
“Schman is manufactured by a company called Schmaltz Deli in Naperville, IL. They call it beef’s alternative to bacon. It’s a proprietary cut coming from the underside of the animal. It has some unique characteristics. It has lower fat, lower calories, lower sodium then typical pork bacon. And it has a very unique taste and texture to it.”
Walt said the product was introduced at the National Restaurant Association Show this past May in Chicago. There it won the Food & Beverage Innovation (FABI) Award for one of the best new products on the market. It is available through the food service market and can be found in all Cisco houses across the country.
Listen to my interview with Steve here: Interview with Steve Walt, NCBA
View and download photos from the event here: Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album
