Rudolph Foods targets high-end pork rind at health-conscious millennials

Announced at the Snaxpo event in Texas this week, Small Batch is made from hand-crafted pork rind and targeted at millennials, said Rudolph Foods VP of marketing Mark Singleton. Small Batch flavors will include sea salt and cracked black pepper, kimchi Korean BBQ, spicy dill, and pineapple ancho chile.

Millennials are a unique demographic as they have a deep focus on healthy ingredients and the production process of a snack, Singleton told BakeryandSnacks.

While pork rinds are traditionally fried in lard to achieve a puffy and crunchy texture, Small Batch rinds are cooked in sunflower oil and use clean ingredients, he said.

'Higher in protein and lower in fat'

Singleton added that the nutritional profile of pork rinds had historically been misunderstood, with a serving of pork rinds higher in protein and lower in fat than a serving of peanuts.

A four-ounce bag of pork rinds offers eight grams of protein, he said, adding that Small Batch pork rinds are also gluten-free and lower in sodium than typical rind.

“Over half of the fat in pork rinds is monounsaturated, the kind of good fat associated with olive oil,”​ he added.

Evolving market

The protein snack market was evolving to keep up with consumers’ demand for taste, convenience and function, said Singleton, who suggested all protein products should feature a clean label.

“Such clean label trends as minimal processing and limited ingredients speak to shoppers’ desire for transparency – where their food comes from and the people behind the product,”​  he said.

And he predicted gourmet meat snacks would be a key part of the snacks market.

“True jerky products made from all types of meat, including beef, bison, chicken, poultry, turkey, venison and wild boar are the quality ingredients consumers will look for in the coming year,” ​he added.

Earlier this month, this site reported on Jack Link’s​ acquisition of grass-fed beef snack business Grass Run Farms.