In a country where pickled herring and other forms of fish are often on the breakfast table, the combination of egg and bacon has long been viewed as unusual or even extravagant. Suddenly, though, the sale of bacon has jumped, all because of the latest diet fad.
Low-carbohydrate diets are sizzling around the country, despite concerns over the fat and, well, grease they can entail. Consumption of bacon, butter, poultry products and fish is soaring. Meat producer Nortura reported that bacon sales are up 15 percent this year, despite prices that are triple what bacon costs in neighboring Sweden.
The so-called “low-carbo” diets are based on lower consumption of carbohydrates like bread, pasta, nuts and berries and higher consumption of food rich in protein like eggs, bacon, cream, cheese and fish. Salmon in a cream sauce, for example, is a popular dish for low-carbo fans, who contend that less carbohydrates and more fat will mean their bodies will burn off the fat more quickly.
The jump in bacon sales, however, isn’t helping Nortura. Meat prices, still high in Norway compared to other countries, have fallen, Nortura claims, and the firm that dominates meat production in Norway has logged losses of nearly NOK 60 million so far this year.
Views and News staff
