CATEGORY PERFORMANCE: BREAKFAST MEATS 2004-08-09 (1)

Dollar Sales $2,958,729,472% Change From Last Year 8.8

ales of private-label and branded packages of refrigerated bacon, sausage and ham surged 8.7%, to nearly $3 billion, for the 52 weeks ending June 13.

Refrigerated bacon, responsible for about two-thirds of the category's total volume, experienced a 10.5% uptick, to $2.1 billion, over the same period. During that time frame, breakfast sausage and ham sales also went up 4.6%, to $879 million.

The growth continues what was reported in calendar year 2003, when total category sales went up 9.3%, to $2.89 billion, in the food, drug and mass channels.

The upward trend is a recent phenomenon. Breakfast meat sales were down 1%, to $2.65 billion, for the calendar year that ended Dec. 29, 2002.

Subcategories: 52-week sales; % change

RFG BACON: $2,083,992,448; 10.6

RFG BREAKFAST SAUSAGE/HAM: $874,737,088; 4.7

Latest 52 weeks ended June 13, 2004.

Dollar Sales Latest 52 Weeks Ended June 13, 2004; % Change; Dollar Sales Calendar Year Ended Dec. 28, 2003; % Change; Dollar Sales Calendar Year Ended Dec. 29, 2002; % Change

Supermarkets: $2,958,729,472; 8.8; $2,873,903,360; 9.4; $2,627,606,016; -1.0

Drug: $4,189,755; 11.0; $4,221,314; 14.6; $3,682,127; 17.8

F/D/MX: $2,979,370,752; 8.7; $2,894,219,264; 9.3; $2,649,069,824; -1.0