Asked to choose between bacon and sex, 43 per cent of Canadians would
choose...bacon!

Maple Leaf celebrates launch of new reclosable packaging with a For the Love of Bacon survey

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Feb. 3 /CNW/ - According to a recent national survey, Canadians are passionate about bacon. When asked to choose between bacon and sex, more than four in 10 (43%) chose bacon! Maple Leaf commissioned this Angus Reid For the Love of Bacon survey to mark the launch of their newest product innovation, Maple Leaf Reclosable Bacon.

"We wanted to probe how deeply rooted Canadians' passion for bacon is - and the For the Love of Bacon survey sure opened our eyes!" explained Adam Grogan, VP Marketing, Maple Leaf Foods. "Our research also told us that Canadians' number one frustration with typical bacon packaging is that it can't be reclosed (71%) and that it's too messy (52%). We know people love bacon, and now with Maple Leaf Reclosable Bacon, they'll love the package too!"

The packaging innovation should be welcomed, according to additional survey results, as nearly three out of four survey respondents (73%) said they love bacon. In fact, nearly one in five Canadian men (18%) agreed that some days, they just can't survive without bacon.

Bacon: The key to a man's heart?

Ladies, thinking about which fragrance will woo a man? Think bacon. When asked to rank various aromas by preference, 23% of men ranked bacon as number one.

And it seems bacon lovers think they are better lovers. When asked if they are good lovers, four out of five respondents (82%) who said they love bacon, also said they are good lovers. And when asked if they are romantic, four out of five respondents (81%) who said they love bacon also agreed they are romantic.

The survey also revealed some noteworthy regional differences. It may be bacon trumps love in the Prairies. Nearly one in four of respondents (23%) from Manitoba and Saskatchewan wondered if 'my partner loves bacon more than me'. Maybe a little more sizzle in the bedroom instead of the kitchen is in order...

Of note - western Canadians are especially enamoured with bacon. Of respondents from British Columbia, 50% said they would give up sex before bacon, versus 37% of respondents from Quebec.

About Maple Leaf Reclosable Bacon

Maple Leaf Foods is Canada's market leader in the bacon category. Maple Leaf Reclosable Bacon is centre cut and the reclosable tray is 100% recyclable. Learn more at www.mapleleaf.com.

About Maple Leaf Foods Inc.

Maple Leaf Foods Inc. is a leading Canadian food processing company. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, the Company employs approximately 24,000 people at its operations across Canada and in the United States, the United Kingdom and Asia. The Company had sales of $5.2 billion in 2008.

About the Maple Leaf For the Love of Bacon survey

From December 1 to December 2, 2009, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted a survey among 1,006 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error - which measures sampling variability - is +/- 3.1%. The results of the online survey have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of Canada.

For further information: Ashley Ballantyne, Argyle Communications, [phone] ext. 231, [email protected]; Mackenzie Keller, Argyle Communications, [phone] ext. 245, [email protected]