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The
popularity of low-carbohydrate/high-protein diets
has had an unexpected side effect: a surge in
pork-rind sales. The salty snacks have about nine
grams of protein per serving and no carbohydrates,
making them ideal for carbo-restrictive weight-loss
regimens like the Zone and especially the Atkins
diet, the latest book version of which has ranked
among the nation's bestsellers for nearly two
years. Pork rinds - pieces of cured, smoked pork
skin fried in their own fat - may be an unlikely
linchpin for a diet revolution, but they're a
good business to be in right now. Sales in the
$355 million category were up 13%. In 1998, and
preliminary indications point to similar growth
in 1999. "We think a lot of it is due to
these diets," says an industry spokesman.
If this all seems like a bit of a head scratcher,
imagine how it sounds to pork-rind manufacturers,
who suddenly have a weight-loss product on their
hands.
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