Chickens hijack breakfast

By IRENE CHAPPLE

When the chicken crossed the road, it was only trying to get to the other side, but instead it became the butt of numerous bad jokes.

Now now the poor old chook has become bacon ... well, sort of.

In what Tegel is claiming as a world first, it has introduced bacon which is, in fact, chicken.

The Smoked Chicken Rashers taste, smell and look like bacon but are made entirely from chicken.

The bacon project has taken a year to perfect, and is now being promoted as the perfect fit for a high-protein breakfast.

The rashers are also for people who, for health or religious reasons, do not eat pork and want an alternative, says Tegel managing director Bruce Scott.

While it is hoped that domestic sales of the product will reach $5 million a year in the next two or three years, Scott says the major market may be overseas.

"In countries like Indonesia, for example, they eat very little pork but a lot of chicken."

Tegel is scouting the Asia-Pacific for market opportunities.

The new product will be available from supermarkets next week.