Is Slim Jim an endangered species?
Posted
Jul 06 2009, 04:37 AM
by
Kim Peterson
Rating:
Get ready for a summer Slim Jim shortage. The New York Post reports that Slim Jim fans may be hoarding the processed meat product, and it soon could be disappearing from store shelves.
An explosion last month destroyed the only Slim Jim plant in the U.S., the Post reports. And the company that makes Slim Jims, ConAgra (CAG), hasn't produced any since then and won't do so for at least another month.
Industry analysts say that Slim Jim loyalty is very high, and that people aren't going to be OK with substitutes if the real thing is gone. That's why some fans may be hoarding the remaining supply.
Analysts tell the Post that ConAgra could produce as many as 500 million Slim Jims every year. ConAgra said it won't return to full Slim Jim production until the fall.
"The sooner, the better," writes the Post. "Yesterday one convenience store in Midtown Manhattan was still selling foot-long Slim Jims that expired in February."
A group of ConAgra workers who were injured in the accident are suing the company and two contractors, the Associated Press reports.
