SMITHFIELD, Va., Aug. 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield ® is giving bacon lovers the ultimate bacon prize with its first-ever Bacon for Life sweepstakes, kicking off just in time for International Bacon Day. Starting Saturday, September 1 through December 31, 2018, fans can visit Smithfield.com/BaconForLife to learn how to enter to win Smithfield bacon for life. Think about it, bacon cheeseburgers, bacon pancakes, bacon s’mores, bacon-wrapped anything… bacon-wrapped everything… for life. Whether you like your bacon cooked crispy or chewy, incorporated into every meal or served as a simple breakfast side dish, Smithfield is taking it to the next level and making all your bacon dreams come true.

Bacon lovers everywhere can purchase specially marked packages of Smithfield bacon at their local grocery store. A unique code will be included inside every pack sold; using this code, fans can visit Smithfield.com/BaconForLife to enter.* While the grand prize winner will win bacon for life, more than 1,000 runners-up will be awarded select bacon merchandise ranging from a bacon-centric bicycle and bacon-themed corn hole boards to bacon koozies and bacon catch-phrase glasses; perfect for professing your bacon love.

“At Smithfield, we celebrate bacon on a daily basis and are inspired by the passion people have for it,” said Michael Merritt, senior director of brand marketing for Smithfield Foods. “The bacon phenomenon is here to stay and the Bacon for Life sweepstakes is our opportunity to reward those bacon loyalists who have supported Smithfield over the years from early morning breakfasts to late-night snacks and every meal in between.”

We’re not bacon this stuff up! Look for specially marked packages of Smithfield bacon at your local grocer through the end of the year and visit Smithfield.com/BaconForLife to enter and for official rules.*

* NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING. Sweepstakes ends 11:59 p.m. ET on 12/31/2018. Open to legal residents of 50 U.S. states and D.C. who are 18 or older. Void where prohibited. For complete Official Rules, visit www.smithfield.com/baconforlife . Sponsor: Smithfield Foods, Inc.

About Smithfield A leading provider of high-quality pork products, Smithfield was founded in 1936 in Smithfield, Virginia, establishing the town as the “Ham Capital of the World.” From hand-trimmed bacon and slow-smoked holiday hams to marinated tenderloins, Smithfield brings artistry, authenticity and a commitment to heritage, flavor, and handcrafted excellence to everything it produces. With a vast product portfolio including smoked meats, hams, bacon, sausage, ribs, and a wide variety of fresh pork cuts, the company services retail, foodservice, and deli channels across the United States and 30 countries abroad. All of Smithfield’s products meet the highest quality and safety standards in the industry. To learn more about how Flavor Hails from Smithfield, please visit www.Smithfield.com , www.Twitter.com/SmithfieldBrand , and www.Facebook.com/CookingWithSmithfield . Smithfield is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Smithfield Foods Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield ® , Eckrich ® , Nathan’s Famous ® , Farmland ® , Armour ® , Farmer John ® , Kretschmar ® , John Morrell ® , Cook’s ® , Gwaltney ® , Carando ® , Margherita ® , Curly’s ® , Healthy Ones ® , Morliny ® , Krakus ®  and Berlinki ® . Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit  www.smithfieldfoods.com , and connect with us on  Facebook ,  Twitter  and  LinkedIn .

Media Contact:

Hunter PR for Smithfield Michael Bernardini (212) 679-6600 mbernardini@hunterpr.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/Attachm...e80357b201