The rising cost of food has made meat a hot commodity amongst thieves and is forcing retailers to take drastic measures.

Over the long weekend, security tags were spotted on single packets of bacon at Countdown.

Other supermarkets and independent butchers have also been forced to take similar measures with security tags placed on legs of lamb.

Countdown says its stores has discretion to put security tags on products that need them, and some stores have been using security tags on bacon for more than 10 years.

In June, Foodstuffs North Island said retail crime levels were the worst they had ever been, with dozens of incidents occurring daily across its 320 stores.

It claims to have experienced a 38 per cent increase in reports of retail crime by its supermarket operators across New World, Pak’nSave and Four Square, compared with last year, and a 36 per cent rise in serious incidents.

Supermarkets have ramped up their security measures in response, including through the use of security tags on more items, extra security staff in store and additional staff training.

Retail NZ calls the move to security-tag bacon a sad state of affairs for retail.

The industry group says retail crime is having a serious effect on retailers’ bottom lines.

“Retailers will see certain items that would be considered a hot ticket item, and they’ll take steps around the crime prevention measures such as putting security tags on more products,” says Aimie Hines, manager of public affairs and advice at Retail NZ.

“We think this is a really sad situation that retailers are having to go over and beyond on specific items, but this is representative of that endemic nature that we’re seeing in retail crime.

Hines calls the situation “out of control”.

“Taking one product stolen from a store does have a big impact. It also has a big impact on retailers’ bottom line, but also in regards to having to get staff to oversee those products as opposed to having the ability to function in the store and create great customer service environments.

“It also puts pressure on stockists, it means that some products might be harder to get. It also means for retailers that their insurance costs go up – the more they have to report instances of crime or claim back loss of these sorts of things, it means their insurance goes up which means they increase their costs and inevitably that consumers are paying more as those margins are so tough.”

One Facebook user posted on the Cheaper Living Facebook Group that security tags have been used on bacon for years. But others say security tags have only recently been put on bacon at their local stores.

“I’ve noticed this across the three supermarkets I go to,” one user says.

“Only going to get worse sadly,” another writes.

Meanwhile, others express their sadness at retail crime increasing and supermarkets across the board looking at ways to fend it off.

“I noticed our local Pak’nSave in Papamoa has ramped up their in-store security guards when I went shopping yesterday.”

-Aimee Shaw/Stuff.