The organization even created a website: baconshortage.com. And many outlets — USA Today, NBC, CBS, Men’s Health and Business Insider — ran with the news.

But the truth is this: The frozen reserves are just that — reserves. There will be no rationing at breakfast, or for your burgers (or B.L.T.s, or quiche, or roasted bacon-wrapped rabbit, or apples and ice cream. Not even for your bacon footballs this weekend.)

“To imply that there’s going to be some shortage of bacon is wrong,” said Steve Meyer, the vice president of pork analysis for EMI Analytics, in an interview as the bacon reports spread. “There’s plenty of hogs coming. There’s going to be plenty of bacon.”

Mr. Meyer, who also works as a consulting economist to the National Pork Producers Council, did explain that frozen pork belly inventory is down dramatically, and said that the price of belly has gone up 50 cents a pound in the last two months.

“But it’s not as if we’re going to run out of bacon,” he said.

Mr. Deaton of the Ohio Pork Council acknowledged in an interview that the creation of baconshortage.com was merely a marketing opportunity.