Growing preference for processed meat in the US, Canada

A STUDY from Technavio indicates a growing preference for processed meat, in particular in the United States and Canada, which customers consider safer than other regions.

Freshness, taste, and food safety are key, and country-of-origin labeling (COOL) has been introduced in the US to help consumers make better purchasing decisions.

The report provides market forecast for processed meat in the US until 2020, including a breakdown of market shares by supermarkets/hypermarkets, convenience stores, specialist retailers, service stations, and independent retailers.

Technavio’s market researchers studied the top contributors to the overall market revenue toward identifying top vendors. Vijay Sarathi, senior food and beverage market research analyst, point to affordability and ready-to-cook features as the reasons why private-label processed meat products are becoming popular among consumers.

“Some of the private labeled meat products in the US are Archer Farms Gluten-Free Grilled Chicken Strips from Target, Roseland Pork Skewers, and Great Value Steaks from Walmart, among others. However, customers have also shown their concern for the quality and safety aspects of these products. Thus, the forecast period will witness meat manufacturers focusing on building an image that is ethical and one that is associated with good quality products, to build trust and loyalty among their customer bases,” Sarathi said.

The new US research also lists the top eight vendors (see below) in the processed meat market as well as identifies seven other key vendors expected to gain more market traction during the forecast period.

Advance Pierre Foods

Advance Pierre Foods was established in 1946 and is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, US. The company produces and supplies proteins and sandwich products for foodservice and retail customers, schools, and convenience channels around the world. Its product line includes fully cooked burgers, chopped steaks and patties, steak-EZE products, Philly freedom products, breaded poultry products, breaded pork products, breaded beef products, breaded veal products, fully cooked unbreaded dippers and drummies, fully cooked unbreaded chicken, fajita strips, meatballs, meatloaf and salisbury, boneless ribs, fully cooked breakfast sausage, other unbreaded products, vincello veal products, vincello lamb products, certified angus beef brand products, barber stuffed chicken products, fully cooked entrées, sandwiches, bakery products, specialty products, and school sandwiches.

Cargill

Cargill was established in 1865 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US. The company offers food, agriculture, financial, and industrial products and services worldwide. It has 152,000 employees in 67 countries. The company offers high-quality ingredients, meat and poultry products, and health promoting ingredients and ingredient systems to food and beverage manufacturers, food service companies, and retailers. Its product line includes cocoa and chocolate, fats and oils, edible oils, functional systems, health-promoting ingredients, hydrocolloids, lecithins, malt, protein, and starch and derivatives.

Hormel Foods

Hormel Foods was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Austin, Minnesota, US. The company produces and markets consumer-branded food and meat products. The company has close to 20,400 employees. Hormel’s refrigerated segment consists of processing, marketing, and sales of pork and beef products for retail, foodservice, and fresh product customers. It also operates through its affiliated business units that include Dan’s Prize, Farmer John, Burke, and Saag products.

JBS

JBS was established in 1953 and is headquartered in Greeley, Colorado, US. The company is involved in animal protein processing. It offers fresh pork, chicken, and beef products. It serves its products to retail, foodservice, and frozen entree customers. Among its popular products, JBS offers a range of beef products through its brands 5 Star beef, 1855 Black Angus Beef, Chef's Exclusive Beef, 5 Star Reserve, Aspen Ridge Natural Beef, Blue Ribbon Beef, Blue Ribbon Angus Beef, Clear River Farms Angus Beef, Swift Beef, La Herencia, Clear River Farms, and others.

Moran’s

Moran's was established in 1936 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, US. The company manufactures and markets a wide range of beef products in the US, operating as part of CLW Foods.

The company's products marketed under the brand name Moran's are certified by the American Heart Association. Its products are 96% fat-free ground beef products. Among its popular products, the company offers case-ready ground beef that is economical and safe. The company maintains product quality standards and provides premium ground beef in the US. These products are available in a wide variety of source grinds, lean points, and packaging configurations to meet various customer requirements.

Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods was founded in 1936 and is headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia, US. It is a vertically integrated food company that produces and markets a variety of fresh meat and packaged meat products both domestically and internationally. Some of its brands include Smithfield, Eckrich, Farmland, Armour, and John Morrell. Its product line includes fresh pork and other raw meat products produced in a range of packaged meat products and sold primarily in the US. Packaged meat products include bacon, smoked and boiled hams, sausage, hot dogs (pork, beef, and chicken), specialty products (pepperoni, dry meat products, and deli and luncheon meats), and ready-to-eat, prepared foods (pre-cooked entrees and pre-cooked bacon and sausage). The packaged meats segment sales volume amounted to 2.8 billion pounds in 2014.

Tyson Foods

Tyson Foods was founded in 1935 and is headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, US. The company processes and markets chicken, beef, pork, and prepared foods. Its leading brands include Tyson, Hillshire Farm, Jimmy Dean, Sara Lee frozen bakery, Wright, Ball Park, Aidells, and State Fair. It operates its business with 124,000 employees globally. The company's products are marketed domestically to food retailers, restaurant operators, hotel chains, foodservice distributors, and non-commercial foodservice establishments such as schools, the military, healthcare facilities, other food processors, and international export markets.

Keystone Foods

Keystone Foods was established in 1960 and is headquartered in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, US. The company offers fresh and frozen beef, poultry, fish, and pork protein products. It also offers par-fried items (breaded chicken nuggets and patties) and fully cooked products (chicken wings and chicken breast filets). In addition, it serves quick service restaurants, retail, and commercial and consumer products. The company's US division controls various state-of-the-art facilities that include three integrated poultry complexes and seven further processing plants. These plants produce poultry, beef, and fish. In addition, its operations also include three feedmills, three hatcheries, three primary processing plants, and one captive grain buying and storage operation.