While highly processed meat sticks and jerky can still be found near the checkout counter at convenience stores and truck stops, premium meat snacks have become a booming category everywhere from gyms to natural grocers to online merchants. They can be found in the fridge, freezer and ambient aisle.

Market trends suggest meat consumption in the form of snacks is set to achieve its highest peak since 2012, according to recent research from jerkybrands.com. The study showed that meat snack sales have increased by 40% in the past four years, from about $3.5 billion in 2019 to $4.9 billion in 2022.

Meat snacks and jerky beef consumption increased by 1.4% from 2020 to 2022, according to jerkybrands.com’s survey conducted with data from the US Census and Simmons National Consumer Survey. Consumption is expected to follow an upward trajectory.

“Snacking is still a lifestyle in the US, with younger generations fueling future sales potential with an uptick of three-plus snacks per day,” said Sally Lyons Wyatt, executive vice president and practice leader for the market researcher Circana when speaking at the 2023 Sweets & Snacks Expo. “Key themes include bold flavors, convenience, satiety, fun and indulgence.”

Two-out-of-three consumers snack to fuel the day, which is up six percentage points from two years ago, according to the Circana 2023 Snacking Survey. More than half (54%) of respondents said that snacks are an important part of their healthy eating plan throughout the day. This figure is up seven percentage points from two years ago. Of course, taste reigns. It always does.

“For those that snack three-plus times a day, every day, morning and late evening are the largest growth occasions,” said Lyons Wyatt.

All these snacking occasions have driven consumers to be more aware of their choices. Mindful snacking is all about choosing better-for-you foods as mini meals, rather than traditional snacks from years ago, which tended to be high-carb, high-fat, nutrient-void treats. Many mindful snackers are following higher-protein diets, making meat and poultry snacks attractive options.

In fact, “high protein” topped the list of the diets/eating patterns being followed by Americans, according to the 2023 Food and Health Survey from the International Food Information Council (IFIC), Washington, DC. After high protein, which was identified by 18% of respondents as their eating pattern of choice, comes mindful eating (17%). Calorie counting, clean eating and intermittent fasting all tied for third place with 12% of respondents following one of these dietary lifestyles.

Source: Jack Link's

 

Flavor innovation

Salty and savory snacks, including meat snacks, are most popular in the afternoon (31%) and evening (26%), according to the Circana survey. This presents an opportunity for flavor innovation that complements these day parts. Think of something bolder, with hints of energizing sweetness for a 2:00 pm pick-me-up, while a hearty, umami sensation may be best for Monday Night Football.

The jerkybrands.com survey showed that “regular” flavored meat snacks are the most popular, then teriyaki, peppered and spicy. Smoked/mesquite, barbecue and hickory follow. These are generalized flavor trends, with many innovators differentiated by dialing into more regional flavor descriptors.

Windward Jerky Co., Eastvale, Calif., for example, developed Alaka’I Island Teriyaki Beef Jerky made using a family-secret Hawaiian marinade passed down through generations. It includes highlights of ginger, soy, garlic and pineapple with a hint of sweet-salty umami.

Such diversification of flavors — including global flavors — also provides enticement for snacking during different times throughout the day, according to Lyons Wyatt. Circana’s 2023 Snacking survey revealed that 49% of consumers snack more than three times a day. Younger consumers, many of whom are multicultural, are driving the increase in snacking, with many opting to snack rather than eat a “meal.”

Global flavors appeal to what Toya Mitchell, cultural and inclusive insights manager, Kellogg Co., Battle Creek, Mich., refers to as “flavor chasers.” Many flavor chasers are multicultural and part of the Gen Z demographic.

Mitchell, along with Chelsea Jenkins, director of cultural and inclusive marketing at Kellogg, discussed how to market to a multicultural (Asian, Black and Hispanic) America. Providing bold, spicy and global flavors is key to this growing demographic.

“By 2040, half of the US will be multicultural,” said Jenkins. “If the US multicultural market were a country, it would be the fourth-largest economy with a combined purchasing power of $4 trillion, equivalent to Japan’s.”

A trending multicultural flavor concept is known as “swicy.” It is a combination of sweet and spicy, also known as sweet heat. Think hot honey and chilis with citrus. Its origins are in Korean cuisine, which has been growing in popularity over the past few years and is fueling flavor innovation in both the salty snack and candy aisles.

Swicy is exemplified in the new Jack Link’s Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili Flavored Beef Jerky from Jack Link’s Protein Snacks, Minong, Wis., which teamed up with PepsiCo, Purchase, NY, to develop this flavor mashup. The product received top honors in the meat snack category during Sweets & Snacks Expo.

“It takes legendary brands like Jack Link’s and Frito-Lay to create innovative offerings that truly level up the snacking experience,” said Leslie Vesper, vice president of marketing, Frito-Lay, Plano, Texas. “We know our snack fans are loyal to the iconic flavors we’ve created across our Frito-Lay brands, so this is the perfect opportunity to bring bold flavors in a new form.”

Stephanie Leibke, vice president of marketing for the Jack Link’s brand of Link Snacks Inc., Minong, Wis., said, “Jack Link’s has always been about pushing boundaries and bringing bold experiences to our fans through our high-quality meat snacks. Through this legendary collaboration with Frito-Lay, we can take consumers on the next epic snacking adventure we know they are hungry for.”

The joint venture also includes the rollout of Jack Link’s Flamin’ Original Beef Jerky. Such co-branding and licensing are trending in the flavor innovation space, according to Lyons Wyatt. It helps keep iconic brands relevant by showing that the company is paying attention to the current trends.

Flavors going forward

What’s next in flavor innovations for snacks? Kerry, Beloit, Wis., recently published its 2023 Taste Charts that showed consumers continue to seek new combinations of traditional tastes. Younger consumers are seeking unconventional mashups they grew up with in combination with emerging flavors from other regions. The research also showed that global authentic flavors and ingredients, like Mexican and Asian flavors, will continue to trend. This includes turmeric and Korean BBQ, as well as churro, dulce de leche and guava. Might sweet meat snacks be an emerging trend?

Fruits can already be found in a number of meat snacks. EPIC Provisions, which was acquired by General Mills, Minneapolis, in 2016, has been playing in this space for some time. One of the brand’s best sellers is a bison bacon cranberry bar. Another is the beef apple bacon bar.

Windward Jerky’s Island Arc Beef Jerky is a complex flavor that combines tropical sweet guava with spicy, fiery habanero peppers. It was inspired during a family vacation to the islands, where a pulled pork sandwich with sweet Maui onions topped with guava barbecue sauce left a lasting memory.

Meat snacks come refrigerated, too. In addition to being part of snacks packs and charcuterie kits, items such as new Perdue Chicken Plus Snackers from Perdue Farms, Salisbury, Md., are becoming more common. These are bite-sized, poppable snacks ready in the microwave in minutes. Available in BBQ, Firecracker and Pizza varieties, one serving contains a quarter cup of vegetables and 9 grams of protein by blending Perdue chicken with real plants and vegetables.