Compared to the rest of the snack food sector, there have been few new product introductions within the meat snacks category over the past three years. Amanda Lintott takes a look some of the new products and the future of the meat snacks sector.
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Long gone are the days when meat snacks were only sold in convenience stores or gas stations, mainly consumed by teenagers, commuters and truck drivers. Today, development in new textures and flavours has broadened the product’s consumer base and availability.
Mintel’s global new products database (GNPD) highlights a steady increase in new product development for the snacking sector as a whole over the past three years, with over 80% growth in new product introductions. This was also true for most sub-categories. The largest growth was seen in the salty snacks sub-category, which has grown by nearly 120% in introductions in just three years.
Meat snacks, however, account for the smallest portion of snack introductions (less than 5%). Introductions have increased and declined in alternate years, but the belief is that meat snacks will continue to grow steadily over the next few years, but by only small percentages, as popularity is regional. Because of this select appeal it will never be a “power” sector of the total snacks market.
Newcomers to the meat snacks market
More manufacturers than ever are expanding from their traditional markets into the meat snacks market, resulting in more new products. For example, in 2002, Tyson released Tasty Bites Smoked Chicken Snack in the US. It was the company’s first launch into the snack category.
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By GlobalDataBy region, North America saw the highest numbers of meat snack launches. Launch levels declined sharply between 2000 and 2001, but the number of introductions in 2002 appears to show that the sector is on the mend. Mintel expects the number of introductions in the sector to continue to grow as consumers’ associations with meat snacks are changing, and the products are marketed to a wider range of consumers, such as those who look for more nutritional foods.
There have also been significant changes in the positioning of meat snacks, from a snack for truck drivers and commuters to a meal alternative that is appealing to a much wider clientele, for consumption on various occasions and for different purposes. Largely responsible for this is the continuous development into different snacking formats and textures. Jerky snacks can come in several formats, included shredded, cubed, and formed. Chipper Snax in the US, for example, presents its jerky in a round-cut format that is packed into a plastic tube container. Each piece is uniformly sized. Most shredded-type jerky comes in a hanging bag. Shelf-stable sausage sticks are typically long and thin and packed in tight plastic wrapper and are found primarily in convenience stores.
Sausages gain in popularity
Snacks with a softer texture, in particular, are becoming increasingly popular. Mirab USA’s Pecos Bill’s Jerky is described as “soft & tender, delicious!” and comes in several flavours such as honey barbecue and sweet hot. The product was introduced into Canada at the end of 2002, and is available in bilingual packaging. Similarly, PridCorp launched the Ultimate Gourmet Soft & Tender Jerky in four varieties, including Original, Teriyaki, Peppered and Sweet-Hot (US).
The biggest trend in terms of snacking format, however, is sausages, especially outside the US. Struik Foods launched Dot Breaks in the Netherlands, spicy snack sausages packaged in a 60g foil bag. Later they were launched in the UK. Packaged in foil pouches of 15, they are available in original, spicy and mustard flavour. Belgium’s Justin Bridou offers Stikado, a sausage meat snack with a walnut flavour. In January 2003, the company launched Beaujolais dried sausage, made with Beaujolais wine.
In the Spring 2002, Spicy Smoked Sausage joined Lowrey’s Big Beef line in the US. Also in the US, Pioneer Snacks introduced meat sticks packed with a stick of cheese in varieties such as Jalapeno Rage, packed with a spicy beef stick and a stick of jalapeno cheese.
An increasing number of products are geared at consumers who are pursuing a high-protein and low-carbohydrate diet. Oberto Sausage’s Oh Boy! Oberto Natural Style Beef Jerky, for instance, claims to be high in protein and is available in Hickory Smoked and Peppered flavours in the US. King B/Taylor Country Farms goes even one step further with its Powerteam Power range in the US. The bars contain 19g of isolated soy protein and have a sports positioning . On a similar subject is Mix Appeal from Unibon in Italy, a double snack comprising two joined trays of smoked sausage snacks and Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese pieces that is defined as an energy and power snack.
The healthy eating trend
We also continue to see a fair share of products that claim to be low in fat or low in calories. Recent examples in the US include:Old Wisconsin Food’s Beef Steak Bites, which are 96% fat free, chopped, formed and kippered. Another example is Link Snacks’ Beef Jerky Extension. The company introduced mesquite-smoked solid strips of beef that are high in protein and 97% fat free. Red Oak Farms’ line of Beef jerky, in honour of the man who invented the “Twist”, Chubby Checker, is low in calories, high in protein and available in four flavours. Also from the US is Presto Food Products’ Turkey Jerky, which is 98% fat free and high in protein.
Contemporary food trends such as organic, vitamin-fortification or functionality are not yet prevalent in the meat snacks category. For instance there have been no meat snacks yet introduced that claim to be organic or enriched. An interesting functional product, however, came from Azhu Food in China; Dry Heated Pork Skin, which is described as non-oily and is claimed to be good for health and beauty.
Amanda Lintott works for Mintel. To view Mintel research reports, click here.
To find out more about Mintel’s Global New Product Database, click here.
