Think about the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has shifted how we eat. In the meat department, it created more at-home cooking occasions than ever before. As consumers start returning to their pre-pandemic behavior, they will be looking for convenience and variety from their meat products and there are several new items that solve for that need. 

Low & Slow That’s Heat & Eat

For many years, heat-and-eat meats did not include anything a true BBQ lover would choose. However, recent innovation has led to products like Sadler’s True Pit Smoked Meats, under the Hormel umbrella. Sadler’s meats are ones that will fit even the most discerning BBQ palate. They pit smoke their meat low and slow like they have for 65 years. 

What comes out of those smokers can now be sold in your meat departments is a product that customers will flock to. Their products are packaged using high pressure pasteurization technology to maximize safety and shelf life without preservatives. These products can be heated and served, while coming without sauce, which gives you a competitive edge on price per ounce versus sauced items. It also allows the consumer to choose the sauce or flavorings they desire. 

Sadlers are available in one-pound retail package pulled pork, pulled chicken, sliced brisket and random weight St. Louis style ribs.

Consumer Behavior Drives Tyson’s Approach

Tyson has also monitored the demand in at-home meals through Covid-19 and believes it’s vital to drive shopper loyalty and address consumer needs through product innovation. Tyson has identified some of the key takeaways they have learned through the pandemic:

  • Consumer desire for value with financial and economic uncertainty
  • Renewed focus on health and wellness in the midst of a pandemic
  • Greater interest in convenience and excitement with food purchases as fatigue around at home cooking sets in 
  • Addressing the impact to eating habits based on shifting routines
  • Growth of eCommerce and digital interaction and the impact to consumer shopping and communication

Tyson’s new product launches address these growing areas through the portfolio of brands and products, like Aidells pork and beef meatballs, Ball Park’s nacho cheese franks, Jimmy Dean’s breakfast nuggets and fully cooked breakfast sausage, Raised & Rooted’s Plant-Based Bites, and Tyson’s Crispy Breaded Chicken. The new product launches will grow the business across each category while addressing new consumer needs. 

Sausages That Mean Dollars

Smithfield Foods is making big moves with their Carando Brats and Italian Links. While Carando is already the No. 1 brand in the dinner meatball category, they are expanding their offerings to include a mild and hot Italian sausage, Bavarian brat and traditional beer brat.  

The uncooked dinner sausage category has grown five years in a row, with aggregated sales dollars up 27 percent, year over year, for a total of just under $1.7 billion.  Carando is the fastest growing brand in this category, and Italian links and brats make up 74 percent of the category.  The sausages only use USDA inspected cuts of domestic pork, shelve in refrigerated fresh meat case and are shipped frozen and slacked on the shelf.