Meat snacks are a growing industry in which meat processors have to use all of their creativity to stay competitive. Essentia’s range of quality functional meat-based ingredients will help you provide clean label, high protein products which are additive free, in accordance with consumer demands. Essentia shares trends and consumer preferences for dried and fermented snack products.
What are meat snacks?
Meat snacks are convenient food products that are processed with different meat raw materials. They are available in ready to eat formats according to preference. Meat snacks could be as conventional as jerky and salami sticks, or as varying as savory meat bars and meaty sliders.
Meat snacks in the global market
The global meat snack market was valued at over 10 billion Euro in 2018 and over 12 billion Euro in 2020 with North America and Europe witnessing highest rate for snack food consumption. The increasing demand for convenience food products, corresponds with the rising demand for protein food products which is one of the key factors behind the overall growth of the market. Forecasts show that the retail numbers are still rising.
The popularity of snacks
Consumers have replaced their regular meals with convenience food products as many of them have busy lifestyles. It has led to the popularity of grab-and-go functional meal replacement foods and beverages. The demand has eventually led to an increase in demand for snacking products, which are specifically rich in protein, flavor-packed, and made with clean and sustainable raw materials.
Snacking offers a freedom of use and indulgence which appeals to many, which is what is driving trend. However, consumers still want healthy indulgence, and they prefer less-processed items with lower sodium and more natural ingredients in authentic and trendy flavors. Therefore, snack manufacturers in the global market have been strategizing on developing their products in accordance with the dominating trends.
Why consumers opt for meat snacks
A very important feature is the flavor, followed by other factors of influence such as price, nutritional content, authenticity, and sustainability.
Meat snacks are an excellent source of protein and other key nutrients like heme iron, creatine, and various vitamins. They are very much in tune with healthy lifestyles that require high protein with low sugar and carbohydrate content. However, the modern consumer is demanding snacks that have a clean label and are derived from safe sources.
The latest trends have shown the global preferences in meat snack launches all around the world.
