FRESH FOOD
Protein Report pork chops,” asserts Worpel. “While prices are higher this year than last, pork is still a good value, especially for a crowd. We anticipate a lot of cookout-related activity in the pork category this summer.” Value-added fresh pork products, including pre-marinated and pre-seasoned items that have become a staple of grocery meat cases over the past two decades, also entice consumers looking to elevate their eating experience while not spending too much time in the kitchen. According to research shared by Tyson, 68% of shoppers purchased value-added meat sometimes or frequently in 2021, up from 37% in 2016. Several pork brands offer value-added offerings, such as Tyson’s Sweet & Smoky BBQ marinated pork loin and Smithfield’s Steakhouse Mushroom Marinated fresh pork loin filet. Grocers have added flavor to their private label value-added pork items, too, like Wegmans’ bourbon-marinated pork tenderloin. As consumer demand for sustainably produced and minimally processed foods continues to grow, the natural fresh pork segment has expanded as well. For example, Tyson’s Open Prairie line of natural pork features no antibiotics ever and no added growth hormones or growth promotants, and is made from hogs on a 100% vege-
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As summer grilling season gets underway, so does peak selling time for perenially popular pork cuts, such as ribs, that meet consumer tastes and lifestyles. Tyson Fresh Meats has also noted growing interest in its Open Prairie natural pork spareribs.
tarian diet; according to research cited by Tyson, 72% of meat shoppers now look for meat they consider “better for me or better for my family,” up from 66% in 2019.
What’s Hot in Processed and Specialty Pork
Beyond fresh pork, processed and specialty pork products are providing another kind of lift to the overall pork category. As charcuterie remains a top trend, brands like Columbus Fresh Meats from Austin, Minn.-based Hormel Foods continue to widen their portfolios with more pork-based processed meats. For its part, family-owned True Story Foods, based in Fairfield, Calif., recently rolled out dry-aged sliced Heritage Breed Prosciutto, available at Sprouts Farmers Market locations. Bacon, that perennial favorite, keeps on sizzling, with $6.4 billion in sales — a 1.9% lift over 2021 and a 28.1% jump over pre-pandemic 2019, by IRI’s findings. Within bacon, recent new products include lower-sugar or no-sugar varieties like Golden, Colo.-based Coleman Natural Foods’ sugar-free uncured applewood-smoked bacon. Coleman also teamed up with the Hingham, Mass.-based Wahlburgers brand to offer all-natural, crate-free Wahlburgers Hickory Smoked Uncured Bacon. Pork is a common ingredient in meat snacks, too. The ongoing popularity of high-protein and keto diets has buoyed pork rinds from brands like Slim Jim and 4505 Meats, which recently came out with Chile Limon Chicharrones that scored a best new product award at the Sweets & Snacks Expo, in Chicago. Another snack form comes from Salisbury, Md.-based Perdue Farms, which just launched BBQ Seasoned Pulled Pork Bites, ideal for air fryers. Finally as with other protein sectors, the traditional pork category is contending with plant-based alternatives that have made their way into retail meat cases. For instance, Redwood City, Calif.-based Impossible Foods recently introduced Impossible Pork, a ground product that packs 18 grams of protein, and Impossible Sausage Links in bratwurst, Italian and spicy flavors.
