Making the most of meat

Under pressure from the rise in flexitarian eating and associated promotion of plant-based eating - particularly at the start of a new year traditionally used to promote healthier eating - the outlook for UK meat consumption is a mixed one. However, if meat’s healthy protein content and provenance credentials are better communicated, that could help, and further opportunity may well await in delivery and takeaway.

A Growing Business

In recent years, meat has been at the centre of a twofold phenomenonvalue appreciation on the one hand, related to the growing popularity of protein diets, and vegetarian lifestyle and plant substitutes booming on the other hand – point out the researchers at Tuttofood, the upcoming international food exhibition that takes place in Italy (fieramilano, 8-11 May 2023, where the ‘world of meat’ will be located in the dedicated Tuttomeat area).

The data they have collected shows that for consumers, meat represents a food to be consumed with respect for sustainability and animal welfare. And the gourmand products and the reinterpretation of the classic cuts are also increasingly appreciated, with Tuttofood, from its privileged observation point, able to illustrate how meat today is responding to consumers’ new needs.

According to data from the statistics portal Statista, they note, the value of the world market will be close to $1.2 trillion this year and will grow by +7.8% per year on average in the coming years until 2027. In Europe, the market is now worth more than $381 billionalmost a third of the world total - and it will be close to $500 billion by 2027.

In the case of Italy, for example - a country with a centuries-old tradition in cured meats in particular - the numbers from the trade association, Assica, report that domestic consumption of cured meats in 2021 increased by +5.4% in volume, while exports grew by +15.2% in volume and +12% in value. In January-June 2022, exports rose to 95,006 tons (+4.1%) for sales of € 925.6 million (+9.5%). Cured raw hams (prosciutto) were at the forefront of the growth, but salami also performed well. Countries whose imports from Italy increased the most include France (+9.8% in quantity and +12.2% in value), Sweden (+17.1% and +18.6%) and Poland (+36.9% and +38.7%).

So what are the new trends? What is the consumer looking for and how can companies respond? Certified supply chain, practicality and speed of preparation, but also delicious proposals and reinterpretation of “less valuable” cuts for new uses, such as the barbecue where these cuts are also excellent for faster cooking. This is what emerges from Tuttofood’s interviews with some of the sector stakeholders, who were able to anticipate and interpret the new trends in meat consumption.

What emerges is greater attention to the environment and healthy animal nutrition, with information that must be increasingly clear on the labels. In fact, some Italian producers have launched a sensible consumption project – called the Filiera Benessere Animale (Animal Welfare Chain) – which stipulates only Italian pigs raised without antibiotics for the past 120 days, alongside the meeting of biosecurity standards. Welfare is ensured on 100% of the supply chain through DQA controls and certifications (namely, lower density, adequate space, and calibrated nutrition plans).

There are also many new proposals derived from huge investments in research and development, to make products that are convenient and quick to cook, the analysts report. Another boom area centres around gourmet offerings such as burgers, tartares, or dry-aged meats. Today, meat is also increasingly more and more adaptable to new uses such as appetisers or onedish meals, they also propose. At the same time, the supply chain must have a positive impact not only on animal welfare but also on the environment and this is why several producers have revisited their packaging by decreasing weight and size to avoid waste of plastic and paper, they add.