April 26, 2024 – Through our research, we shed light on the global meat market of today. See how the current market trends are shaped by product launches and sales, top claims, and popular flavors, with insights that unlock potential for brand innovation and development.
Category Analysis
Launches of new meat products globally have slightly decreased between October 2020 and September 2023. The types of meat products driving new product development include pork, beef, and chicken products, products formulated with herbs and spices, smoked and roasted versions, cheese infused options, and region inspired flavors.
Latin America is the region with the highest share of meat product launches, when placed within the protein, i.e., meat, fish, and eggs category. New meat product development in the region is driven by protein-rich launches, options with reductionism claims, ready to serve choices, tenderized beef steaks, sausage with chimichurri, and chorizo ranges.
North America and Asia Pacific are the two regions that show a growth in share of new product launches between April and September 2023.
Subcategory Analysis
Between April and September 2023, launches of new meat products have remained stable. Europe is the largest region for new meat product launches, with 45% share of global launches between April 2022 and September 2023. The region also shows an increase in new product launch share between April 2023 and September 2023. Diverse meat preparation techniques, inclusion of fermented ingredients, varieties in cheese, and sauce drive the launches in Europe during this period.
Asia Pacific is the leading market for meat product sales, accounting for an average of 38% between 2019 and 2023. The region has registered a growth in sales of 6.3% between 2021 and 2023, with Halal choices, grilled snails, herbaceous versions, beef and pork patties, skewered ranges, corned beef, and driving innovation.
Lidl is the top company innovating in meat product launches between April and September 2023, with 4.6% of the total share. A variety of culinary preparation styles, diverse lineups of beef cuts, and pork cuts support new product development. JBS, on the other hand, is the most active launcher of new products between April 2022 and September 2023, rising by 40.3% within the global meat market.
Positioning Trends in the Global Meat Market
Gluten free is the most common positioning for meat products. The next most common claims are no additives or preservatives, indulgent and premium, lactose free, and traditional. GMO free, natural, and organic are emerging claims on new product introductions. Indulgent and premium positionings are seeing a decrease in usage. When measuring by region, no additives or preservatives leads as the most popular claim in North America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa.
Flavor Trends
Smoked is the number one flavor for meat products, however it has been slowly decreasing in popularity since April 2022. Chili, the second most popular flavor, has risen in popularity since 2022. The next most popular flavors are barbecue, spices, and cheese. Emerging flavors include pepper, garlic, and black pepper.
When analyzed by region, smoked flavor remains the most prominent across the board. Notable differences between regions include a preference for spices flavor in Latin America, and the highest production of barbecue flavored meat products comes from North America.
What’s Next in Global Meat Market Trends?
Latin America showcased the strongest growth in new meat product introductions within the last three years, rising by 14.3% among the other regions. The region is also growing in sales and innovation, with gourmet offerings, options crafted using natural preservatives, and diverse cuts of meat. There is potential for brands to leverage this innovative market and introduce exciting new meat products for consumers.
Free from positionings, such as gluten free, lactose free, GMO free, sugar free, and no trans fats, are all growing claims within the meat market. However, some are more prominent in specific regions, and less in others. For instance, GMO free is growing in North America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa, while no trans fats is growing in Europe. Brands can unlock further interest in their products by investing into claims that are on trend in their region.
Region-inspired flavors are among the growing flavors in meat products, such as Korean bulgogi, Italian style sausage, Japanese teriyaki, and Mexican cochinita pibil. This falls in line with our Top Ten Trend: Local Goes Global, where local ingredients and foreign dishes are rising in popularity across the globe. These flavors are therefore expected to continue increasing in popularity.
This article is based on our insider report, “What’s Trending in Meat Products – Global.” If you are interested in reading this report, feel free to request a demo.
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