Health Concerns Driving Global Meat Snack Market

DUIVEN, The Netherlands The United States dominates the global meat snacks market with jerky-style products boasting good growth in recent years as the result of manufacturers focusing on a healthier image, more convenient packaging formats and a greater choice of flavor options, particularly hot and spicy variants, according to new market data from Innova Market Insights.

According to statistics, launch numbers remain relatively small in terms of snacks introductions as a whole, with just more than 5% of the global total in the 12 months to the end of June 2012. This is up from less than 3% five years ago, however, and reflects not only growing sales in more established markets, but also greater penetration in more non-traditional markets such as some of those in Europe.

Innova Market Insights says 18% of global meat snacks launches were positioned on a health platform of some kind, but this rises to 40% in Europe and to 75% in the United States, showing the greater emphasis being placed on health benefits in the more developed markets. The most popular health claims concerned naturalness and the absence of artificial additives and preservatives, used on 12% of launches globally, rising to 58% in the United States.

In Europe, the meat snacks market is much more limited, with products tending to be thought of as meat products rather than bagged snacks. The most popular lines tend to be salami-style sausage products, rather than dried snacks such as jerky and biltong. Germany has the largest market, reflecting its traditional love of wurst and salami-style sausages, although jerky-style products are also increasingly popular, with the U.S. jerky market leader, Jack Links, having its European base in Germany. The meat snacks market is dominated by Unilevers BiFi mini salami snack brand, which is celebrating its 40th birthday in 2012 with a number of initiatives, including a special limited edition BiFi HOT variant. It is also featured in a co-branded launch with German snacks market leader Intersnack, which is introducing a BiFi limited edition flavor variant under its market-leading Chio potato chips brand in the autumn of 2012.

The underdeveloped U.K. market is seeing much higher levels of new product activity, although this probably includes more pastry-based meat snacks. The U.K. market for meat snacks has long been dominated by salami-style lines from Unilevers Peperami, ahead of Kerry Foods Mattessons Fridge Raiders. But the market is changing in character, with the arrival and promotion of more jerky-style products, both British and imported lines. A notable feature has been the arrival of smaller specialist British companies, often promoting the use of local meats and/or more traditional British flavors.

According to Lu Ann Williams, research manager at Innova Market Insights, the undeveloped status of the meat snacks market outside the United States provides further opportunities for international growth. This is particularly the case, if the image of the products can be presented as tasty, healthy, substantial and convenient snacks for all occasions, boosted by ongoing product and promotional initiatives," she said.

Be sure to check out the Snack Food Revolution" in Food Product Designs Content Library to see how many product designers are revolutionizing the way Americans snack. Key developments include a wider range of complex savory flavors, improving nutrition and cleaning up the label.