Americans are feeling a little jerky — not in the rude, inconsiderate sense but rather they are in the mood for dried beef deliciousness.

Stepping up to help satisfy that hunger, Old Trapper recently rolled out its 18-ounce bags of beef jerky (offered in Old Fashioned, Peppered, Teriyaki and Hot & Spicy flavor options), which are available nationwide in grocery, club and convenience stores. Old Trapper’s family-size pack is a result of listening to consumer demand for larger, shareable-sized bags, Old Trapper Chief Marketing Officer Robert Leary said.

He said Old Trapper’s 18-ounce bag was designed to provide consumers with a pack big enough for sharing or to stock pantries.

“Our 18 ounce family size bag is targeted at our market's high users,” he said. “It syncs right up with consumer trends regarding snacking and the need for on-the-go and high protein options. We find that high users are even utilizing our beef jerky products for meal replacement options.”

According to IRI retail research, more than half of consumers (51%) are stocking up on certain items, with about a quarter (24%) driven by concerns over out-of-stocks and a fifth worried prices may rise further.

Old Trapper is feeling bullish on jerky demand, with plans to add additional smokehouses to increase smokehouse capacity by 40% in 2022.

“When we built our new factory, completed in 2018, we designed the infrastructure to accommodate the installation of additional smokehouses without further physical building needed,” he said. “Our team's execution over the last four years has blown away our forecasts, and there is now the need to add more capacity. We are really excited about the opportunities for our brand in the marketplace. The consumer response is tremendous.”

Despite supply chain challenges and all-time high costs for raw materials, Leary said consumer demand for a quality jerky product at the right price point remains strong.

“Across the entire spectrum of food products, price increases have had to be implemented to deal with unprecedented commodity raw materials cost increases,” he said. “Again, we believe the consumer wants quality products, and we don’t think downsizing works with today’s sophisticated consumer. There is a mountain of temptation to compromise on a brand's promise to consumers in the name of cutting costs. We firmly believe consumers want great products and are willing to pay for brands that deliver on that.”