Meat and poultry industry trends - Articles

A cow eating grass and a chicken standing next to it in a field.

Top 100 Meat & Poultry Processors

The Top 100 Meat & Poultry Processors of 2026

Positive consumer trends fueling protein consumption push meat and poultry sales to a record high $112 billion.

May 5, 2026

The 2026 Top 100 Meat & Poultry Processors highlights a $112B market fueled by strong demand, premium trends and Gen Z influence, despite tight cattle supply, rising costs and shifting protein dynamics across beef, pork and poultry.

The National Provisioner's most-viewed stories of 2025

Industry news and new products draw audience attention in 2025.

January 1, 2026

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An article on Congress moving to block USDA's proposed Salmonella rule ranks as The National Provisioner's most-viewed article for 2025.

2025 Top 100 Meat & Poultry Processors

2025 Top 100 Meat and Poultry Processors: Record meat sales fuel growth

The general trend is companies’ revenues are up from 2023, some significantly.

Fred Wilkinson

May 20, 2025

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View The National Provisioner's 2025 Top 100, an annual ranking of the top 100 meat and poultry processors in the United States, based on net sales.

Hungry markets beckon exporters and importers

Fred Wilkinson

March 17, 2022

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As many U.S. meat and seafood exporters find increasing demand abroad, the North American market is attracting fresh attention from Brazil.

Stampede Meat offers direct-to-consumer option in response to COVID-19

March 27, 2020

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Andy Hanacek sits down with Brock Furlong, president & CEO of Stampede Meat, to discuss the company’s “Chef Inside Cares” program, designed to give consumers the opportunity to purchase and pick up meat and poultry products directly from the company’s Bridgeview, Ill., facility during the COVID-19 pandemic.

State of the Industry 2019 | Overview

State of the Meat and Poultry Industry 2019: Maze runners

As consumer demand branches off in every direction imaginable, meat and poultry processors are forced to traverse numerous trails and form new alliances, hoping to find success and avoid dead ends.

Dan Emery

October 9, 2019

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The meat and poultry industry faces challenges from every angle, in every form, as it heads toward 2020 with a mix of positivity and uncertainty on its mind.

Q&A at IPPE with Julie Anna Potts

March 5, 2019

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In this video interview, Julie Anna Potts, newest president & CEO of North American Meat Institute, speaks with editor-in-chief Andy Hanacek at IPPE.

Bacon has staying power

Food trends come and go, but the love for bacon is forever.

Sam Gazdziak

February 18, 2019

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While some foods flourish and then fade, bacon has maintained perennial popularity. Not only is it a mealtime staple at every daypart, but it is entrenched in American pop culture as well.

Business Strategies | 2018 Outlook

Pendulum swings positive for meat and poultry industry

With fewer wild cards, the outlook for 2018 appears to offer more promising possibilities for the meat and poultry industries.

Dan Emery

January 26, 2018

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Our current situation has Sonny Perdue, a degreed veterinarian and no stranger to the chicken industry, reorganizing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in a way that will have favorable effects on our ability to do business. As a result, the regulatory outlook for the next three years is encouraging.

Supplier Perspectives

The popularity of poultry – Part 1

Yousef Fatayer

January 25, 2018

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Consumption of poultry products globally is on the rise. It is predicted that between 2013 and 2023 the industry will grow at a rate of 3.2% per year, with uptake set to increase faster than pork and beef products.