While phosphates offer many benefits to meat and poultry products, the ingredient is not a clean-label one. The growth of clean-label, natural and organic meat and poultry products is leading to a decrease in the use of phosphates.
While concerns about health issues such as obesity, diabetes and heart attacks scare many consumers away from foods cooked in breading and batter, a large base of buyers still embrace fried chicken, which remains popular in foodservice and grocery settings.
As processors attempt to provide clean or simple labels to consumers by reducing the number of ingredients in their products, gums and binders stand out on product labels.
Sodium's sticking point: Meat and poultry processors continue to battle to reduce sodium in their products, but it’s not always an easy feat to accomplish without affecting functionality or taste.
As with the rest of the food industry, meat and poultry processors are actively exploring ingredient technologies to reduce sodium in their products due to consumers’ more healthful eating desires.
“Fresh” changes abound in the lunch daypart, as retailers, foodservice operators and consumers seek out protein options that are perceived healthier without sacrificing taste or quality.
A continued emphasis around fresh foods at lunchtime and throughout the day is a big reason why salads, which could be made with or without meat, are the No. 1 growing item at lunchtime.