Half the benefit of pre-marinated meat is consumers know what they are going to get: embedded taste and convenience. Processors are utilizing new technologies with injections and marinades, so everything tastes the same but with less sodium and sugar, and fewer food-safety concerns.
With increasing concerns about both food safety and the environment, there are pros and cons to using plastic packaging for fresh foods. Add to that consumer demand for convenience, and the question becomes even more complicated.
Industry still awaits turkey's market turnaround and big-time export opportunities, while chicken processors need to re-energize product innovation to continue to catch consumers' eyes.
From a holistic perspective, total poultry across the store had moderate dollar growth but volume declines for all U.S. outlets combined for the 52 weeks ending Nov. 2, says Meagan Nelson, associate director at Nielsen, in Chicago.
Enter Fredericksburg, Pa., chicken processor Bell & Evans. The 125-year-old company, led today by Scott Sechler Sr. and his two children, Scott Jr. "Buddy" and Margo, has been a top-shelf trailblazer in the industry for decades.
If you work in the agriculture industry, it's common knowledge that less than 2 percent of the country's population works in it. Another widely recognized fact is fewer and fewer of our country’s citizens know where their food comes from — other than a grocery store.