SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: Ground Meat Trends + Technology - July 2023 - 4

GROUND ROUNDUP
Moo and gobble
Ground beef and turkey are
leaders of the pack
By Joel Crews
jcrews@sosland.com
don't mind paying a premium for products that
help them look like masters of the grill, or nowadays,
the flattop grill.
" What we know to be true at Certified Angus
Beef, is that shoppers are indeed willing to pay
more for a high-quality eating experience, " Clark
said.
She added, " As we think about ground beef
trends, those grilling consumers are looking
for high-quality items and Certified Angus Beef
ground beef means smash burgers, elevated
burger patties, tacos, grilled kofta kabobs, and
more. "
TURKEY TIMES
B
4
eef and turkey are clear category leaders
in the $14.2 billion ground meat
category. According to Circana, for the
fiscal year ended April 30, ground beef
sales were $12.04 billion, while ground
turkey accounted for about $1.7 billion.
And no other category was even close.
The widespread love of hamburgers has helped
make ground beef a staple in the diets of US consumers,
not to mention its many other uses as an
ingredient or main dish will likely ensure its top
spot for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, perceived
health benefits and price appeal of ground
turkey have proven to keep it in a solid, but distant
second place.
" According to Kansas State Meat Demand
Monitor, right now, ground beef holds about
23% of the market share in retail, and 26% (hamburger
specifically) in foodservice, " said Diana
Clark, Certified Angus Beef's (CAB) meat scientist.
" We also see that consumers are willing to
pay more for ground beef, " she said.
Beef's indulgent appeal may be a key reason
behind consumers' willingness to pay more for it,
and ground beef is no exception, whether cooking
out on the grill or sitting down at their favorite
burger joint. CAB's Clark said backyard chefs
2023 GROUND MEAT TRENDS + TECHNOLOGY MEAT+POULTRY
Despite inflationinduced
higher prices,
consumers are showing
a willingness to pay
more for higher quality
ground beef, bolstering
beef's top spot in the
ground meats category.
Officials from Garner, NC-based Butterball LLC,
however, point out that inflation-influenced
consumers and diners drive up annual sales of
ground turkey, but higher prices have had downward
pressure on how much or how frequently
they purchase it. For the 52-week period ended
May 14, 2023, ground turkey sales topped $1.7 billion,
which included 369 million lbs, according to
Dennis Traver, director of insights with Butterball.
" Elevated food prices are contributing to
increased dollar sales, but at the expense of
volume, " Traver said. " In the latest 52 weeks,
ground turkey (total grinds) increased 10.1% in
sales while total pounds declined 5.2%, he said,
based on Circana data for the period ending May
14, 2023.
Andy Holmes, brand manager of Butterball's
Everyday Fresh Raw Turkey, added that today's
consumers are attuned to not just price, but also
production and ingredient claims on labels.
" To meet this demand, Butterball ground turkey
is all natural and minimally processed, "
Holmes said. "
Holmes added that ground turkey is appealing
to consumers with varied demographics.
" Data indicates that most people who purchase
ground turkey have larger households with
kids (four or more people), " he said. " Ground
turkey also indexes higher with younger generations
than ground beef, tapping into millennial
and Gen Z buyers. "
Butterball expects continued growth in the
ground turkey category as consumers look for
quick meal solutions that they feel good about.
" Butterball's data indicates that 52% of consumers
are reaching for ground turkey in the grocery
aisle because of the health benefits, " Holmes
said. " They cite that turkey is lower in fat, calories
and cholesterol than beef or pork. "
Certified Angus Beef
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: Ground Meat Trends + Technology - July 2023

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