By: Nicole Schumacher, CMO, Pre Brands
Over the past two decades, the increased discussion surrounding climate change has shifted the expectations of a company’s responsibility to minimize its impact on the environment from an optimistic ideology to a primary driver of intent among customers. In fact, a 2023 NielsenIQ report found that more than half of global consumers are willing to pay more for products that are environmentally friendly and sustainably sourced. Needless to say, in 2024, saving the planet has become big business.
Meat remains a hot button issue in sustainability, with ideas ranging from requiring stricter guidelines to promote efficiencies to giving up animal protein altogether. For many, eliminating meat isn’t an option for various reasons, but this doesn’t mean that consumers are cavalier about the products they buy. The 2024 Power of Meat study shows that 64% of survey respondents like to know where their food is coming from and 55% try to “do their part” for the environment. They’re looking for a product that is holistically sustainable – minimizing waste for the planet, minimizing health impact to ourselves and minimizing harm to livestock. When it comes to purchasing beef, case-ready meats provide an option for consumers that want to feel good about the sourcing of their product.
HOLISTIC SUSTAINABILITY
- Minimizing Waste – Case-ready meat packaging works harder to minimize the chance of spoilage. Meat counters often use wax paper or plastic sheet wrap which only keeps meat fresh for roughly five days. Compare that to the vacuum sealing of case-ready meat which has a shelf life of two to three times longer and allows the protein to keep fresh in the freezer, minimizing waste. The Power of Meat survey showed that the characteristics consumers seek in meat packaging includes packaging that keeps product fresh longer (57%), is leakproof (56%), freezer ready (47%) and environmentally friendly (36%). Case-ready packaging contains these characteristics making it a more functional option vs. wax paper or plastic wrap options. Taking waste reduction a step further, not only does case-ready packaging keep meat fresher longer, but it also provides pre-portioned servings making it harder for customers to buy more than they truly need.
- Minimizing Health Impact – Case-ready options are also exposed to far less handling than traditional meat counter options. To keep meats looking “fresh,” grocers will often use modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) by pumping a mix of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen into the packaging, which, itself, can often contain BPA. In an era where consumers are concerned about exposure to endocrine disruptors, “forever” chemicals and more, it’s easy to see how case-ready meats make a better choice. More handling means also more opportunities for accidental contamination and no one wants a side of E. coli with their burger.
- Minimizing Harm – At Pre Brands, we take things a step further with our commitment to sourcing 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef. While consumers are continuing to choose grass-fed as their lean beef of choice, they are not aware that not all “grass-fed” claims are created equal. When traditional diets for cattle include corn as a primary source of feed, some producers can claim to be “grass-fed,” even if the cattle are moved to feed lots and switched to a silage diet (dried grasses or grass-pellets) in the last months of their lives. The moving to a feedlot does nothing to streamline operational efficiencies and promote sustainability. When beef is truly sustainably sourced, cattle graze on lush pastures where nutrient-rich grasses grow year-round for the entirety of their lifespan. Not only does that eliminate transportation and feedlot management costs, but the presence on pasture and rotational grazing can help regenerate grasslands, build soil health and sequester carbon. And, perhaps obviously, it provides a much better life for the cattle.
The Covid-19 pandemic changed the way that consumers buy groceries – with a significant spike in consumers that are increasingly comfortable buying case-ready meat. A staggering 87% of Power of Meat respondents said case-ready is as good or better than meat cut and packaged in the store. Even more enticing? It’s being driven by two groups with enormous buying potential and for whom sustainability is a top priority – Gen-Z and Millennials. Case-ready meats deliver a premium product that promotes holistic sustainability – for the planet, for ourselves and for livestock – that everyone can get behind.
Nicole Schumacher is Chief Marketing Officer at Pre® Brands. Contact Nicole at NSchumacher@EatPre.com
Sourcing: 2024 Power of Meat / 2023 NIQ Health & Wellness
