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  • Power of Meat Analysis Marks 20th Anniversary at Annual Meat Conference

    Meat sales hit a record high of $104.6 billion in 2024, pounds sold increased 2.3% compared to 2023, and consumers, on average, purchase meat more than once per week (Circana) – keeping meat the largest fresh department in grocery, according to the 20th annual Power of Meat report released at the Annual Meat Conference by the Meat Institute and FMI—The Food Industry Association.

    Nearly all (98%) of American households purchase meat (Circana), and 73% of Americans view meat as an overall healthy choice. Getting enough protein is very/somewhat important to 90% of Americans, and animal proteins, including eggs (83%), chicken (82%) and beef (76%), top the list of foods that most consumers view as protein-rich foods.

    Other priorities among meat shoppers include preparing comfort meals, having quick prep options, and getting creative with ingredients. The average American shops for meat 54 times per year and spends $16.12 on meat per trip (Circana).

    Rick Stein, Vice President of Fresh Foods for FMI commented:

    “As shoppers’ definition of value has expanded to include price, quality, relevance, convenience and experience, they are including meat in 90% of home-cooked dinners and looking for various options to suit their schedules, tastes, and interests. Whether shoppers are looking for the convenience of new ground meats or incorporating semi-prepared options in their meal prep, the meat department delivers.”

    Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts added:

    “With most Americans (74%) so confident in meat as a nutrient powerhouse that is top of mind for protein needs, it’s no surprise people are buying more meat than ever. Meat Institute members are committed to making the nutrient-dense meat Americans need and keeping America’s farm economy thriving, today and for generations to come.”

    The Power of Meat study was conducted by 210 Analytics on behalf of FMI—The Food Industry Association and the Meat Foundation and sponsored by CRYOVAC® Brand Food Packaging. Sales and purchase dynamics data are provided by Circana for the 52 weeks ending 12/29/24.

    For summary of key findings, see:

    Media may contact FMI or Meat Institute representatives for a complimentary copy of the full Power of Meat 2025 report.

    About the Meat Institute and the Meat Foundation:

    The Meat Institute represents the full community of people and companies who make the majority of meat American families rely on every day. The Meat Institute’s hands-on regulatory and technical expertise, proactive advocacy, unique convening power, collaboration within and beyond animal agriculture, and sector-leading continuous improvement initiatives drive relationships and resources that ensure meat continues to be a vital, trusted pillar of healthy diets and thriving communities for generations to come.

    The Meat Foundation is the Meat Institute’s research and scholarship arm, investing in critical areas such as food safety; nutrition, health and wellness; environment; animal welfare; and labor and human rights and supporting education and professional development in each of these areas, fostering the meat industry’s future leaders. To learn more, visit: MeatInstitute.org.

    About FMI—The Food Industry Association: As the food industry association, FMI works with and on behalf of the entire industry to advance a safer, healthier and more efficient consumer food supply chain. FMI brings together a wide range of members across the value chain — from retailers that sell to consumers, to producers that supply food and other products, as well as the wide variety of companies providing critical services — to amplify the collective work of the industry. For more information, visit: www.FMI.org.

  • 2022 Annual Meat Conference Cancelled

    The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) and FMI – The Food Industry Association (FMI) today made the difficult decision to cancel the 2022 Annual Meat Conference (AMC) out of respect for the health of our communities and due to the attention and consideration our respective members are putting into their operations.

    “The purpose of AMC is to bring together retailers and the meat and poultry industry,” said NAMI President and CEO Julie Anna Potts. “Like the meat and poultry industry, many of our partners in retail are experiencing significant operational and supply chain challenges. At this time, attending an in-person conference is difficult which diminishes the value of the event for all participants.”

    FMI President and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin commented, “Our community is prioritizing the health of its people and operations so that we will be able to continue to serve the shopper, but we are committed to sharing additional category insights with our audiences throughout the year.”

    A full refund will be issued to all attendees, exhibitors and sponsors, and event coordinators will cancel hotel reservations on behalf of registered attendees. 

    While the in-person event is canceled, NAMI and FMI, in partnership with Sealed Air, will host a virtual discussion series regarding The Power of Meat analysis. The kickoff to this three-part series will be hosted beginning February 7. Registration information will be available via the conference website and in a follow-up communication to previously registered attendees. The analysis will also be available for free to members of our respective organizations and previously registered attendees.

    About the North American Meat Institute:

    The North American Meat Institute is a leading voice for the meat and poultry industry. The Meat Institute’s members process the vast majority of U.S. beef, pork, lamb, and poultry, as well as manufacturing the equipment and ingredients needed to produce safe, high quality meat and poultry products. www.meatinstitute.org

    About FMI:

    As the food industry association, FMI works with and on behalf of the entire industry to advance a safer, healthier and more efficient consumer food supply chain. FMI brings together a wide range of members across the value chain — from retailers that sell to consumers, to producers that supply food and other products, as well as the wide variety of companies providing critical services — to amplify the collective work of the industry. www.fmi.org

  • Meat Purchases and Confidence at Record Highs

    Americans are buying more beef, pork, poultry, and lamb than ever as increased time at home during the pandemic sent meat grocery sales soaring by 20% (IRI) from 2019 to 2020.

    The national analysis released today shows that three out of every four Americans agree meat belongs in healthy, balanced diets (up by nearly 20% since 2020), and 94% say they buy meat because it provides high-quality protein.

    Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts commented, “Americans feel better than ever about choosing meat as part of healthy, balanced diets. With COVID-19 deepening demand for convenient, affordable food that tastes good and matches Americans’ values, meat fits the bill.”

    Nearly all American households (98.4%) purchased meat in 2020 (IRI), and 43% of Americans now buy more meat than before the pandemic – primarily because they are preparing more meals at home.

    The proportion of meals prepared at home peaked at 89% in April 2020 and remained at 84% in December (IRI), considerably above pre-pandemic levels and particularly impacting Millennials who were previously most likely to eat out.

    The number of meat shoppers who purchased groceries online grew 40% in 2020, and the majority of online purchasers (59%) expect to continue purchasing about the same amount online in 2021, suggesting food shopping habits may have changed permanently.

    Americans are also embracing new cooking methods (ownership of air fryers increased 24%) and turning to digital sources for recipe inspiration (YouTube use is up 50%) and promotions (consulting digital circulars for promotions increased 33%).

    “Shoppers are cooking more at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and their confidence in cooking and preparing meat has increased,” said Rick Stein, Vice President of Fresh Foods for FMI—The Food Industry Association. “Further analysis also shows convenient meal solutions are key and that food retailers have opportunities to provide more choices, along with more information and education on consumer priorities like nutrition and meal preparation – building up what we call consumers’ Meat IQ.”

    The Power of Meat study was conducted by 210 Analytics on behalf of FMI—The Food Industry Association and the Meat Institute’s Foundation for Meat and Poultry Research and Education and released during the American Meat Conference.

    Top Findings of the Power of Meat 2021

    1. The pandemic showed us just how popular meat and poultry still are.
      With consumers cooking at home during the pandemic, meat department dollars increased 19.2% and volume 11.0%. This was due to more meat trips and greater spending per trip, while household penetration remained high, at 98.4% (IRI).

    2. The pandemic brought more home-cooked meals with meat, with the shopper’s eye turning to convenience and variety. An important silver lining of the pandemic is greater meat preparation knowledge, which is likely to benefit the retail meat industry for years, if not generations, to come. But the initial cooking enthusiasm is making way for a quest for variety and convenience. Value-added meat/poultry sales grew based on greater household engagement and increased frequency of use.

    3. More than three-quarters of shoppers changed something about their meat purchases during the pandemic.
      Driven by lunch and dinner, 43% of shoppers bought more meat and poultry, greatly impacted by the work-from-home trend. Additionally, four in 10 shoppers bought differently, whether different types (42%), cuts (40%) or brands (45%).

    4. Online meat shopping increased during the pandemic.
      While supermarkets easily remained the biggest outlet for meat, 56% of shoppers purchased groceries online in 2020. Up from 19%, 31% of shoppers ordered meat online in 2020, and those that ordered meat did so more often.

    5. Consumers look for meat sales/deals more often, but fewer sales were made on promotion during the pandemic.
      More shoppers looked for promotions across stores (68%) or at their primary store (78%) as they shifted to buying in bigger quantities to freeze and use over time. The digital circular gained big, but in-store signage remained the most popular way to research meat specials.

    6. Consumers’ perception of case-ready reaches a study high 81% favorability.
      Shoppers have a positive impression of case-ready with 26% believing it is better than meat that is cut/packaged in-store and 55% believe it is equally good.

    7. Better-for-you gains appeal as shoppers focus on health and nutrition.
      Food has become more than just fuel and shoppers look for meat/poultry items they believe are better-for-me/their family. Many (71%) are putting effort into choosing nutritious and healthful meat and poultry choices. High interest in these areas expresses itself in vastly different protein choices, including purchasing claims-based meat, blends, alternatives and eating a little less of it.

    8. Environmental sustainability is a rising platform driving dollars across categories, including meat/poultry.
      Many (49%) consider sustainability factors when making meat purchases including better for the planet (34%), the worker/rancher (29%) and the animal (27%). Sixty percent of shoppers try to do their part for the environment and 43% believe that ranchers take steps to protect the planet. The 37% share of consumers who are unsure about environmental measures taken signal an important education opportunity for the meat retailing industry.

    9. Animal welfare remained important during the pandemic and is a multi-faceted concept in the eyes of the consumer. Fifty-five percent of shoppers say having information about how and where the animal was raised and processed is important. Consumers’ definition of animal welfare involves many aspects of animal living, feeding and care conditions, including how animals are handled during slaughter (60%), access to outdoors (60%) and the amount of living space (58%). More people believe the meat they buy came from humanely-treated animals (44%) but 40% are simply unsure.

    10. Plant-based meat alternatives grew 83.9% but remain just 0.6% of combined meat/alternative dollar sales.
      At $475 million, refrigerated plant-based meat alternatives experienced robust growth. Just shy of 10% of households bought alternatives in 2020, but 40% did so only once. (IRI) Vegetable/meat blends, such as mushroom burgers, have greater appeal, and can be a bridge between continued meat consumption and providing benefits people look for in plant-forward eating.

    Download your report copy, top 10 and slides from the conference platform HERE.
    -For study information/questions, please contact Anne-Marie Roerink at aroerink@210analytics.com
    -For questions about NAMI, please contact Ann Wells at awells@meatinstitute.org
    -For questions about FMI, please contact Rick Stein at rstein@fmi.org

    About Meat Institute’s Foundation for Meat and Poultry Research and Education

    The Foundation for Meat and Poultry Research and Education (Foundation) is a non-profit research, education and information foundation established to identify strategies that enable the meat and poultry industry to produce better, safer products and to operate more efficiently. The Foundation engages leaders from industry, academia and government to advance scientific understanding related to food safety, nutrition, the environment, animal welfare and worker safety, among other issues. The Foundation does not engage in policymaking but provides scientific evidence and context to governmental agencies as needed. The Foundation also provides resources to consumers to empower them with information to select and prepare safe and nutritious meat and poultry products for their families. For more information, visit: http://meatpoultryfoundation.org/pages/about.

    About FMI

    As the food industry association, FMI works with and on behalf of the entire industry to advance a safer, healthier and more efficient consumer food supply chain. FMI brings together a wide range of members across the value chain — from retailers that sell to consumers, to producers that supply food and other products, as well as the wide variety of companies providing critical services — to amplify the collective work of the industry. For more information, visit: www.FMI.org.