A major push from manufacturers has seen consumers develop a more meaningful relationship with meat. People aren't just picking the cheapest cuts any more - they want to know where the product is from, its nutritional profile, and the environmental factors affected by its production.
"The increased sophistication of consumers' tastes regarding meat and cuts is driving up both quality and variety, and demanding greater innovation amongst retail packers," says a spokesman for Dunbia, formerly Dungannon Meats, citing its investment in a new product development (NPD) team.
Projects taking place at the Campden and Chorleywood Food Research Association (CCFRA) reflect the industry's drive to improve the nutritional profiles of various products. The group is currently helping clients to meet the Food Standards Agency's processed foods salt reduction targets, and to cut fat content.
"For the meat industry, this brings with it new challenges such as what to do with the fat in the carcass equation," says Liz Mulvey, technical secretary of the Meat and Poultry Panel in the CCFRA's Department of Food Manufacturing Technologies.
Bernard Matthews Food Service has already seen ways to improve its products, providing consumers with a healthier offering. Haydn Hughes, sales manager at the firm, says: "We've been both redeveloping existing products to reduce their salt and fat content, and developing new products that are fully in-line with the new healthy eating initiatives, whilst retaining consumer acceptance and child appeal." Examples include: Turkey Premiere; Diced Turkey Breast; reduced fat (7g per 100g) and sodium (400mg per 100g) Turkey Meatballs; Pre-Cooked Turkey Breast and Chicken Breast steaks; and Lamb Meatballs.
Another foodservice giant, 3663, offers a range of healthier choices from lean steaks and skinless chicken breasts to prepared cuts of meat and poultry, offering chefs flexibility to control portion sizes and levels of salt or fat.
Ingredients suppliers have also embraced the health trend. For example, new products from Lucas Ingredients include a range of pie seasonings, gels and glazes with lowered salt content.
Manufacturers may also want to take inspiration from the US, where Fabrique Delices has given its pheasant sausages a healthy element by adding the much-feted superfood, Goji berries.
But despite processor's best efforts to tempt consumers into healthier eating habits, Richard Cullen, category development manager at the Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC), is concerned that consumers are still ignoring the need to look after their bodies. "Health is a big issue at the minute. It's a big political line, although I'm not sure as many consumers as we would like have acted on it."
Thus, the value of the British pasties and sausage rolls market rose from £16M in 2005 to £23M last year. Indeed, as average meal times shrink and commuting increases, hand-held snacks are another major NPD driver.
Meat snacks
Valuing the sub-category of chilled cooked meat snacks at £200M in 2006, Grampian Country Food Group is hoping to capitalise with a new snacking range. Grabits Chicken On A Stick features 100% whole chicken marinated chunks in Chinese, Tikka and Original flavours. Each stick falls below 100 calories and there is also a sharing option in the form of Grabits Nibbles, which comprise 10 mini microwaveable sticks.
"We are dedicating ourselves to playing a leading role in driving forward the category, focusing on innovative product development, responding to consumer and customer wants and needs and thereby encouraging sustainable long-term growth," says a Grampian spokesman.
Meanwhile, certain traditional dishes, such as offal, have been enjoying a resurgence in popularity. "Chefs love to push the boundaries and experiment with new ideas and those innovations trickle through to our home kitchens eventually," says Keith Tindell, md of Holmesterne. "Now that liver has been discovered to be a 'power food', it's become popular with the health-conscious too."
Citing a 50% increase in liver sales over the last six months and expectations of the same over the next half-year, Tindell says Holmesterne is currently cooking 10-15t of liver per week for retail and foodservice customers.
Another meat, which has taken off in the white linen and gastro pub sectors is pork belly, says MLC trade sector manager Tony Goodger. But further mileage could be gained from boosting its presence in banqueting and restaurant chains, he claims. Pork cheek, hock and collar are further tips for foodservice success.
"Combining these cuts with more expensive ingredients is also a good way to present a premium dish while keeping menu costs down," says Goodger. "We are increasingly seeing examples of this with chefs serving pork with seafood (scallops on top of black pudding) or dishes such as Cutlet and Belly of Berkshire Pork, which combines an expensive and cost effective cut to great effect."
He explains that there are numerous ways to add value to meat products. "We're also now starting to see a number of chefs using added-value cuts from named or traditional breeds or organically raised meat and using this as a unique selling point on menus," he adds.
A major trend Goodger highlights is a move towards quality assured ingredients, notably 3663's Whites brand. Faced with 'eating out, in' competition such as Marks & Spencer's Gastropub range, caterers need to offer something special to entice consumers out of the home. The replication of celebrity chef-endorsed sous vide dishes in manufacturing is expected to gain momentum, he says.
Hugh Judd, foodservice project manager at the English Beef and Lamb Executive, also cites growing consumer interest in the quality and provenance of food served in pubs and restaurants. "It is particularly important to be able to reassure customers on the traceability and provenance of meat when offering more unusual dishes such as oxtail, shin or mutton," he says.
Raising the baa
"Lamb knuckles (shanks) have seen tremendous growth in popularity with many manufacturers now producing quality products for the foodservice sector which have been cooked by the 'low and slow' method, and which can then be re-generated easily using a steamer or microwave." Using beef, minced, diced and forequarter cuts are also ideal for slow cooking, he adds.
"Rich man, poor man dishes are a fantastic way of offering your customers the more expensive, premium cuts of beef or lamb which they expect to see on your menu, such as beef fillet or lamb cannon, while keeping your costs relatively low," says Judd. Examples include beef fillet with oxtail or chuck; or a lamb canon with navarin of lamb or a mini shepherds pie.
Assurance continues to be important in the retail sector. Last month, Browns Food Group began supplying Specially Selected Roast Pork from pigs born, bred and slaughtered in Scotland for Morrison's The Best brand.
However, with the advent of carbon footprint labelling, the products themselves may not be the only consideration in NPD.
"Sustainability and waste management are of increasing importance to manufacturers," says Mulvey. "Energy use, transportation, refrigeration, processing, cooking and packaging are just some of the areas to be considered when developing new products as are more easily achievable targets such as portion sizing."
One manufacturer already taking this advice on board is Southover Foods. Installation of new Treif cutting and slicing equipment has resulted in improved production and presentation, and reduced wastage.
And so what started off as a lust-fuelled meat market, where consumers hopped from one product to the next, only stopping to check the price tag, is now developing into a full-on love affair as the meat sector raises its game. FM