Supermarket Perimeter - December 2020 - 41

WITH AMERICANS COOKING
AT HOME much more during
the pandemic, the need to stock
plenty of value-added meat
products has shot up at retail.
For Springdale, Ark.-based
Tyson Foods, value-added
includes case ready products
as well as things like further
processed items, seasonings
and ﬂavorings, portioning, and
even labeling and packaging,
said Ryan Vessell, the company's
vice president for innovation and
growth.

We've
seen a strong
demand for
ﬂavor-infused
meats. "
Ryan Vessell

VERDE FARMS

A few examples of Tyson's
value-added lineup include:
x The Ball Park lineup of fresh
burgers (Smokehouse, Bacon
Cheddar, Steakhouse).
x Seasoned whole muscle
steaks and chops for added
convenience and ﬂavor
exploration (Hatch green chili,
el pastor).
x A meal kit portfolio that
includes items like Ready for
Slow Cooker, InstantPot, and
One Pan Dishes.
" It's an area that has not only
experienced tremendous growth
over the past ﬁve years or so, but
an area that we continue to put
emphasis on as we think about
new product development and
leveraging our cross-protein
supply and branding abilities. "
Tyson has also been evaluating
ways to breathe new life into the
ground beef category, which,

historically, hasn't seen a lot of
innovation in the past.
" We're exploring opportunities
with protein blends, different
forms (patties, loaves, chubs) and
primal speciﬁc attributes, to name
a few, " Vessell said. " Our goal is to
generate some excitement with
consumers around this category
and get them thinking about this
traditional item in a different way
while taking advantage of value in
the meat case. "
Convenience is key for
consumers, he added, so valueadded items that are pre-cut,
pre-seasoned and ready to cook
are very appealing for today's
consumer and a focus of Tyson's.

Sous vide options
The latest value-added grocery
products from Woburn, Mass.based Verde Farms are two sous
vide beef lines, Simply Sear It! and
Simply Shred It!. The products
make it easy for consumers to
prepare tender, ﬂavorful steak
in under ﬁve minutes, said Dana
Ehrlich, co-founder and CEO,
because Verde has done the most
crucial seasoning and cooking
work in advance.
In addition to Simply Sear
It! and Simply Shred It!, and
Verde's value-added offerings
include marinades and smoked
beef sausages sold seasonally
at Costco.
" We've been keenly aware
of consumers' desire for fresh
innovation in value-added,
especially for products with
on-trend ﬂavors that still reﬂect
modern consumer values like
simple, transparent ingredients
and beef raised with respect
for the animal and planet, "
Ehrlich said.
Verde's ﬁrst foray into the
value-added category was the
marinades line, introduced in
2018, which features globallyinspired ﬂavors like green

Hormel rolls out
ranch-infused bacon
Austin, Minn.-based Hormel Foods' latest addition to its
value-added meat lineup is a ranch dressing-infused bacon.
Hormel Black Label Ranch Thick Cut Bacon comes in a
12-ounce thick-cut package and can be found at select
Walmart and Spartan Nash locations.
" Our team combined American's favorite condiment with
thick-cut bacon to create Hormel Black Label bacon handrubbed with ranch seasoning, " said John Hernandez, brand
manager for Hormel Foods. " This new item will deliver
the mouth-watering ﬂavor of bacon and creamy ranch you
crave on any sandwich, salad or baked potato - creating an
unforgettable meal. "
In addition, consumers now can enjoy the bold,
unforgettable ﬂavor of bacon made with time-honored
smokehouse processes dating back to the days of the
American settlers. Hormel Black Label Classic Country
Style Thick Cut Bacon is handcrafted using only the ﬁnest
ingredients and smoked for over 10 hours, creating a
difference you can taste, according to Hormel.

chimichurri and Korean sesame.
After that came smoked beef
sausages, which offer consumers
a classic grilling favorite aligned
with their desire for simple,
wholesome ingredients with
responsible sourcing.
Time savings and ease of
preparation are both value-adds
for the consumer, and these can
translate into convenient RTC or
RTE product formats, seasonings
and marinades, or even the

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convenience of the packaging
itself, Ehrlich said.
The key, however, is to offer
these values while at the same
time remembering the main
source of value in the product in
the ﬁrst place: a premium, highquality meat.
" We make it very easy for
people to achieve chef-like
results on their own in terms of
both product quality and ease of
preparation, " Ehrlich said.
DECEMBER 2020 - 41

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