Supermarket Perimeter - February 2024 - 15

Crate-free
gains
momentum
Pork continues to
be a top go-to protein
option for consumers
looking for value to
fight high food costs.
As of Jan. 1, fresh pork sold in California and
Massachusetts must be gestation crate-free
due to the implementation of Proposition 12 in
California and Question 3 in Massachusetts.
" It will be interesting to see how crate-free laws
like Prop 12 impact product availability and
prices the first half of the year, " said Jake Fazio,
vice president of retail sales for Niman Ranch.
" We expect some volatility, but that it will
stabilize as supply increases to meet demand.
" We're very excited by the early data and indicators coming out of that
study, and look forward to sharing more, " Dunn said. " We continue to seek
and experiment with sustainable packaging options and will explore every
opportunity until we find the right fit for our customers. "
Thomas Foods is also investing in sustainable infrastructure. The company's
new beef processing plant in Australia, for instance, has state of the art climatefriendly
features like methane digesters, solar panels, hyper efficient refrigeration
and robotics that minimize the production footprint.
Look out for lamb
In addition to healthier products, consumers in 2024 are looking for inspiration
and variety in their meal preparation, Dunn said. Thomas Foods has answers for
that, too.
" As the US population continues to diversify, and as people continue to
experiment with new cuts, proteins and preparation methods, we've seen large
increases in our lamb and goat product sales. "
Lamb is still in the " adoption " stage in the US, but during the pandemic, when
people were preparing most of their meals at home, lamb sales benefited when
recipe fatigue set in.
" Once they try it at home, consumers realize how easy lamb is to cook, how
delicious it is and that it's a good value and readily available, " Dunn said. " For
retailers that have an underdeveloped lamb presence in their case, now is the time
to re-examine that. "
More than ever, it's important for grocery meat departments to meet the needs
of all their shoppers.
Thomas Foods works with its retail partners to build a strong strategy around
their imported products, which allows them to diversify their offerings in the meat
case, Dunn said.
" Our customers are seeing success by leveraging all their resources and offering
our premium imported products alongside their USDA Choice, Prime and other
domestic products, so there's something for everyone in the case. Our focus on
customization, with an emphasis on private labeling, allows us to meet them
where they are and help them maximize their opportunities for growth. "
supermarketperimeter.com
A 2021 poll cited by Niman
Ranch found that 75% of
Americans say retailers and
restaurants have a responsibility
to ensure that gestation crates
are not used by suppliers,
and 65% said they would pay
more for pork if the company
committed to going crate-free.
FEBRUARY 2024 - 15
Niman Ranch is 100% audited, compliant and
ready for implementation with available supply
of crate-free, Certified Humane®
fresh pork
raised sustainably and without antibiotics by
independent family farmers, Fazio said.
" The best resolution the pork industry and
consumers can make this new year is to
commit to crate-free, " said Chris Oliviero,
general manager of Niman Ranch. " For too
long, the industry has been hyper focused on
efficiency and producing large amounts of
cheap meat, while losing sight of the bigger
picture. Prop 12 is the right thing for both the
animals and farmers, but it needs to be done
in a structured manner where pork producers
have support and dedicated markets. With full
implementation of Prop 12 and Question 3 in
the new year, there is market certainty and a
clear path forward for the industry. "

https://certifiedhumane.org/ https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/majority-of-regular-pork-buying-americans-show-concern-for-pig-welfare-hold-retailers-responsible-to-end-what-are-seen-by-many-as-objectionable-practices-a-new-harris-poll-reports-301206549.html http://www.supermarketperimeter.com

Supermarket Perimeter - February 2024

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