Packaging that resonates with consumers has and will continue to be a large factor in driving sales in the fresh meat case. As consumer demand for the meat they purchase evolve, the expectations from the packaging continues to shift as well. While claims and the design on-pack remain important, consumers are also concerned with the functionality of the packaging.

Using Cargill’s proprietary research study of more than 5,000 fresh meat consumers and Mintel’s ‘Food Packaging Trends’ report, we’ve identified these 3 key packaging trends that are becoming increasingly important to consumers.

Every shopper is unique. They have different needs and desires when it comes to the foods they purchase. There is no category in the store where this is more apparent than fresh meat.

Cargill invested in a proprietary research study of over 5,000 consumers to understand what shoppers wanted in fresh meat. “We found that consumers feel 20-30% of the fresh meat case doesn’t meet their needs,” said Sarah Frick Cargill Value Added Brand Manager. “This translates to dollars walking out the door. We want to change that by partnering with our retail customers to keep those dollars in store.”

When it comes to fresh meat, flavor is a key driver for consumers when deciding what to purchase, prepare and ultimately serve their family and friends. The challenge for retailers is understanding how consumers define flavor today and how to keep up with the emerging features, benefits and claims that consumers see as adding flavor.

In today’s premium beef landscape, claims – from where the beef was raised to how the animal was treated – vary greatly across the case. Understanding which product attributes are most meaningful to consumers is key to stocking the right assortment.

That’s why Cargill Protein invested in proprietary consumer research to better inform the claim prioritization that will make customers most successful with their shoppers.

“We found that upwards of 30-percent of the fresh meat case today is misaligned with consumer demand,” said Sarah Frick, Cargill Protein brand manager. “This study gave us the insights to help our customers identify the most impactful product claims across 12 different categories.”