Shopper interest in sustainably raised beef is climbing, and processors are responding with products like JBS' line of Right to Roam natural beef.
As preferences shift, beef companies are responding. Last year, major processor JBS, based in Greeley, Colo., added a line of Right to Roam natural beef, with free-range, hormone-free and antibiotic-free beef offerings. Also, many traditional beef brands, including the largest processors and smaller regional and niche providers alike, are complementing their portfolios with plant-based products.
Other protein companies are starting to invest in cell-cultured meat, including beef. Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods, for example, has backed lab-based meat firm Memphis Meats, while JBS is investing in a cultivated meat firm based in Spain. Even celebrities are getting into the act, like actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who recently invested in Aleph Farms and Mosa Meats as they pursue cultivated meats like cultivated hamburgers and steaks. For its part, Centennial, Colo.-based National Cattlemen’s Beef Association recently submitted comments to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, noting that the term “beef” should be applied only to products derived from livestock raised by farmers and ranchers.
While big-picture issues like health, the environment and price shake up the category, taste and variety remain other key drivers of product innovation in beef. One example is a new line of Angus beef bacon from Pennsylvania-based Godshall’s, available at Sam’s Club locations. Meeting simultaneous demand for flavor, quality and organic profiles, Organic Prairie, a sister brand of LaFarge Wis.-based Organic Valley, has rolled out a new line of seasoned ground beef made with all-organic spices.
In addition, even as many shoppers shift to ground beef due to price concerns, there’s a segment of consumers seeking high-quality beef products as an indulgence. In 2021, Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart debuted a high-quality line of Angus beef under the McClaren Farms label. Salt Lake City-based grill maker Traeger Grills responded to interest in higher-end beef by recently introducing a line of Traeger Provisions meal baskets that include cuts like Wagyu beef brisket, and one of Instacart’s partners is Boston-based ButcherBox, an online grocery platform that offers products like grass-fed, grass-finished beef portions.