C AT E G O R Y R E P O R T West Liberty Foods sees a growth trend in fried and par-fried and expects that growth to continue. West Liberty Foods remains a concrete example of the classic comfort food. With 10 SKUs overall in fried and par-fried products, including chicken, turkey, beef and pork, the company is optimistic there will be more in the future. "This is a growing area of our business so we expect this number to rise," Swanson says. West Liberty's desire to provide service also adds to the expectation of more SKUs and greater production in fried and par-fried offerings in the future. At present these options represent 5 percent of its overall business. "The fried and par-fried business at West Liberty Foods is seeing a growth trend due to the needs of the marketplace and partnership with our customers," Swanson says. The fact that the American lifestyle shows no sign of relenting anytime soon is not lost on West Liberty Foods, or the development of new fry and par-fry products. "From both a marketplace and product development perspective we've seen a rise in popularity on both handheld items and on-the-go meal and snack items," Metzcar says. "Lifestyle and on-the-go schedules of today's consumers are the driving force of this increase." @MEATPOULTRY Follow us on Twitter and get the latest industry updates and features directly into your Twitter feed. Like us on Facebook and get the latest industry updates and features directly into your News Feed. 86 MEAT+ POULTRY | 01.17 | www.meatpoultry.comhttps://www.facebook.com/MeatPoultry https://twitter.com/meatpoultry