Supermarket Perimeter - July 2022 - 38

Meat & Poultry
Seasonings
and
marinades
BY KEITH LORIA
WHEN CONSUMERS THINK ABOUT FLAVOR AND SPICE, meat can
be a bit of a blank canvas for their taste buds. That's why seasonings
and marinades are so important as they can transform a simple piece of
meat into a flavor-packed dish.
A look through the supermarket will yield endless possibilities when
it comes to seasonings and marinades, with popular seasonings such as
garlic, onion, paprika, and cumin, and common marinade ingredients
such as vinegar, soy sauce, and olive oil.
But there's also new flavors arriving on the scene each year and it's
important that supermarkets keep up with the latest trends and know
what's going to be the hot and popular trends.
Value-added products, including seasoned/marinated meats have
soared in popularity the last couple of years according to data from IRI,
which shows that annual U.S. sales of seasoned and marinated meats
increased by 25 percent between 2016 and 2021.
" Quality and convenience remain top of mind, and pre-seasoned
and marinated meats provide mealtime variety and versatility for
shoppers, " said Kent Harrison, vice president of fresh meats marketing
and premium programs at Tyson Foods. " These products are especially
popular among younger shoppers and those who grocery shop online.
Case ready seasoned and marinated meats allow retailers to offer the
variety shoppers want, without increasing demands on staff to trim and
season the product. "
Over the last couple of years especially, consumers are seeking
variety and convenience and seasoned and marinated meats fill that
need perfectly.
John Brewer, vice president of sales and marketing for Excalibur
Seasoning, Pekin, Ill., noted standard blends, the tried-and-true flavors,
are high in demand.
38 - JULY 2022
" In a retail grocery program, we rarely see anyone kick off a
seasonings or marinade campaign with exotic flavors, " he said. " For
instance, our customers may choose three blends to start. They are
conservative in their approach, using what is familiar and what they
know will sell. "
Still, the company does often work with retailer grocers with a solid
flavor program already in place, and they are more willing to include
unique and seasonal flavors for a limited time.
" The pandemic brought about more creative cuisine, " said Bob
Andorfer, national sales director for Excalibur Seasoning. " Consumers
found themselves cooking home-style and the opportunity allowed
them to try unique flavors and complicated recipes. It became possible
for them to prepare exotic dishes in their own kitchens. It's now quicker
and easier for them to pick up favorites like lemon pepper and BBQ
seasoning at the grocery store and experiment at home. "
Brewer noted that labor issues and no contact rules during the
pandemic eliminated a lot of programs from the service side of the
grocery industry, so you had the younger generation, known for having
no interest in cooking or believing it was too difficult, realizing that
through the magic of YouTube, they can cook just about anything
Shayn Prapaisilp, chief operating officer of United Provisions, an
international grocery store in St. Louis, has found spicy, hot blends and
flavors popular among the store's shoppers.
" Spicy foods seem to have inserted themselves into the 'sweet' and 'salty'
categories, " he said. " People like experimenting by adding heat to their
foods, from breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert. We're seeing things like chili
oils, jalapeno based dry and liquid blends such as gochujang do well. "
Sylvia Fountaine a professional chef based in Spokane, Wash., and
CEO and founder of Feasting at Home, noted she bases a lot of recipe
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