Case-Ready Meat Continues Growth, Along With Digital Messaging

Sealed Air execs gathered at the International Production & Processing Expo in Atlanta to discuss trends in protein packaging, including sustainability, shelf life, and conveying it all to consumers.

Ippe2023 Case Ready Lead

Consumer preference for case-ready fresh meats—those packaged off-site rather than at store level—has been growing for the past two decades. Meanwhile, more is expected of those packages from consumers, including sustainability, transparency, and flexibility. Digital and smart packaging technologies are playing their part, enabling meat processors to tell their story to their customers about how their meeting those demands.

This week at the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE), a show focused on the protein sector, a panel of executives from Sealed Air gathered to discuss these topics, highlighting results of the company’s latest National Meat Case Study and how those trends are shaping meat packaging for traditional grocery stores as well as e-commerce.

Sealed Air executives meet at IPPE to discuss case-ready meat packaging trends.Sealed Air executives meet at IPPE to discuss case-ready meat packaging trends.

The National Meat Case Study, which has been sponsored by Sealed Air and its Cryovac brand since 2002, has shown a steady trend upward for case-ready fresh meat. Starting at 49% of the market 20 years ago, case ready’s share has grown to 83% in the 2022 study, according to Stacey Couch, marketing development director retail and e-commerce for Sealed Air.

Ippe2023 Case Ready ShareSealed Air

“That echoes across all of the proteins,” she adds, noting that turkey and chicken case-ready packaging has grown to almost 100% (99% and 96%, respectively). Beef is the protein most likely to be cut in store, but case-ready here has nonetheless increased to 71% of packages from 66% in 2018.

There are some key trends influencing this growth, including sustainability and labor issues. Like everywhere else, grocers are not immune to labor issues, and case-ready meats provide an alternative to hiring skilled butchers.

“There’s a move away from full-service cases that are so labor-intensive to self-service,” Couch comments.

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