Review of Meat spreads/fillings design and usages and occasions

Summary

This project aimed to identify the key trends in sandwich spreads and preliminary high value opportunity spaces red meat could explore. Included is an overview of the key ingredient functionality and potential red meat selections and yield/cost formulations.

Meat spreads/fillers are traditionally a popular European and USA product where savoury chicken and mayonaise or tuna and tomato based spreads are sold (at higher $/kg prices) as an alternative to condiments such as jam and peanut butter or dips etc on crackers and bread. There are minimal red meat options in this space.

Objectives

The objectives of this project were to:

• evaluate current meat spreads — meat, ingredients, packaging and process design and intended use and market pricing
• develop preliminary specifications and performance criteria for 3 meat spreads concepts (all with red meat inclusion)
  describe key technology criteria for food safety and formulation of meat
• spreads/fillings— include overview of meat selection and enabling technology platforms in the above concepts and review of current market spreads.

Key findings

• Opportunities do exist beyond (liver) pate and sliced deli meats such as corned/roast beef and pastrami to take on the dominant chicken and tuna sandwich spreads markets blended with mayonnaise, tomato and mustard fillers.
• The sandwich condiment sales is currently in decline in many markets (as a guide, USA in 2017 valued at $3B) however there is an opportunity to re-imagine this space and promote the natural and health benefits that inclusion of Australian red meat can offer. Further exploring transition from meat sandwich spreads to snacking market with crackers may attract new users.
• Packaging format and ‘clean label trend’ presents an opportunity to premiumise this range away from tinned product plus combination with crackers and platforms that can optimize food chemistry such as pH and water activity will be critical to such advancements.

Benefits to industry

The outcome of this research include a case study for new usage and occasions for red meat within the spread/fillers category. A 3-5 value multiplier is possible with right business / right product / right raw material selection in new categories where red meat currently don’t dominate (such as lunch sandwich fillers market). This can represent incremental demand on red meat components and drive consumption at snacking and lunch occasions.

MLA action

Since completion, key findings have been presented at a Singapore conference co-hosted by MLA and Enterprise Singapore in 2018 which was attended by 100+ delegates.

The ‘True Aussie Beef sandwich spread’ opportunity was pitched and feedback from this session was that meat spreads is not an immediate option for SE Asia. Preliminary discussions for opportunities for an Australian call out in USA and Europe for beef or lamb sourced products in sandwich fillers market have also been held to as yet the value proposition has not be tested.

In the domestic market, MLA has continued a watching brief on snacks and sandwich spreads – in particular opportunities to position red meat against tuna in terms of health and also pack formats that convey grab ‘ n ‘ go convenience.

Future research

Premium pack formats such as pouches are beginning to supersede tinned sandwich fillers in Europe in this category. Further combination of crackers and meat spreads and cheese and nuts in combo packs are beginning to be ranged in many markets. This may represent an opportunity to revisit this opportunity space. There are also premium brands adopting High Pressure Processing platforms to deliver ‘clean labelled’ product for deli style products which aligns to recent MLA investments.