Food marketers target millennial generation as they add protein to diets
Another industry expert has weighed in with her outlook for meat consumption in the United States and it’s … positive? No stranger to bad newsImage may be NSFW.
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over the past several years, U.S. poultry and livestock farmers have a light at the end of the tunnel they can look forward to, says restaurant-trends analyst Nancy Kruse.
“There is a degree of surprise because the animal agriculture community has been hunkered down for so long and been on the receiving end of a lot of bad news and public-relations issues,” says Kruse, who has a nationally recognized food-consulting business. “From my perspective, things are looking incredibly bright, much brighter than in recent memory and maybe even in decades.”
Kruse attributes some of that outlook to consumption trends among millennials, or people who were born between 1980 and 2000. But there is a more basic reason, she says.
“Americans are big meat eaters,” she says. “Meat is packed with positives – it creates muscles and energy – and more adults want more protein in their diet.”
Millennials have become a sales target for marketers of all types of products, including food. Kruse describes this demographic as young adults, some of whom are still in college. Others have started families and are moving into their prime earning years. Either way, they represent an opportunity for animal ag.
Taco Bell is one of several restaurants making changes to accommodate consumers’ increasing push for protein. The national fast-food chain recently announced its Cantina Power Menu, full of items that contain double portions of meat and more than 20 grams of protein, such as this chicken burrito. McDonald’s, KFC and Panera have also made similar menu makeovers recently.
Maintaining a prosperous market for meat, milk and eggs is critical to the future of the U.S. soy industry. Animal ag continues to be the biggest user of U.S. soybean meal and directly impacts U.S. soybean farmers’ profit potential.
As strange as it might sound, Kruse considers increased demand for vegetables to be positive for animal ag, too. This veggie trend is emblematic of millennials’ larger desire for more “real” food.
“American consumers aren’t interested in becoming vegetarians,” says Kruse. “Rather, they’re interested in good, basic food that’s well prepared and presented in an interesting way. That opens the door to animal agriculture, which can walk hand in glove with interesting side dishes, interesting presentations and really put together a dish that adds tremendous value to the consumer.”
The real food trend is also helping drive a positive outlook for the dairy industry, particularly Greek yogurt, cheese and butter.
“They understand butter comes from a cow and you churn it up and it’s not packed full of mystery ingredients,” she says. “Along the other track is the fact that we just like the stuff. Consumers are now reacquainting themselves with butter and the numbers are moving right along.”
