Demand for ground pork continues to grow, driven by its versatility in the kitchen and its role as a gateway protein for younger consumers learning to cook with pork. Gen Z and millennial consumers are leading in both purchase frequency and annual spending. Neal Hull, director of state and regional marketing with the National Pork Board, said they are working with retailers to ensure ground pork is prominently placed and easy for shoppers to find in the meat case.
Hull said one area they stress as critical to the retailers is the fat-to-lean callout on the label. Nearly 43 percent of ground pork in the meat case is not labeled with a fat-lean ratio, leading to declining volume shares.
The Taste What Pork Can Do® consumer brand campaign highlights ground pork in seasonal favorites.
Data shows that expanding ground pork offerings by just a couple of SKUs can generate $80 million in new retail sales for the industry. Adding two more items, like a 90-10 fat-to-lean ratio, can bring in $50 million, and adding forms like patties or meatballs can capture the remaining $30 million. Visit porkcheckoff.org to learn more about the retail opportunity with ground pork.
