Ready-to-Eat Meat Products Market

Market Overview

Global ready-to-eat meat products market size is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.8% during the forecast period 2019–2026.

Ready to eat (RTE) meat products comprise manufactured, processed, and fermented meat products, which are intended for direct consumption. The RTE meat products are considered a threat as it can cause several pathogenic contaminations, including Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, coagulase-positive staphylococci, and Salmonella. Since 2004, there have been around 49 incidents of RTE product recalls in Australia due to microbiological contamination, which is likely to slow down market growth.

However, several safety measures are being undertaken to protect RTE meat products from microbiological contamination. For instance, the products are vacuum packed or packaged with Modified Atmospheric Packaging (MAP) to extend their shelf life and inhibit the growth of spoilage organisms. As per the survey by New South Wales Food Authority on 154 RTE meat product samples from greengrocers, supermarkets, retail butcher shops, and farmers markets, about 95.5% of the samples met the requirements of the Food Standards Code. One sample was detected with E. coli just above the limit and 6 samples were detected with very low levels of Listeria monocytogenes.

Meat is one of the major food products consumed in western countries and in the rest half of the world. Globally,  half of the population relies on meat for regular protein requirement, which is why, ready-to-eat meat products are becoming more popular among the consumers in developed and developing countries. As per the estimation of Statistics Canada, Canada spends about USD 12.7 billion every year on fresh, processed, and frozen meat products. Furthermore, increasing use of red meat in industrial application and growing household spending are fueling the market growth.

USDA is speculating that the deamd for ready-to-eat meat products would go north in the coming years due to various efforts made by the companies to improve the tastes and address the consumer preferences. However, increasing adoption of alternatives due to safety and equal protein content is expected to hamper the market growth. Apart from this, changing lifestyles, rising demand for ready-to-eat meat products with enhanced taste, and convenience of processed meat products are some of the major factors adding fuel to the market growth. Moreover, the ready-to-eat meat products such as hot dogs are considered to have low HCA levels, i.e., low in carcinogenic compound levels due to higher water content, which is why, they are preferred over regular traditional meat by the consumers. This trend is expected to increase the ready-to-eat meat products market in some of the major meat consuming countries.

Regional Analysis

We have provided a detailed analysis on the ready-to-eat meat products market of 20 meat-producing countries, including China, Japan, Australia, Pakistan, India, the Philippines, the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, the U.K, Italy, Spain, Turkey, the Netherlands, Russia, South Africa, Brazil, and Argentina.

In North American, the U.S., Canada, and Mexico are some of the major consumers of meat.  The U.S. is the leading consumer of ready-to-eat meat products followed by China and Brazil. In the last few years, the meat consumption has witnessed a significant surge on account of the advanced supply chain. As per the estimation of the U.S. Census Bureau, American sausage consumption rose to 246.81 million consumers as compared to 231.88 million consumers in 2016, further boosting the ready-to-eat meat products market by 4%.

In France, the demand for ready-to-eat meat products market is witnessing a significant growth. Additionally, it is one of the major ready-to-eat meat products markets in the European Union. As per the FranceAgriMer, France, Germany, and the Netherlands represent a significant share of the European ready-to-eat meat products market. A number of French meat dishes include ham, sausage, and cold cuts. Moreover, hamburger is one of the most popular meat-based food options in France, and its sale has increased subsequently.

Recently, a major shift of preference has been noted in European countries towards processed and ready-to-eat meat products. This can be attributed to several factors, including the fast-paced lifestyle, convenience, and enhanced taste of the RTE meat products. Similarly, other European countries including Germany, the U.K, and Spain are witnessing a huge demand for RTE meat products.

In the Asia Pacific, the eating habits of consumers are gradually shifting from fresh to processed meat products. Poultry products are widely consumed in the country, followed by carabeef. On the other hand, the demand for chicken nuggets and other processed chicken products is expected to increase significantly in years to come, which is further adding fuel to the market growth.

RTE meat products are experiencing huge demand from the developing countries of Latin America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. This can be attributed to the hectic lifestyle, ease of cooking meat, availability of several types of meat products, and gradually increasing disposable income. Some of the countries experiencing a shift towards RTE meat products are Argentina, Brazil, India, Singapore, Thailand, China, and Japan.

RTE meat products, such as breaded chicken nuggets, breaded chicken tenders, and turkey/chicken, are witnessing huge demand in the Middle East and Africa. However, ethical beliefs in the Middle East are restraining the growth of beef burgers, pulled/shredded beef, breaded cutlets, pulled pork, breakfast sausage links, breakfast sausage patties, and hot dogs segments.  

Apart from this, globalization, geographic expansion, extensive marketing through media platforms, social platforms, and frequent launch of new products are some of the crucial factors driving the market growth. The manufacturers of the RTE meat products are investing heavily in the marketing of the products to sustain in the cut-throat competition.

Segmental Analysis

The ready-to-eat meat products market is segmented by type into beef burgers, pulled/shredded beef, breaded cutlets, breaded chicken nuggets, breaded chicken tenders, turkey/chicken and salmon burgers, pulled pork, breakfast sausage links, breakfast sausage patties, and hot dogs. The breaded chicken cutlets and nuggets are one of the fastest-growing segments in the global market. The products are majorly consumed in many Asian and European countries due to a gradual shift towards chicken from beef and pork. Other factors such as ethical beliefs and rising population of health-conscious people are likely to support the chicken cutlets and nuggets segment growth.

On the other hand, hamburgers and hot dogs are popular among working professionals and youths in the U.S., Canada, and Germany. The market is majorly driven by the hectic lifestyle, increasing working women population, growing protein requirements, and easy availability of the products. In developed countries, hamburgers and hot dogs are available at a relatively lower prices, which has increased its demand across Europe and North America. As per the Food and Agriculture Organization, there are more hotdogs and burger joints in the U.S. than in any other country in the world. The ready-to-eat meat products market is expected to grow steadily in these countries at a CAGR of 1.6% in the years to come.

In the Asia Pacific region, people prefer regional dishes and home-cooked food. In line with the, the consumption of ready-to-eat meat products is comparatively low in these countries. For instance, rice made patties and burgers are more common in Japan. Globally, the health-conscious people are avoiding the consumption of beef and pork due to the high content of fat, which is further hampering the market growth in Europe and North America. In addition to this, the prevalence of obesity is increasing at an alarming rate due to the high consumption of fat-based foods, which is hampering market growth to some extent.