Pardon the play on words but meat—it’s what’s for dinner. And for that matter, it’s also what’s for breakfast, lunch and in-between snacking as well. BNP Media’s National Provisioner reported that in the total calendar 2025, the meat department reached $111.9 billion in sales, which was up 6.8% in dollars and 2.0% in pounds. That makes meat the biggest and fastest-growing of all perimeter departments in last year, according to Circana and its Integrated Fresh, Total US, MULO+ database.

Experts noted that the fresh meat case saw all-around positive dollar and volume gains while processed meats posted both slight increases or declines by category. Even so, there plenty of reasons to be optimistic for processed meat and poultry innovations.

Meal Makers

Several new offerings straddle the line between fresh and processed meats. Smart & Final, Commerce, Calif., won a Private Label Manufacturers Association 2025 “Salute to Excellence Award” for its ready-to-cook First Street Baby Back Ribs. Last May, Albertsons partnered with Chef Antonia Lofaso to create and launch Chef’s Counter, a line of ready-to-cook marinated meats including garlic herb and mesquite flavors for boneless pork loin chops, chimichurri and garlic beef sirloin steaks and carne asada beef flap steak. Chef’s Counter provides meal starters including balsamic peppercorn beef tips, chimichurri pork tenderloin medallions and orange chicken breast strips.

Among those offering branded products were Verde Farms LLC, Burlington, Mass.; Silver Fern Farms, Dunedin, New Zealand; and Smithfield Foods Inc., Smithfield, Va. After launching ready-to-cook strip steak earlier in 2025, Verde Farms came back last fall with organic, grass-fed stew meat. Last October, Silver Fern introduced its own premium, large-cut formats of lamb and Angus beef as well as grass-fed venison. In a smaller move, Smithfield extended its Farmland line with a seasoned Taco Style Premium Ground Pork.

At the far end of the convenience continuum is sous vide specialist Cuisine Solutions, Sterling, Va. It closed last year by launching a direct-to-consumer Sear & Serve line of cooked, ready-to-eat and heat premium meats. They include a 72-Hour Boneless Short Rib, a Bone-In Beef Short Rib, 100% Grass-Fed Beef Tri-Tip, Traditional Brisket Bites, and a Seasoned Pork Belly. Also coming soon are a 100% Grass-Fed Beef Ribeye and 100% Grass-Fed New York Strip Steak. Home cooks finish the meat cuts with a sear on the stove or grill. Select cuts also are available at Costco in the Northeast and Southeast.

Many more branded processors targeted heat-and-eat convenience. Golden West Food Group, Vernon, Calif., extended its licensing with Brown-Forman Corp. to develop five varieties of Jack Daniel’s dinner sausages. They include hardwood smoked Texas Style Smokehouse Pork and Beef Sausage, Chicken Apple Sausage, Chicken Hot Honey Sausage, Cheddar and Jalapeno Pork Sausage and Hot Links Pork and Beef Sausage.

Elsewhere, Tyson Foods extended its Wright Brand line (known for bacon) into premium sausage links. Three varieties are Applewood, White Cheddar & Bacon, and a Cheddar & Jalapeño. KC Cattle Company, Parkville, Mo., also introduced a Wagyu Bacon Cheeseburger Bratwurst.

Many more processors took a flavor-forward approach. Last August saw Tyson extend its Hillshire Farm lunchmeat brand with three new flavors: Hot Honey Ham, Pepperoni Sandwich Style, and Jalapeno Ranch Turkey Breast. Land O’ Frost Inc., Munster, Ind., also extended its namesake line with Hot Honey Chicken Breast and Hot Honey Ham lunchmeats. Mama’s Creations Inc., East Rutherford, N.J., also used last summer’s IDDBA 2025 convention to introduce deli products including Korean BBQ meatballs.

It’s Better with Bacon

New bacon offerings targeted one of two themes: full flavor and upscale experience. Those on the “full flavor” bandwagon included Hormel Foods Corp., Smithfield Foods Inc., and Niman Ranch (Perdue Farms). Last fall saw Hormel partner with McCormick & Co. on a limited-time offer of Hormel Black Label Frank's RedHot flavored bacon. Similarly, Smithfield launched Smithfield Mike’s Hot Honey Bacon in collaboration with Mike’s Hot Honey. Niman Ranch also came back with a limited-time-offer of one of its top bacon flavors in 2024: Pumpkin Spice Bacon (delivered by ButcherBox).

In other news, Seaboard Farms entered the category with three Prairie Fresh offerings (Applewood Smoked, Hickory Smoked and Hickory Smoked Thick Cut). Perdue Farm’s Coleman All Natural Meats brand went upscale with two uncured Steak Cut Bacon varieties (Hickory Smoked, Applewood Smoked). Coleman said the product is crafted from Heritage Duroc pork and each bacon slice is 3/8-inch thick. A 20oz pack with six slices carried a SRP of approximately $11.99.

Certified on Shelf

Some new products come with certifications to address consumer concerns of all types.

Teton Waters Ranch LLC, Loveland, Colo., added three 100% grass-fed, grass-finished beef products to Whole Foods Market locations: a classic hot dog, frozen burger patties and breakfast sausage patties. In other news, Applegate Farms (Hormel) last year said it transitioned sourcing 100% of the beef for its beef hot dogs from certified regenerative grasslands. Brands impacted are its Applegate ORGANICS The Great Organic Uncured Beef Hot Dog and Applegate NATURALS Beef Hot Dog.

Last May saw Australia’s Hewitt Foods create a new brand, The Organic Meat Co. with USDA certified organic, grass-fed and finished beef. It launched the line in partnership with Giant Co. supermarkets across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. The line includes Organic Ground Beef 85/15, Organic Ground Beef Value Pack, and Organic Sirloin, Ribeye, Tenderloin and Strip Steaks. Speaking of organic, this January saw True Story Foods, Fairfield, Calif., introduce Organic Grass-Fed Mini Beef Hot Dogs (SRP: $6.99) at Target.

This January also saw Pre Brands, Chicago, unveil all new packaging to showcase its steak and ground beef portions and more clearly convey important protein and sustainability attributes.

Poultry Progress

New products continue to push poultry innovation everywhere and anywhere—from snacks all the way to finished meals.

Ready for light bites? New snacks include “crisps,” jerky products and even prepared “bites” products. In December, FLOCK Rotisserie Chicken Chips, Santa Monica, Calif., said it partnered with Benihana restaurant operator, The One Group, to create a Benihana x Flock Foods teriyaki-flavored chicken snack for select retailers in 2026. FLOCK says its product incorporates wok-fried chicken skins (diverted from landfills) along with a seasoning blend and oil.

Last fall saw The New Primal, Charleston, S.C., introduce Rotisserie-Seasoned Chicken Sticks. Canada’s Maple Leaf Foods, Mississauga, Ont., similarly launched Maple Leaf Mighty Protein, a line of chicken sticks in three flavors: Original, Buffalo and Barbecue. Category giant Tyson Foods, Springdale, Ark., introduced frozen Tyson Chicken Cups in mid-September. The 5.2oz-5.3oz. cups come in four varieties: Grilled Boneless Chicken Bites, Lightly Breaded Boneless Chicken Bites, Mini Dino Nuggets, and Popcorn Chicken Bites.

A snack or a meal? Perdue Farms, Salisbury, Md., also introduced kid-friendly Sea Creature Chicken Nuggets in shapes of dolphin, fish, octopus, and sea turtles.

There’s an even bigger, broader world of meal-making components including sausage, bacon, meatballs, strips and other pre-cut portions.

Mama’s Creations used last summer’s IDDBA 2025 convention to showcase everything from Roasted Chicken Strips to Stuffed Chicken Meatballs. Elsewhere, The Real Good Foods Company Inc., Bolingbrook, Ill., also introduced Chicken Meatballs (20g-21g protein per serving) in three varieties: Italian, Chicken Little (kid friendly), and Teriyaki Pineapple. And in a similar move to strips, Smithfield Foods extended its Farmland brand with a 12oz package of sliced, fully cooked Julienne Turkey for use on salads and in other dishes.

One flavorful new entry is Holly Poultry’s Easy Street, a street-food inspired, antibiotic-free, flavor-forward line of fresh, pre-trimmed, pre-diced, dry-seasoned chicken with flavors such as Street Taco, Korean BBQ and Rotisserie. The naturally portioned, pre-diced pieces are designed for fast griddle or stovetop cooking and use in tacos, bowls and other meals.

Those targeting sausage included Amylu Foods LLC, Chicago, which launched a four-item Organic Chicken Sausage line (Apple, Sweet Italian, Spinach & Feta, Basil & Cracked Black Pepper). Elsewhere, Butterball LLC, Garner, N.C., said it revamped its roped smoked turkey sausage for a more premium look with less sodium. For its part, Godshall’s Quality Meats, Telford, Pa., introduced smoked, whole-muscle Chicken Bacon last summer throughout the Mid-Atlantic.

Taking a better-for-you approach were Real Good Foods Company Inc.; Feel Good Foods Inc., New York, N.Y.; and Applegate Farms LLC (Hormel Foods). Real Good Foods introduced a Lightly Breaded line of chicken breast chunks, nuggets, popcorn chicken, tenders and strips. All items deliver more than 20g protein per serving and are prepared with pure beef tallow in place of industrial seed oils, the company said.

Feel Good Foods introduced gluten-free chicken bites with white meat chicken fried in a tempura batter (sweet chili dipping sauce included). Hormel also extended its line with gluten-free Applegate Naturals Lightly Breaded Chicken Tenders and Applegate Naturals Lightly Breaded Popcorn Chicken.

Ready for a more complete meal? Still more competitors here included Del Real LLC, Mira Loma, Calif.; JBS Food Company, Greeley, Colo.; Kevin’s Natural Foods (CalChef Foods LLC), Stockton, Calif.; Hormel Foods; and Nestlé USA.

Closing last year with a frenzy was Kevin’s Natural Foods. It launched a holiday-friendly sous-vide Turkey Breast and Gravy with Cranberry Sauce and a limited-time, football friendly Buffalo-Style Chicken. It also introduced 28oz Family-Size Frozen Meals in flavors including Teriyaki-Style Chicken, Butter Chicken, Lemongrass Chicken and Pesto Chicken Pasta.

Targeting quick air fryer meals were JBS and Nestlé. JBS extended its Pilgrim’s line with three Air Fryer Crispy Wings in Original (savory), Buffalo and BBQ flavors. Last summer saw Nestlé introduce three 22oz bagged chicken meals designed to cook in just 13 minutes in the air fryer. Varieties are Teriyaki, Garlic Parmesan and Orange Chicken.

Also addressing multi-serve meals was Del Real, which extended its Del Real Foods line with an 18oz Chicken Fajitas Meal Kit combining chicken with onions, green and red bell peppers. It’s designed for stovetop or microwave heating in just six minutes. Finally, Hormel extended its Square Table entrée line with two 15oz, chicken-forward varieties: Tuscan Style and Maple Bourbon. Both varieties retail for $9.98 and are available at select retailers nationwide.