Clean labels & other trends in poultry processing

What are the current trends in poultry processing, and among consumers seeking out chicken and turkey products? Here Sonac shares expert market insights.

How much chicken and turkey is eaten worldwide is increasing. In fact, it’s now on its way to become the biggest meat segment, soon surpassing pork. So, as the industry expands, how can food manufacturers harness consumer interest and trends to make chicken and turkey products that much more appealing? Here are 5 of some of the most popular trends in poultry processing.

Popular trends in chicken and turkey product processing

1. Clean labels

Per a recent survey, up to 81 percent of consumers feel the label “made with natural ingredients” is appealing and 78 percent of consumers say the label “free from artificial ingredients” is of interest. Adding functional poultry protein helps clean up an ingredient label: it is a natural replacement for a handful of ingredients that ultimately allow you to create a food product with a shorter, easier-to-understand ingredient list. Sonac’s functional chicken protein (FPP C) and functional turkey protein (FPP T) replace binders (think: soy or casein), emulsifiers, stabilizers, and thickeners. Plus, functional poultry protein is rich in collagen, and that allows you to cut down on some ingredients that are added for gelling, as well as thickeners.

2. Sustainability

Making diet changes that lessen the impact on the environment is increasingly important to consumers. When it comes to consuming meat and meat products, one eco-friendly approach is eating ‘nose to tail,’ or making optimal use of the whole animal. Sonac fulfills this by developing a way to produce proteins from chicken and turkey leftover after processing, which is then incorporated into another chicken or turkey product.

3. Animal welfare

In some Western markets, animal welfare drives consumer purchases. Sonac’s commitment to a nose-to-tail approach (or as they like to refer to it, beak-to-feather) makes their poultry ingredients that much more ethical compared to others. That’s because Sonac produces chicken and turkey protein from poultry leftover from processing and then uses that poultry protein in a new chicken or turkey product. Put another way, Sonac is fulfilling their ethical obligation to use as much of the animal as possible.

4. Health

More nutritious foods, and particularly processed foods, are increasingly of interest among consumers. Add functional poultry protein to a food product like chicken nuggets, for instance, and you’ll not only boost the protein count per serving, but also you may be able to lower sodium levels (that’s because FPP C and FPP T add flavor and depth to a food item without adding free sodium). Ultimately, this small change can push a food product ever so slightly for the better—and even potentially improve a food product’s food score.

5. Allergen free

Not only is the prevalence of food allergies increasing, but also the interest in allergen free food products is on the rise. Incorporating FPP C and FPP T into a poultry product is an excellent replacement for allergens like soy and even casein or egg. It has great binding abilities, which allows food producers to use fewer (or even eliminate altogether) other emulsifiers, stabilizers, and thickeners, which sometimes can also be allergenic ingredients.

QBind Chicken FPP C and QBind Turkey FPP T make your poultry product more appealing to consumers

Using QBind Chicken FPP C or QBind Turkey FPP T in your chicken or turkey products is an easy, healthy, and economical way to tap into the poultry processing trends and boost a product’s appeal to consumers.

Learn more about Functional Poultry Protein-Chicken (FPP C) here, and Functional Poultry Protein-Turkey (FPP T) here, plus download our leaflets.

Would you like to request a sample and test these proteins? A product specialist from Sonac will arrange for samples to be sent. You can fill out a request here.