Influence of Recent Trends on the Poultry Industry

Recently, manufacturers of processed poultry meat have taken advantage of expansion potential.

FREMONT, CA: Changing customer preferences affected food operations. The popularity of chicken increased during the last two decades. Americans will consume 96.2 pounds of chicken on average, up from 83.3 pounds. Here are four ways in which the poultry industry evolved:

Transparency became indispensable

Animal rights organizations' negative public relations campaigns made the welfare of animals exploited for food a significant problem in the last two decades. In a poll by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, nearly 60 percent of respondents rated the provision of knowledge about how food is grown and reared as extremely important.

As a result, some chicken producers and merchants made efforts to be more forthcoming about how birds were grown, fed, and handled.

A noteworthy example is the American Egg Board's Good Egg Project. The website allowed consumers to "learn more about where eggs come from" and egg farmers' efforts to "take care of our communities, hens, and world."

There were plant-based options everywhere.

Vegans and vegetarians were the dominant markets for plant-based foods ten years ago. Nearly 90 percent of individuals who purchase plant-based proteins do not identify as vegan or vegetarian. Environmental and health issues motivate flexitarians to minimize, but not wholly eliminate, meat consumption.

The current value of plant-based food sales, $4.5 billion, has climbed by 31 percent over the past two years.

Technology has altered the way customers eat.

Earlier, only 35 percent of U.S. adults owned a smartphone. Currently, this percentage has more than doubled to 81 percent.

New apps make it easier and easier to get home-delivered groceries, meal kit delivery services, and meals from any restaurant imaginable as the popularity of smartphones increases. Due to hectic lifestyles, off-premises dining accounted for over a quarter of restaurant sector revenues.

The terms organic and antibiotic-free became trendy

In the past decade, consumers went wild for organic and antibiotic-free poultry. As reported by the Organic Trade Association, sales of organic foods increased by a factor of two over this time. Antibiotic-resistant microorganisms in human goods prompted consumers to scrutinize antibiotics in poultry production. The complete product line of chicken supplier Tyson Foods is now "No Antibiotics Ever."