Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
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category spotlight The Stats According to the Nielsen Perishables Group, the meat department and deli counter represent a $9 billion industry in the U.S., with dollar and volume growth from the specialty deli meat segment accounting for $200 million. Specialty deli meat sales are up across multiple meat varieties, with overall dollar sales growing by more than 3 percent in the year ending February 25, 2017, notes Nielsen Perishables Group. From a growth standpoint, chorizo is the winner, with dollar sales up more than 7 percent. Other top-selling varieties are performing at a slight uptick as well. Salami is up 3.3 percent in dollars and 2.8 percent in volume; pepperoni is up 4.1 percent in dollars and 5 percent in volume; and sausage is up 1.8 percent in dollars and f lat in volume. Factors that are helping boost sales include the added conve- nience of pre-sliced meat, and meat and cheese snack sticks; the greater availability of specialty heritage cuts from small produc- ers that are hormone- and antibiotic-free; and the fact that many Americans view snacking on protein-based foods as a way to fuel their body and brain throughout the day. "Consumers are beginning to choose less-traditional selections that are a cut above what they've eaten in the past," says Sarah Schmansky, director of Nielsen's Fresh Growth & Strategy team. Imports of lesser-knowns like mortadella are also on the rise. According to the Italian trade association ASSICA (Associazione Industriali delle Carni e dei Salumi), export sales of mortadella to the U.S. are up 14.3 percent in volume from 2016—though the boost is attributed to relaxed import rules. These changes include the removal of the 40-year USDA ban against short-maturation products such as salami, pancetta, and coppa from Northern Italian areas that have been declared free from swine vesicular disease. They also include the U.S. revocation of the 100 percent re-inspection of all batches of salami, prosciutto, and other pork products at customs. An Evolving Market While salami and prosciutto may be the most familiar products at the deli counter, there are new reasons to take a closer look at the age-old charcuterie platter. "There's a whole generation of chefs from the late 90s to the early 2000s who missed out on charcuterie making," says award- winning chef Brian Polcyn, co-author of "Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing" and "Salumi, The Craft of Italian Dry Cooking." The risk factors it took to get it right, and the time it took to make, diminished the appeal. "But now," continues Polcyn, who's been the full-time charcute- rie chef at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Michigan, for the past 20 years, "this classic craft is fashionable again and everyone wants to Olympia Provisions Loukanika; Olli Salumeria Tartufo Truffle Salame with Sangiovese Wine; Creminelli Wild Boar 56 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com