How Meat and Poultry Producers Can Keep Products Safe and Affordable During Uncertain times

Fear of tariffs, labor shortages, and synthetic ingredient bans has made food manufacturers more concerned than ever in terms of how to deal with rising costs and eroding margins. Kemin offers clean label ingredient solutions to help your bottom line and make sure consumers are satisfied.

How Rising Prices and Ingredient Bans are Impacting Food Manufacturers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) predicts that food prices will increase by 2.7% in 2026, which is slower than the historical average growth rate. In contrast, food-away-from-home prices are expected to increase by 3.3%, and food-at-home prices are predicted to increase 2.3%. While these increases are slightly lower than 2025, food manufacturers and retailers are bracing for a challenging 2026.¹

The meat and poultry industry has unique concerns as a result of the recent ingredient bans proposed by state legislators. Bans on antioxidants, such as BHA, have prompted manufacturers to seek out clean label alternatives to protect their products from oxidation. But this will come at an added cost. In response, meat and poultry processors are investing in ingredient technologies and cost-effective production methods to keep their products fresh and affordable. Such technologies help balance quality with affordability, ensuring that brands remain competitive in a price-sensitive market.

Clean Label Ingredients Meat and Poultry Processors Can Count On

At Kemin, we can solve formulators’ most difficult oxidation challenges to keep the color of meat looking fresh while protecting the appealing taste that will bring consumers back for more. We offer food safety solutions, including several solutions that address microbial spoilage and yield enhancement solutions such as Proteus® and InnoBLQ™.

In application work, Proteus improved the formulation costs of beef frankfurters, thereby offering a positive return on investment. In the study, Proteus® B010 was used to replace phosphates and beef 90s (at a 1:1 ratio) to help reduce raw material cost and improve yields.²

InnoBLQ is a functional protein for breaded or battered fried foods. InnoBLQ helps reduce oil uptake, improve breading adhesion, and increase moisture retention for an improved organoleptic profile. It can be used with Proteus in applications like breaded and fried chicken to help improve overall bite, texture, moisture retention, and yields.

Turn Formulation Challenges Into Opportunities with our Meat Optimization Tool

This resource from Kemin helps manufacturers discover solutions for today's meat and poultry challenges. The user-friendly tool is a quick and simple four-step quiz designed to identify personalized solutions to protect meat and poultry products while achieving cost and quality goals.

Input your goals and obstacles. We’ll match you with the right product to drive efficiency, yield, and profitability.

How Meat and Poultry Consumers are Coping with Rising Costs

Many consumers have learned how to curtail spending on food and may continue with their new shopping habits, even as inflation slows. Kemin has played an active role in helping meat and poultry processors keep their offerings safe and affordable, and purchased.

Kemin's ingredient technology solutions have been proven to extend shelf life and reduce input costs.³ “We can help solve color, flavor, microbial and yield challenges,” said Courtney Schwartz, Marketing Director at Kemin. “We understand proteins and how different processing techniques and packaging affect them. We offer solutions that are tailored to individual needs, from simple one-ingredient solutions to more complex blends. Not only does our experienced technical team understand the synergies of these ingredients, they can offer recommendations on the best point of application.”

Kemin Brings Over 50 Years of Meat and Poultry Expertise

“Our Technical Services Team has over 50 years of experience in formulation, processing, and operations, providing guidance and support through testing and the scale-up process,” said Ms. Schwartz. “And our Customer Laboratory Services team provides dedicated support throughout all phases of testing, using a combination of analytical techniques and accelerated oxidation tests to provide customized shelf-life solutions that help achieve label claims that meet today’s consumer demands.”

Sources:

1. USDA. Food Price Outlook. December 15, 2025. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-price-outlook/summary-findings
2. Internal Study SD-24-26533
3. Case Study MC-23-21087

This article has been adapted from our original sponsored piece in Meat and Poultry Magazine, April 2024 Issue.