Meat Product Manufacturing

Meat Product Manufacturing

Brief Excerpt from Industry Overview Chapter:

Companies in this industry slaughter animals and prepare meat products. Major companies include Hormel Foods and Tyson Foods (both located in the US); as well as BRF and JBS SA (Brazil); CPF (Thailand); Danish Crown (Denmark); NH Foods (Japan); and WH Group (China), whose operations include US-based Smithfield Foods.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is driven by consumer income and by exports. Because meat is largely a commodity, the profitability of individual companies depends on efficient operations and an effective distribution network. Large companies have big economies of scale in production and distribution. Small companies can compete effectively in a local area or by producing unique products.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Major products are wholesale meat parts for further processing, ground beef for commercial use, and case-ready items for retailers. For 2021, the US industry produces about 28 billion pounds of beef and pork products per year; lamb and mutton production for about 276 million pounds; poultry production (chickens, turkeys, and ducks) is about 45 billion pounds, according to the 2021 Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).