How to Survive in a Non-Meat World

Today our grocery and menu options are peppered with manufactured non-food food options. In addition, non-meat meat options continue to expand with new blending techniques. At this point, let’s not even address the ‘meat’ that is grown from stem cell DNA. As a purveyor of high-quality, portion-controlled meat products, this could present a challenge. Has meat become the 21st century’s equivalent of carbohydrates- that we loved to hate them and secretly consume them?!? At Devault Foods, we believe the road to continued success requires two essential and related steps: facing the obstacles to change and aligning the organization for fast-paced innovation. We track consumer preferences and work to develop products that will meet evolving trends. It is essential that we listen to our customers who are on the front lines with consumers, track developments in manufacturing processes, and invest in the creative talent of our team to come up with tomorrow’s solutions.

Changing Minds and Appetites

Growing preferences for healthier food options, concerns over environmental sustainability, increased competition from grocery stores, heightened consumer expectations, and rapidly advancing technology are reinventing the traditional restaurant dining experience and forcing a change in how the industry operates. In a recent article published by Business Insider, they map consumer spending on dining out and take-away to demographic age groups. The Gen X generation has prompted many of the shifting preference changes; however, we expect trends to be further fueled by the rising spending power of the millennial generation.

The Case for Meat

Meat is a vital part of a well-balanced diet.  Among the critical nutritional elements contained in meat, poultry and fish include are protein, B vitamins (niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, and B6), vitamin E, iron, zinc, and magnesium. It also has the added benefits of being delicious; however,  not all meat is created (or cultivated) equal. There’s a reason why you can get a hamburger for a $1.00 and a steak for $100.00. At Devault Foods, we continue to prioritize the highest quality and health standards. Our internal procedures and requirements exceed those standards set forth by our governing bodies. It’s the reason that we stand by our quality and taste claims. We believe that when consumers look for their favorite meals – burgers, meatballs, and Philly-style steaks – they are going to look for providers who maintain these standards.

Embracing Innovation

Information reported on SpecialityFoods.com from Baum and Whiteman indicates that meat alternatives like “Beyond Meat” will increase considerably in the next few years. Analysts suggest that products that are meant to mirror the look and feel of meat are expected to be more successful than veggie burgers and similar products.  We believe that there is room for blends and alternatives in the marketplace. Our approach remains the same; we are behind the scenes but ahead of taste. This means embracing innovation.

At Devault Foods, our Executive Chef and Development team are continually looking at ways to innovate options for our customers. Some of the tenants of our culture include:

– Rewarding failure.  Innovation is high-risk, and some failures are to be expected. The key is to learn from the failures to perfect the solution.  

– Invest in risk. Some innovation requires a change to the process, scheduling, handling or even new equipment. 

 – Think disruptively.  The traditional industry often finds it challenging to embrace compelling innovation. At Devault Foods, we developed our first mushroom blended burger years before the James Beard Foundation decided to take it on as a development project. 

Trends Come And Go. Our Business Model Is To Remain Enduring

The desire and demand to eat meat are alive and well in restaurants, grocery stores, and family kitchens. New approaches to collaboration between nutritionists, chefs, and environmental scientists help the industry develop new models of innovation. Collaboration among a set of different customers requires us to be nimble in meeting their objectives. Most successful innovators today take different approaches.  We have seen and believe in patterns and common elements to some methods, but successful innovation fits the individual company and its culture. It must be customized. We think that our ability to develop custom, innovative products and flavor profiles with our customers has established a solid foundation to endure.

What can we innovate for you?