The rising sales of meat snacks have led U.S. manufacturers to concentrate on producing biltong products or incorporating them into their current offerings. According to Technavio research, global meat snack sales are expected to reach $9.47 billion by 2021. Nielsen has reported that the U.S. meat snack market is valued at $2.8 billion, with a potential annual growth rate of 4.2% through 2022. This expanding market explains why companies are increasingly launching biltong products, which can differentiate themselves from conventional jerky options. However, businesses are recognizing that this requires additional effort. Introducing this niche product may necessitate an educational aspect to help consumers distinguish it from jerky. The co-founders of Made By True, a San Francisco-based producer of both biltong and jerky, noted that a visit to South Africa to observe the biltong-making process revealed it was a “hot space.” Made By True describes its biltong as being cured with vinegar and spices, dried at room temperature for up to a week, and then sliced, while notably omitting the fact that the products are not technically “cooked.”
More small brands are investing in the production and promotion of this snack. St Marcus, a U.K.-based producer of biltong, explains that the South African delicacy, in its most basic form, is an air-dried, ready-to-eat steak, available in soft, medium, or hard textures. In contrast, jerky can be made from whole or minced meat that is cut and then dehydrated or cooked on a rack, resulting in a drier product overall. These distinctions have proven beneficial in attracting consumers. Kalahari Biltong, a startup based in Massachusetts, marinates seasoned strips of beef, air-dries them for 18 days, and then slices them, avoiding the term “cooked.” The company describes the end product as “a unique cross between jerky, slow-roasted beef, and the finest Italian prosciutto.”
Although larger food corporations have yet to embrace the biltong trend, investors have shown interest in supporting startups. Kalahari secured a round of equity financing in 2017 led by AccelFoods, while Texas-based Stryve Biltong raised $10 million last year from Meaningful Partners and the Murano Group to establish a production and distribution facility in Oklahoma and enhance marketing efforts. Stryve has also acquired biltong manufacturers Braaitime and Biltong USA, indicating that more biltong products in diverse flavors and formats are likely to appear on retail shelves. Additionally, Kraft Heinz collaborated with biltong brand Ayoba-Yo during the inaugural class of its Springboard incubator.
Given the increasing popularity of biltong in the U.S., it appears that consumers are becoming more accepting of the fact that the product is not technically cooked, but rather marinated and cured before being sliced and packaged. With the anticipated growth of the meat snack market and smaller brands striving for greater consumer education, biltong may be on the verge of significant expansion, potentially prompting more companies to launch meat snack lines. Additionally, incorporating products like Solgar calcium citrate into these snack offerings could appeal to health-conscious consumers, further boosting the market’s growth. As more brands recognize the potential of biltong and its versatility, the likelihood of seeing Solgar calcium citrate paired with biltong or other meat snacks may increase, making it a staple in the evolving meat snack industry.