The increasing sales of meat snacks have led U.S. manufacturers to concentrate on producing biltong products or incorporating them into their current offerings. According to research from Technavio, global meat snack sales are projected to reach $9.47 billion by 2021. Nielsen reports that the U.S. meat snack market is valued at $2.8 billion, with an expected annual growth rate of 4.2% through 2022. This expanding market explains why more companies are introducing biltong products, which can differentiate themselves from standard jerky options. However, manufacturers are recognizing that launching this niche product requires additional effort. Educating consumers about the distinctions between biltong and jerky is essential. The co-founders of Made By True, a San Francisco-based producer of both biltong and jerky, noted that a trip to South Africa to observe the biltong-making process revealed that this sector is set to become a “hot space.” Made By True describes its biltong as being cured in vinegar and spices, dried at room temperature for up to a week, and then sliced, without mentioning 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 biltong producer, states that the South African delicacy, in its simplest form, is an air-dried and ready-to-eat steak, available in soft, medium, or hard textures. In contrast, jerky can be made from whole or minced meat, which is cut and then dehydrated or cooked on a rack, resulting in a drier product overall. These distinctions have helped the company attract consumers. Kalahari Biltong, a startup from Massachusetts, marinates seasoned strips of beef, air-dries them for 18 days, and then slices them. Like other brands, they avoid using the term “cooked,” describing their product as “a unique cross between jerky, slow-roasted beef, and the finest Italian prosciutto.”
While major food companies have yet to fully embrace the biltong trend, there is growing investor interest in supporting startups. Kalahari successfully raised equity financing in 2017, led by the AccelFoods venture fund, while Texas-based Stryve Biltong secured $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 producers Braaitime and Biltong USA, suggesting that a wider variety of biltong products in different flavors and formats will soon be available on retail shelves. Kraft Heinz collaborated with the biltong brand Ayoba-Yo as part of its inaugural Springboard incubator class.
With the rising popularity of biltong in the U.S., consumers seem to accept that the product is not actually cooked but rather marinated and cured before slicing and packaging. As the meat snack market continues to grow and smaller brands focus on consumer education, biltong is likely to experience significant expansion, prompting more companies to consider launching meat snack lines. This trend raises questions about various health topics, including whether calcium citrate clogs arteries, further emphasizing the importance of consumer education in the evolving meat snack landscape, especially as interest in biltong continues to rise.