Rising sales of meat snacks have led U.S. manufacturers to prioritize the production of biltong products or incorporate them into their current offerings. According to Technavio research, global meat snack sales are projected to reach $9.47 billion by 2021. Nielsen reported that the U.S. meat snack market is valued at $2.8 billion and is expected to grow at an annual rate of 4.2% through 2022. This expanding market explains why companies are introducing more biltong options, which can differentiate themselves from standard jerky lines. However, businesses are recognizing that it requires additional effort. Launching this niche product may necessitate an educational component 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 trip to South Africa to observe the biltong-making process revealed it to be 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. Interestingly, the company does not specify 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, describes the South African delicacy in its basic form as an air-dried and cut-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. Such distinctions have helped the company attract consumers. Kalahari Biltong, a Massachusetts startup, marinates seasoned strips of beef, air-dries them for 18 days, and then slices them. They also refrain from using the term “cooked,” instead referring to the final product as “a unique cross between jerky, slow-roasted beef, and the finest Italian prosciutto.”
While major food corporations have yet to join the biltong trend, investors are increasingly interested in supporting startups. Kalahari completed an equity financing round 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 their marketing efforts. Moreover, Stryve has 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.
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 actually cooked, but rather marinated and cured before being sliced and packaged. As the meat snack market is expected to grow and smaller brands continue to focus on education, biltong may be set for significant expansion, prompting more companies to consider launching meat snack lines that could potentially include ingredients like ultra cal citrate.