The Future of Sausage

The sausage category is focused on innovation in the better-for-you space as consumers continue to seek out humanely raised and organic options. Category leaders are working on bringing new recipes and product innovations to market, making it easier for consumers to choose healthier options. Many have gained key certifications, such as the Global Animal Partnership (GAP) to provide consumers with confidence in sourcing and quality.

More recently, sausage suppliers are part of history with the unprecedented US Supreme Court decision to uphold California's Prop 12, the law which prohibits the sale of pork in the state from US farms that keep pigs in gestation crates. These crates are barely larger than the animals and restrict sows from laying down or turning around in the crates. How much this ruling will impact sausage production and prices for suppliers and consumers will become apparent in coming months. In the meantime, suppliers are busying themselves with delivering on bold and savory flavors.

“The sausage category is in need of innovation, primarily in the better-foryou food space,” said Alicia Baker, Director of Marketing for North Country Smokehouse. “It’s challenging for consumers to find humanely raised and organic offerings, even in the more traditional recipes that lead the category. Sausage is a delicious and affordable protein, which is especially appealing to consumers who are feeling the impact of food inflation. It’s a great way to stretch the grocery dollar and feed large families without sacrificing flavor. Other categories are more advanced in terms of sustainability and the sausage category tails a bit. It would be great to see the category advance with more humane and environmentally savvy product innovation.”

“That whole category is expanding through the roof,” said Jim Lyons, Sales Manager for F.B. Purnell Sausage, especially when sausage manufacturers like F.B. Purnell wade over into complementary categories, namely the breakfast sausage space. “Everybody is looking for proteins, and on the fresh side, rolls are expanding and gravy sales in particular are very robust as well.”

North Country Smokehouse has a handful of projects in the works. “We can’t say too much just yet, but we have a few really big things on the horizon,” Baker said. “In short, our customers can expect to see some significant organic product and packaging innovation. More than ever, consumers value their time and are looking for convenient eats that they can prepare easily at home. We’re thinking along those lines—it’s going to be a very exciting year for us. We’re innovating in all the right ways and focused on providing practical ideas for product use in-application. People want to know how to use the products in new and different ways. They won’t have to look far. We’re doubling down on recipes for home chefs who want restaurant quality meals they can make in their own kitchen. We have more than a century of foodservice experience to pull from and our culinary innovator is a Le Cordon Bleu trained chef. We’re always eager to inspire.”

F.B. Purnell recently started shipping two new sausage and biscuit items. “Our best-selling sausage and biscuit item is a 20-count sausage and biscuit,” Lyons said. “What we did is we took that item and added a smokehouse sausage-flavored patty on it. We don’t have any sales on it yet, but we’re presenting it and all the reception has been good.”

The idea was spurred when company officials examined which products are F.B. Purnell’s best sellers and how could they put a spin on a tried and true product that doesn’t exist in the grocery aisles. “It was a mix of what is our best seller and then something that is not offered in the category as far as the flavor,” Lyons said.

North Country Smokehouse is keeping projects and product launches under wraps. “North Country Smokehouse has some new recipes coming to market in the near future that will make it easy for consumers to choose better-for-you links that don’t break the bank,” Baker said. “We also added the GAP logo to our sausage packaging to make it easier for retailers and consumers to identity proteins that prioritize animal welfare.

When you see the GAP logo on our pack, it means every single one of our farms is audited to ensure our livestock is treated with total respect and able to engage in natural behaviors. Label whitewashing is real. Some brands operate by their own set of standards and claims are being made that aren’t necessarily verifiable. Certifications like GAP give consumers peace of mind and make it easy for them to shop brands that align with their values.”

“Innovation has always been a pillar for the company across all of our categories,” Baker said to explain why inflationary pressures have not impacted North Country Smokehouse. “Also, during times like this, when inflation is high and consumers find themselves having to make concessions—the true value of our brand shines through.”

An example of this is the company’s decision to source its pork from its own farms, never off network. “So our pricing is very consistent which means we don’t have to pass on hefty increases to our customers, allowing them to maintain more stable and attractive pricing for their customers,” Baker explained. “It’s not common in our industry, where many brands rely heavily on suppliers to source the proteins they need. It leaves them open to unstable pricing and fulfillment issues. We don’t have those types of challenges because we’re vertically integrated and family-owned, and we don’t operate off market. It truly has a net positive trickle-down impact from farm to fork, and it’s most evident in times like these when big changes are disrupting the industry as whole.”

Suppliers like Swaggerty's Farm Brand suspect consumers will look for cheaper alternatives to keep eggs in their diet as households are tightening their purse strings. “With the recent run-up in egg pricing—due to Avian Flu —we feel intuitively many consumers may have backed off their normal purchasing cycle and are looking for egg alternatives,” National Sales Manager, Doug Skeoch said earlier this year. “This indirectly could be slowing the overall breakfast meat sector as consumers traditionally pair sausage with eggs."