NASHVILLE — As long as convenience sits near or at the top of grocery consumers’ wish lists, value-added fresh meats will continue to be a popular choice, and producers are keeping pace with new flavors and products.

Prairie Fresh’s roster of value-added products includes Prairie Fresh Signature, the company’s line of pre-seasoned and marinated pork products, said Ozlem Worpel, vice president of marketing and innovation at Seaboard Foods, producer of Prairie Fresh.

“It provides consumers with exactly what they’re looking for — value and convenience — in one package,” Worpel said. Prairie Fresh Signature, she added, takes the guesswork out of pork preparation, so that at-home cooks can get the perfect meal with just one product.

The line includes 13 different flavors to satisfy a variety of palettes.

Launched in the United States in 2018, Prairie Fresh Signature products will soon be available in international markets, Worpel said. The company has expanded the line to include a variety of bolder, global flavors, like Cajun Style.

“Shoppers are seeking adventure and variety in their dishes, especially with the uptick in meals cooked and consumed at home,” she said.

Prairie Fresh is particularly excited about its latest addition to the line, Nashville Hot Seasoned loin filet, which launched in January.

“We’re seeing more interest from many retailers” about Nashville Hot, Worpel said.

And another new “exciting project” in the line is coming, she added.

Pre-seasoned marinated products continue to do very well at retail, Worpel said adding, “It’s a simple way for shoppers to reduce the number of items on their grocery list and an equally convenient way to serve up a wholesome, flavorful meal.”

According to the Power of Meat 2023, 87% of people say that they re-create their favorite dishes at home, and the Prairie Fresh Signature line makes it easy for them to get a jumpstart on replicating those meals.

The company is tracking the evolution of value-added beyond classic cuts like tenderloins and loin filets and into pork shoulders, ribs and other different cuts.

Consumers also like value-added products that meet consumer demand for transparency.

“Knowing where their food comes from is important to shoppers,” Worpel said. “Our unique approach to pork production, the Prairie Fresh Way, starts with a connected food system where collaboration with farmers, processing plants and networked supply chain colleagues allows Prairie Fresh to control each step in the production process from farm to delivery.”

That way of doing business, she added, allows Prairie Fresh to be a dependable partner — meat buyers get consistent high-quality meat as well as the knowledge and marketing support they need to drive sales.

This article is an excerpt from sister publication Supermarket Perimeter. You can read the entire Value-added feature and more in the digital edition here.