All National Provisioner Podcasts

Mario Ortez, assistant professor of agribusiness and entrepreneurship at Virginia Tech, shares his insights on the current beef market and what is happening to address the tight US beef supply, including how strong markets for beef discourage herd rebuilding and how input costs and availablility are shaping the market.

National Provisioner Multimedia Specialist Brett Parker sits down with Dennis Traver, director of insights for Butterball, as they discuss the company's annual Togetherness Report, which polls consumers about their feelings and plans when it comes to grocery shopping, meal planning, and execution for the Thanksgiving Holiday. In this interview, Traver explains the data results that surprised the company the most, if any unorthodox meats are finding their way to the Thanksgiving dinner table, and the most crucial findings of the report.

Burns & McDonnell food and beverage manufacturing project managers Dan Blake and Niyush Sharma discuss how EPC/design-build project delivery is helping protein manufacturers tackle facility expansion challenges such as tighter timelines, rising construction costs, supply chain delays, and regulatory pressure. They share integrated approaches to meat and poultry facility expansion projects to help speed up builds, control costs, and reduce risk.

National Provisioner Multimedia Specialist Brett Parker sits down with James Zamory, owner and co-founder of Carnal, as they discuss the brand's launch of two new products: Beef Sticks and Umami Cut Beef Jerky. In this interview, Zamory explains how the flavors were selected, how these products differ from similar meat options on the market, and the biggest challenge of creating these products.

Dawg Food offers fully cooked, high-protein meals for consumers looking to eliminate meal prep while still prioritizing health and nutrition. To explore what's driving demand for protein-packed convenience food products and meal solutions, The National Provisioner sat down with Dawg Food Chief Operations Officer Jilber Galadjian.

Philly's Best Steak Co. President Zafeiris Akranis sits down with our Associate Group Editor Sammy Bredar to discuss his company's partnership with the Philadelphia Phillies and Aramark, as well as the multifaceted growth strategy for Philly's Best Steak.

Teton Waters Ranch CEO Kevin Pallaoro explores what is driving interest in clean-label meat products. Conversation highlights include the definition of "clean label," the most common claims or attributes consumers are looking for in clean-label meat products, and emerging opportunities and new trends within the category.

Del Real Foods Senior Brand Manager Sergio Trujillo sits down with The National Provisioner to discuss the brand's recent distribution expansion with Target. This expansion comes on the heels of Del Real Foods' first-ever brand campaign, Abuela Intelligence.

National Provisioner Multimedia Specialist Brett Parker sits down with Eugene Kang, founder/CEO of Archer, as they discuss the company's launch of its second manufacturing facility in Los Angeles. The new 140,000-square-foot facility, which will open in September 2025 and employ 200+ people, will nearly double Archer’s overall manufacturing capacity and primarily produce Archer’s extensive lineup of meat sticks.In this interview, Kang explains technological innovations that will be featured in this new facility, the importance of having a facility in the Los Angeles area, the biggest challenges of creating meat sticks, and business goals the company wishes to accomplish with this new space.

Kerry Group recently rolled out its 2025 Global Taste Charts Smarts, a data-driven resource aimed at food innovators looking to stay ahead of evolving consumer flavor preferences.Kerry's research into consumer preferences and flavor performance suggests smoky and spicy flavors along with applewood smoke and bacon-forward flavors are trending. Consumers are becoming more adventurous, especially younger consumers.In this interview, Kerry Group's Shannon Coco, senior strategic marketing director, meat, shares insights on trends in meat and poultry product development for foodservice, including:consumer demand is shifting toward familiar flavors with innovative twists, balancing comfort and noveltybarbecue remains the most popular flavor, with regional and global variations gaining tractioninnovative flavors drive consumer intrigue, foot traffic and add-on sales in foodservice, particularly for chicken products.untapped flavor opportunities include smoky garlic parm, pub flavor, cheesy Cajun and zesty pickle ranc

A recent US Food and Drug Administration decision updates the rule for "healthy" claims for seafood, allowing seafood products that meet the new FDA criteria to voluntarily make "healthy" claims on their packaging and other marketing materials. Under the final rule, the FDA notes that seafood without added ingredients except for water automatically qualifies for use of the “healthy” claim due to its nutritional attributes and role in healthy diets as recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.In this interview, Anna Benevente, director of regulatory affairs for Registrar Corp, discusses the impact this change will have on the seafood industry, including:FDA's new "healthy" claim regulation shifts focus from individual nutrients to overall dietary patterns, benefiting seafood marketersSeafood (including high-fat fish like salmon) now automatically qualifies for the "healthy" claim if single-ingredient or water-packed.

Land O’Frost recently launched its Hot Honey Chicken Breast and Hot Honey Ham flavors, bringing the hot honey trend from pizzas and charcuterie boards to everyday lunches.Land O’Frost is the first national packaged lunchmeat brand to bring hot honey flavors to the market, aiming to offer consumers a new way to elevate sandwiches, wraps, and snacks. The products are naturally flavored with real hot honey and hardwood smoked, and both varieties are free from by-products and artificial flavors.

The National Provisioner sits down with Jason Chiu, Beleaf Vegan co-founder and CEO, and Jun Roxas, chief marketing officer, to discuss opportunities for plant-based protein within the private labeling space.

Pat Shanahan, executive director of the Wild Alaska Sole Association, says the light, mild-flavored fish with a flaky texture is the complete package of what consumers are looking for in a protein option today. "It has that protein that doesn't weigh you down, but it offers really superior sustainability and nutrition characteristics," Shanahan says. "It's a wild-capture fish, but it's very abundant. It's the second largest federally managed fishery in Alaska and averages around 200,000 metric tons per year, which is a very large fishery."She says wild Alaska sole is independently certified sustainable.On the nutrition side, wild Alaska sole is an excellent source of lean protein, offering high levels of omega-3 fatty acids for a low fat fish, Shanahan says. "It's quite unusual to find the levels in mild, low-calorie, low-fat fish, like wild Alaska sole. So we're really excited to share that kind of information, too, for those consumers and buyers that are looking for really healthy options or superior kinds

During the recent Annual Meat Conference 2025 in Orlando, Fla., The National Provisioner's Chief Editor Fred Wilkinson sat down with Midan Marketing Principal Michael Uetz, who shared insights and outlook on the market forces shaping opportunities in the meat and poultry category.Despite challenges such as the lingering effect of inflation, "Meat is still strong," Uetz says. "Even though consumers are concerned about the cost of living, they're still buying protein."

Verde Farms CEO Brad Johnson and Senior Director of Marketing Kirstyn Lipson sit down with us at the 2025 Annual Meat Conference to catch up on what's trending in the better-for-you beef category, how the BFY consumer has changed over the years and what the industry can expect looking ahead.

Anne-Marie Roerink, principal of 210 Analytics and author of the annual Power of Meat presentation, sits down with The National Provisioner to discuss record category sales, generational purchasing preferences, the future of the meat department, and much more.

Emily Ellis,  director of communications and content for Animal Agriculture Alliance, discusses the alliance's efforts to engage with external audiences, food chain influencers, and thought leaders, aiming to correct misinformation about animal welfare practices and meat production. A key part of the effort, Ellis says, is providing accurate background about what modern animal agriculture is and what producers and ranchers are doing on the farm to care for their animals and ensure humane practices are being followed.  

Keeping on top of impactful regulatory developments is always top of mind for meat and poultry processors. With a new regulatory approach unfolding under the Trump Administration, what will it mean for meat and poultry processors looking to remain compliant with the latest federal regulatory guidance on crucial issues such as wastewater handling?Helping shed some light on how processors can prepare their operations for compliance with emerging regulatory guidance is Chris Knodel, an industrial wastewater manager at Burns & McDonnell. Burns & McDonnell is a design-build firm offering processors solutions for innovative and sustainable critical infrastructure upgrades and expansions. He is joined by Brian Chrisman, a senior business development manager at Burns & McDonnell, who brings more than 30 years of protein and food processing operations experience and insights.

Before the Butcher Founder and President Danny O'Malley unveils what's trending in the plant-based protein category and what the industry can expect over the next year.