Provisioner Podcast

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 ranch.

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.