Australian lamb producers are filling a gap in the charcuterie boards of the United States.
Lamb pastrami, made with Australian lamb, is now being sold in 73 Costco stores across the south-eastern United States, following an industry-led project.
Meat & Livestock Australia Group Manager of Science and Innovation Michael Lee said American retailers had seen a 154 percent increase in weekly ready-to-eat or deli meat purchases, but there were no lamb products on offer.
Mr Less said to address the gap, MLA partnered with Aussie Select, a company specialising in charcuterie products featuring premium Australian lamb, to launch into the US market.
“The aim of the project was to develop and test a suite of Australian lamb products by Aussie Select to build on the ready-to-eat and deli-meats trend and grow demand in value-added Australian lamb in the United States of America.”
Mr Lee said US consumers spent $7.7 billion a year on deli meats, including ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat foods.
“Turkey, pork, chicken and to a lesser extent beef dominate the deli. Yet, lamb, particularly lamb from Australia, is growing in popularity in the United States.”
He said American consumers, concerned about cooking times, had little confidence in cooking lamb.
“As the number one provider of lamb to the US market, the Australian industry has a massive opportunity to break into this market as the first to market ready-to-eat lamb products.”
Aussie Select Chief Executive Officer Jaclyn Glatzer said that after multiple rounds of research, Aussie Select met or exceeded market demands for taste, sustainability, innovation, and health & wellness.
“Based on the research, current tonnage projections to meet the demand for Aussie Select show a potential for 3,700,000+ pounds of exclusively Australian raw product over the next five years,” Ms Glatzer said.
She said Aussie lamb products were being rolled out throughout Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Puerto Rico.
“The initial products in the Aussie Select line only scratch the surface; there is exciting growth opportunity for lamb in the ready-to-heat, ready-to-eat and snack-kit categories.”
