Moscow, Russia – July 6 – Cherkizovo Group, Russia’s largest meat producer, continues to expand its healthy diet offering. The Company has launched Light Menu product line under its flagship brand, Cherkizovo. The line includes low-fat pork products and is designed to meet the growing demand for low-calorie products amongst healthy eaters.
Cherkizovo's Light Menu currently consists of three pork products – meatballs, pork loin kebabs and escalope with spicy herbs. In the near future, we plan to further expand this assortment, with all products featuring low fat content of 5–10%. Their light nature is accentuated by special packaging that consists of a transparent tray and a label combining light green and white colors.
Some consumers think that pork is a fat-heavy product, incompatible with a healthy lifestyle, although this type of meat is rich in protein and easily digested by the body. Pork has several advantages, including the content of useful substances: per 100 grams of meat, a consumer receives 26 grams of protein, B vitamins, zinc, which is essential for the immune system, as well as selenium, iron, and phosphorus. Low-fat pork is equivalent to chicken and turkey products and is also healthy.
According to a study conducted in Moscow by Ipsos in December 2021, 35% of consumers pay attention to fat content when buying minced pork. This is the second most important product characteristic* after price, 45% of respondents noted. According to GfK's Household Panel Survey 2022, 52% of customers are keen to adopt a healthy lifestyle by purchasing suitable products.
“Despite notable consumer interest in low-calorie pork products, the market is not well-developed, which is a great opportunity for us to tap into this segment. We are confident that the success of the Light Menu offering will also be supported by continued growth in the ready-to-cook category, as Russians want to spend less time cooking,” commented Victoria Baltais, Marketing Director for Fresh Products at Cherkizovo Trade House.
* According to a study conducted by Ipsos Comcon LLC in December 2021 among 27 men and women aged 20–55, buyers of chilled minced pork in Moscow over the past three months