February 14, 2002 - Pork sausage is still king of pizza toppings

by Bryan Salvage

Pizza is one category of food that has greatly evolved during the past 15 years in terms of innovative toppings. Pineapple, shrimp and chicken are just a few of the non-traditional toppings. Here's some good news for those Meatingplace.com readers who sell traditional pizza toppings.

Meat is still the topping of choice and pork continues to be the overwhelming meat choice in pizza toppings, according to the NPD Group Inc., a Chicago-based firm that tracks consumer eating habits.

A recent study shows that 94 percent of consumers ate pizza in 2000, the most recent year available, and that pepperoni, sausage and Canadian bacon are among the top five most popular toppings. The study also uncovered that of all pizza meat toppings consumed, 77 percent are pork, 17 percent or beef and 6 percent are other, according to the National Pork Board.

“The impact of pizza consumption is good news for the pork industry because continued pizza sales helps support sales of pork pizza toppings,” said Steve Schmeichel, a pork producer from Hurley, S.D., and chairman of the National Pork Board's Demand Enhancement Committee. “While pork producers invest in the pork checkoff and work to promote pork, expand markets and increase demand, it is important to confirm that our long-time strongholds are in place.”

In-home pizza consumption soars

In-home consumption of pizza has doubled during the past 15 years. Almost two-thirds of all in-home pizza earnings include meat toppings, according to NPD. The greatest growth of pizza eaten in-home has been among pepperoni varieties, including pepperoni/sausage combinations and deluxe/supreme.

Other NPD research shows that during 2000 the average American consumed pizza in-home 25 times, or about twice a month. It also shows that 30 percent of Americans eat pizza more than once a week and that pizza consumption peaks in March but is fairly consistent year-round.

Supermarkets play a critical role in getting pizza into consumers' homes, with 70 percent of U.S. households purchasing frozen pizza from a supermarket. Frozen pizza sales have increased at least 7 percent each year since the mid-1990s, becoming a $2 billion category, according to the National Pork Board.

Frozen pizza accounted for 9 percent of the entire retail frozen food section, behind ice cream and sherbet. Pizza contributes more than 2 percent of supermarket service deli sales, estimated at more than $245 million. Restaurant pizza industry sales amount to $23 billion annually.

This article reprinted with permission from Meat Marketing & Technology.

Return to 2002 News Archives