Consumer trends in burger consumption.

1. The Rise of the Better Burger:
Healthier Proteins Go Mainstream
Better Burger
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2. Consumers are eating more burgers than
ever before.
According to new research from
Technomic’s Burger Consumer Trends
Report, 95% of consumers eat at least one
burger a month.
As the burger category evolves,
consumer demands are also changing.
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3. Where’s the beef?
No really.
Where is it?
Healthy proteins like veggie, turkey and
bison are gaining ground on their traditional
hamburger counterparts at Quick Service
Restaurants (QSRs).
Better Burger
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www.cargillsaltinperspectives.com
CONFIDENTIAL. This document contains trade secret information. Disclosure, use or reproduction outside Cargill or inside
Cargill, to or by those employees who do not have a need to know is prohibited except as authorized by Cargill in writing.
© 2013 Cargill, Incorporated. All rights reserved.
© 2013 Cargill, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

4. Above all, quality and
customization are critical.
• 51% of consumers say it’s important that their burgers are
from never-frozen beef (an increase of 8 percent in two
years).
• Also, they want to know what type of beef was actually
used (55%, up from 48%).
• These burger connoisseurs are going to fast casual
restaurants, not just the nearby fast-food joint, once a
month for burgers (51%), and almost two-thirds approve of
the build-your-own-burger concept.
• Younger consumers, specifically, and other diners are
interested in gluten-free (23%), vegan (23%) and vegetarian
(22%) alternatives.
Source: Technomic, Burger Consumer Trend Report, 2013
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5. BEEF
Okay, beef is still the king of burgers. In fact, it was offered on 28.8% of QSR menus in 2012, an
increase of 20.5% since 2010, reported Packaged Facts. However, consumers also have the option to
try grass-fed beef containing omega-3 fatty acids, which may have heart-healthy benefits.
Source: Packaged Facts’ Foodservice Landscape in the U.S.: Chain Limited-Service Restaurants, August 2013
Better Burger
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6. VEGGIE
Veggie burgers are the second most popular burger at QSRs, reaching 22.4% of the market.
Consumers who crave a juicy burger – hold the meat – can order a plant-based patty completely free
from animal proteins. Indeed, according to Packaged Facts’ The New Healthful: Culinary Trend
Mapping Report, these meatless burgers have now reached mainstream status at restaurants and
grocery stores.
Source: Packaged Facts’ The New Healthful: Culinary Trend Mapping Report, 2012
Better Burger
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7. TYPES OF VEGGIE BURGERS
Recently, QSRs have taken the standard veggie burger on the grocery shelf—typically made with soy
beans—to a new level. Popular veggie burgers are now made with chickpeas, black beans, white
beans, potatoes, lentils, or pretty much any other vegetable, and interesting options today are glutenfree; made with nuts, veggies and quinoa; encrusted in hazelnuts; or made with portobello mushroom
caps, amongst other combinations.
Source: DailyBurger
Better Bites, “Super Healthy Veggie Burgers,” www.dailybitesblog.com
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8. TURKEY
Health trends are definitely affecting restaurant menus. Take turkey burgers, for example. They can
now be found on 30.9% more menus than in 2010. Burgerville, Café Express, Hardee’s, MOOYAH and
STACKED are among the early adopters of this healthy protein.
Source: Packaged Facts’ Foodservice Landscape in the U.S.: Chain Limited-Service Restaurants, August 2013
Better Burger
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9. STEAK
Steak burgers aren’t going anywhere. In fact, they are now on 9.6% of menus, an increase of 18.5%
from 2010. Steak is still a high-quality form of beef that can elevate the final product and promote a
premium image.
Source: Packaged Facts’ The New Healthful: Culinary Trend Mapping Report, 2012;
Packaged Facts’ Foodservice Landscape in the U.S.: Chain Limited-Service Restaurants, August 2013
Better Burger
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10. ANGUS
This spring, McDonald’s dropped its pricey Angus Burger, possibly signifying a shift in fast food away
from premium burgers, which have to compete against dollar-menu alternatives and fast casual
competitors like Five Guys and Smashburger. These new competitors also offer quality foods without
table service. Angus burgers are currently offered on 9.2% of menus, an increase of 17.9%.
Source: Packaged Facts’ Foodservice Landscape in the U.S.: Chain Limited-Service Restaurants, August 2013
Better Burger
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© 2013 Cargill, Incorporated. All rights reserved.
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11. BUFFALO
Containing both linoleic and linolenic fatty acids (also known as omega-3 and omega-6), Bison is
recommended as a lean meat option by the American Heart Association as one way to obtain a
healthier lifestyle and improve cardiac health. Buffalo meat is also packed with essential vitamins and
minerals such as iron and protein. Healthy or better-burger restaurants like Twisted Root Burger Co.
and Energy Kitchen are among those offering buffalo burgers. So far, they are on 3.3% of menus.
Source: Kansas Buffalo Associattion, “Nutritional Information,” 2013; Packaged Facts’ Foodservice Landscape in the U.S.:
© 2013 Cargill, Incorporated. All rights reserved.
Better Burger
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Chain Limited-Service Restaurants, August 2013
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12. SIRLOIN
Lean and clean sirloin was the only type of burger protein to decrease in popularity from 2010, by 5.9
%. In a Technomic study just four years ago, 71% of consumers rated burgers made with a high quality
of meat, such as sirloin, as premium. It remains to be seen if this downward trend is a fluke or an
indication that consumers are favoring other lean, high-protein burgers.
Source: Packaged Facts’ The New Healthful: Culinary Trend Mapping Report, 2012;
Packaged Facts’ Foodservice Landscape in the U.S.: Chain Limited-Service Restaurants, August 2013
Better Burger
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©2013 Cargill, Inc.
© 2013 Cargill, Incorporated. All rights reserved.
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13. KOBE
In 2012, Kobe beef was allowed back into the United States (after the USDA had initially banned it
during a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Japanese cattle), and sales went up accordingly at QSRs
to 0.2% of restaurants. Tender, flavorful Kobe beef doesn’t come cheap, however, at either high-end or
casual dining restaurants. Red Robin is currently tinkering with a $15 Kobe and bison burger, and The
Cheesecake Factory offers an American Kobe beef burger for $13.95.
Source: Packaged Facts’ The New Healthful: Culinary Trend Mapping Report, 2012;
Packaged Facts’ Foodservice Landscape in the U.S.: Chain Limited-Service Restaurants, August 2013
Better Burger
©2013 Cargill, Inc.
© Cargill 2014
© 2013 Cargill, Incorporated. All rights reserved.
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14. Sources
• Packaged Facts’ Foodservice Landscape in the U.S.: Chain LimitedService Restaurants, August 2013
• Technomic’s Burger Consumer Trend Report Update, 2013
• Packaged Facts’ The New Healthful: Culinary Trend Mapping Report,
September 2012
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Better Burger
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© 2013 Cargill, Incorporated. All rights reserved.