The meat snacks market, which includes both sticks and jerky, is growing at a fast rate thanks to America’s obsession with high-protein everything.According to Bank of America Global Research, the meat snacks category is valued at $5.5 billion, accounting for 7% of the overall savory snack category, which hit $74.9 billion in 2025. Meat snacks sales also grew 6.6% in 2025, outpacing previous projections.
In recent years, brands like Chomps and Archer have helped reinvigorate the category’s stagnant look and recipe. Now, both larger and emerging companies want a bigger slice of the category. That includes PepsiCo, which launched its Good Warrior line of meat sticks this spring as part of its strategy to offer more nutritious snacks.
In turn, brands are on the hunt for white space in the category. Players like Signing Pastures and Chomps are trying to innovate in the space with new flavors, the addition of trending ingredients like collagen and bone broth, and by innovating with new proteins.
Shifting consumer behavior has also prompted brands to rethink their approach in the space
Holly Arbuckle, co-founder and CEO of Singing Pastures, said when the category was exploding a few years ago, one thing she kept hearing from retailers was that women were eating more meat sticks. That inspired her to overhaul the brand’s look and positioning to relaunch it in January.
