MEAT SNACK mania from The demand for meat snacks and jerky products continues The meat snack segment has made meteoric ƐƚƌŝĚĞƐ ƐŝŶĐĞ ƚŚĞ ĚĂLJƐ ǁŚĞŶ ŝƚ ǁĂƐ ŵŽƐƚ ŽŌĞŶ ƉŽƐŝƟŽŶĞĚ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ĐŚĞĐŬͲŽƵƚ ĐŽƵŶƚĞƌ ŽĨ ƌŽĂĚͲ side convenience stores where merchandising ŝŶĐůƵĚĞĚ Ă ƚĞƚŚĞƌĞĚ ƉĂŝƌ ŽĨ ƚŽŶŐƐ ĂŶĚ Ă ƐĞůĞĐͲ ƟŽŶ ŽĨ ůĞĂƚŚĞƌ ůŽŽŬŝŶŐ ƐǁĂƚĐŚĞƐ ŽĨ ďĞĞĨ ũĞƌŬLJ ŚĞůĚ ŝŶ ƐĞǀĞƌĂů ĮƐŚďŽǁůͲƐƚLJůĞ ũĂƌƐ͘ dŚĞ ĞǀŽůƵͲ ƟŽŶŽĨŵĞĂƚƐŶĂĐŬƐŚĂƐƉƌŽĚƵĐĞĚƌĞĮŶĞĚ͕ƉĂůͲ ĂƚĞͲƉůĞĂƐŝŶŐ͕ƚĞŶĚĞƌũĞƌŬLJƉƌŽĚƵĐƚƐƚŚĂƚƉŽƐĞŶŽ ĚĞŶƚĂůƚŚƌĞĂƚƚŽĐŽŶƐƵŵĞƌƐĂŶĚŵĞĂƚƐƟĐŬƐǁŝƚŚ ƐŽƉŚŝƐƟĐĂƚĞĚŇĂǀŽƌƉƌŽĮůĞƐĂŶĚƋƵĂůŝƚLJƐŽƵƌĐĞĚ ƉƌŽƚĞŝŶƐĨƌŽŵĂǀĂƌŝĞƚLJŽĨƐƉĞĐŝĞƐ͘ DĞĂƚ ĂŶĚ ƉŽƵůƚƌLJ ĐŽŵƉĂŶŝĞƐ ŽĨ Ăůů ƐŝnjĞƐ ŚĂǀĞ ƉƵƐŚĞĚƚŚĞŝƌǁĂLJŝŶƚŽƚŚĞĐƌŽǁĚŝŶŐŵĞĂƚƐŶĂĐŬ ƐƉĂĐĞ͕ǁŚŝĐŚŚĂƐŐƌŽǁŶǁĞůůďĞLJŽŶĚĂŵĂŝŶƐƚĂLJ category in convenience stores and has expandͲ ĞĚŝŶƚŽƌĞƚĂŝůĐŚĂŶŶĞůƐʹŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐĐůƵďƐƚŽƌĞƐ͕ƐƵͲ ƉĞƌŵĂƌŬĞƚƐ͕ĚŽůůĂƌƐƚŽƌĞƐĂŶĚƉŚĂƌŵĂĐŝĞƐ͘