General Mills Takes Its Epic Brand Into Meat Sticks as the Protein Snack Race Heats Up
Epic meat sticks offer up to 10 grams of protein in four flavors and are on Amazon and at Sprouts now, with a national rollout planned for 2027.
The meat stick aisle is getting crowded. General Mills is extending its Epic brand from meat bars into sticks, a day after PepsiCo took its Good Warrior brand from sticks into bars.
TLDR
- Epic meat sticks have up to 10 grams of protein each.
- Flavors are original beef, Wagyu beef, rotisserie chicken and hot honey chicken.
- They are made with grass-fed beef or free-range chicken.
- They are on Amazon and at Sprouts now, with a national rollout planned for 2027.
The Product
General Mills, the maker of Cheerios and Nature Valley, bought Epic about a decade ago, and the brand is best known for its meat bars, Food Dive reported. The new sticks come in four flavors, are made from 100% grass-fed beef or free-range chicken, and deliver up to 10 grams of protein each.
“We knew EPIC had to do what we’ve always done and bring something different to the snack aisle,” said Scott Baldwin, vice president and business unit director of bars at General Mills.
The Competition
Epic enters a category that includes Jack Link’s, Chomps and Archer, all of which are expanding production. PepsiCo’s Good Warrior launched with meat sticks and has just moved into protein bars. PepsiCo says 86% of Americans are actively adding protein to their diets.
Why It Matters
Big Food is coming at protein snacks from every direction: meat brands are making bars, bar brands are making meat sticks. With shoppers prioritizing protein at snack time, the line between a jerky aisle and a nutrition bar aisle is disappearing.
Source: Food Dive. Read the report.