Chicken sticks enter US snack market as turkey output falls
HPAI and disease pressure contracting turkey supply, CoBank says
2 July 2026
1 minute read
By: Chicken and turkey are emerging as on-the-go protein options in the US meat snack market, though disease challenges continue to weigh on turkey production, according to a CoBank protein report.
Chicken sticks are entering the market as convenient high-protein snacks, expanding chicken beyond home meals. Turkey faces production contraction due to highly pathogenic avian influenza and avian metapneumovirus, though CoBank suggested the category could be repositioned away from its role as a holiday staple or lunch meat.
