The Product Push
Jack Link's, the flagship brand of family-owned Link Snacks, Inc., is expanding its retail lineup with two new multipack formats — Grass-Fed & Finished Beef Stick Multipacks in a 10-count and LiL' Links Mini Stick Multipacks in 3- and 6-count configurations — positioning both at a price point the company says runs roughly 20% below many well-known better-for-you meat stick brands, citing NielsenIQ total U.S. XAOC data through the week ending September 12, 2026.
The Numbers
The Grass-Fed & Finished Beef Stick, at 0.92 ounces per unit, delivers 8 grams of protein — a protein-to-ounce ratio the company says matches competitors at a meaningfully lower retail price. Available in Original, Teriyaki, and Jalapeño, the sticks are made with 100% grass-fed and finished beef. The LiL' Links Mini Stick Multipacks — offered in Grass-Fed Beef and Antibiotic-Free Turkey — provide 5 to 6 grams of protein per stick with zero sugar, no added MSG, and no nitrates or nitrites. The clean-label positioning targets the same better-for-you consumer segment that has driven strong growth for premium meat snack brands, but at an accessible price tier designed to broaden household penetration.
Why It Matters
The launches arrive as protein continues to be the fastest-moving claim across the broader snacking category. Link Snacks' own commissioned research — the Protein Paradox survey, conducted via Talker Research — found that 61% of consumers would choose meat if limited to one protein source, and 58% said they trust meat snacks more than protein shakes or bars for health benefits. Those data points underscore the commercial logic: the premium meat stick segment has grown largely by trading consumers up in price, but household penetration has remained constrained. A value-positioned grass-fed multipack could unlock a broader retail opportunity across mass, club, and grocery channels.
"Consumers shouldn't have to choose between quality, nutrition and affordability," said Lori David, VP of Integrated Marketing at Link Snacks. "Too many brands have convinced people that 'premium' means paying more. We don't buy that."
For retailers and category managers, the new SKUs represent a bid by the world's largest meat snack company to own more of the shelf at the intersection of clean-label and everyday value — a space that has attracted increasing competition from both legacy and emerging brands. The multipack format also aligns with the enduring strength of club and warehouse channels, where bulk protein snacks have consistently outperformed single-serve formats in unit velocity. Operators in foodservice and convenience retail will be watching whether the accessible price point and multipack sizing translate into incremental category volume or simply redistributes existing share from higher-margin competitors.
Link Snacks operates production facilities across 11 countries. The new multipacks are available now through major retail channels.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
