Empirical Foods

Empirical Foods

Meat processing, lean ground beef producer

Overview

Empirical Foods processes beef to produce lean ground beef and other protein products for food service and retail. It uses an in-house proprietary process that warms beef trimmings, centrifuges fat, and treats the product to kill bacteria to yield about 95% lean ground beef. They also offer boxed beef and pork, portioned steaks and roasts, and fully cooked seasoned items under brands like Noble Valley, Two Rivers Meat Co, and Dos Rios Taco Meat. They differentiate themselves by owning the technology to turn by-products into high-value protein and serving large packers, ground beef producers, fast-food chains, and grocers, with capacity expansion including a new plant in Garden City, Kansas.

About Empirical Foods

Simplify's Rating
Why Empirical Foods is rated
C-
Rated C on Competitive Edge
Rated C on Growth Potential
Rated D+ on Differentiation

Industries

Food & Agriculture

Industrial & Manufacturing

Consumer Goods

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Dakota Dunes, South Dakota

Founded

N/A

People at Empirical Foods

People at Empirical Foods who can refer or advise you

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • New Garden City facility opened April 2026 doubles ground beef production capacity.
  • Clean-label protein products complement rising demand for shorter ingredient lists and plant-based trends.
  • Value-added cooked items like taco meat align with elevated convenience and single-serving luxury trends.

What critics are saying

  • 'Pink slime' reputation crisis has 50-70% probability of resurfacing within 6-12 months.
  • FDA or USDA may revoke ammonia approval for bacteria kill-step in 18-24 months, causing existential impact.
  • Direct competitor clean-label ground beef without ammonia could capture 40-60% of empirical's contracts in 12-18 months.

What makes Empirical Foods unique

  • Proprietary process recovers 95% lean ground beef from beef trimmings using centrifuge and ammonia.
  • In-house engineered technology converts overlooked materials into high-value human-grade protein products.
  • Rebranded from Beef Products Inc. in April 2019 under second-generation family executive leadership.

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Benefits

Flexible Work Hours

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