A new survey conducted by Oklahoma State University measured consumers’ preferences on meat consumption and labeling requirements. The November Food Demand Survey (FooDS) shows consumers favor chicken over beef purchases.
Taste, safety and price—in that order—are consumers’ most important values when purchasing foods. Convenience, environmental issues, country of origin and animal welfare fell lower on the list of important traits, according to Beef Producer.
Consumers still expressed a willingness to pay more for U.S.-produced meats, even though country or origin fell relatively low on their purchasing decision traits. This shows consumers remain confused about country of origin labeling (COOL) and other meat labeling requirements.
Consumers reported their biggest challenge is finding affordable foods that within their budget. But the survey, which measures “willingness to pay,” found consumers are willing to pay more for all food products, except beef steak for which willingness to pay remained unchanged.
Click here to read more survey results.