Turkey down, chicken up in UK

In the wake of the avian flu outbreak in the UK, consumers are switching to red meat and fish.

However, chicken sales were not hit as badly as turkey, and actually rose by 3% compared to last year in the same period. Frozen turkey sales fell by 33% on a year-on-year and a week-on-week basis. Nielsen’s Scantrack Service shows a 30% decline in fresh turkey sales in the week ending February 10, 2007, on the previous week.

“Despite experts assuring the public that there is no risk of humans contracting avian flu via the food chain we have still recorded a significant drop in turkey sales,” Eleni Nicholas, Group Managing Director of ACNielsen UK and Ireland commented.

The decline in fresh turkey sales have hit all areas of the country, with sales in the South West the worst affected. Sales were least affected in Yorkshire and Scotland.

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