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Americans eat meat more than four times per week
According to a national survey carried out by
Whole Foods Market, Americans eat meat an average of 4.2 times a week - that's
218 times a year. Flavour, safety and humane treatment of animals are the top
drivers for choosing high- quality meat and
poultry.
With the barbeque season coming up 74% of the respondents chose chicken as a
top pick for the grill, steak came second with 66% and the classic hamburger
ended third 60%.
Survey results show that more and more Americans
choose natural meat, 65 percent want a guarantee that all meat and poultry
products are free from added growth hormones and antibiotics, and that the
animals were humanely raised. And 61% of those surveyed felt it important that
meat and poultry products' compliance to these standards should be
labelled.
Having set standards for meat products is for 51% a key
factor in deciding where to shop for meat. However, when asked if they'd ever
purchased products meeting such standards, 51% wasn't sure.
The
results of the survey show that Americans are lacking information about the way
their meat and poultry is raised and that having more information is nearly as
important as the flavour of the meat they purchase, concludes one of the
researchers.
While respondents indicated a strong desire for
certification of natural and organic standards, another significant survey
finding indicates taste tests may be more of a motivator for shoppers to try
natural meat than concerns for safety or animal welfare. When asked what would
make them invest more in meat purchases, 77% said a guarantee the meat will
consistently be the best and most flavourful every time; 59% said a guarantee it
is coming from a trusted source and raised naturally without growth hormones or
antibiotics; and 43% chose a guarantee it was raised humanely in optimal living
conditions for the species.
With extremely stringent animal welfare
standards and a clear, specific definition of "natural meat" in the supermarket
industry, Whole Foods Market only sells meat and poultry adhering to its strict
standards: no antibiotics, ever; no added growth hormones; humane animal
husbandry, handling during transport, and slaughter; no animal byproducts in
feed, including feather-meal or rendered fat; and no more than one-third of an
animal's life can be spent on a feedlot.
Editor WorldPoultry
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