Source: Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE, 7/18/17

Price, taste, freshness all still rank higher than how a chicken is raised among attributes consumers consider important when buying chicken at restaurants and grocery stores, according to a consumption survey conducted by ORC International.

Much has been discussed here at the Chicken Marketing Summit about issues such as growing birds at a slower rate as an animal welfare issue driven by some consumers or groups who believe the method is more humane and healthier for the animals. But the survey released today showed that how chickens are raised ranked fourth out of five attributes, with the size of a piece of chicken fifth, that consumers considered important in their most recent purchases from both restaurants and grocery stores.

Taste topped the list in restaurant purchases, with freshness second and price third, while price topped the list in grocery stores, with fresh second and taste third.

Nonetheless, the study acknowledges that while still low, concern about the time it takes to raise a chicken is growing, with 26 percent of consumers surveyed saying they were extremely or very concerned, up from 19 percent last year.

Food safety (69 percent) topped the concerns, followed by hormone/steroid use (57 percent) and antibiotic use (55 percent).
As for why consumers purchase chicken over other types of meat from the supermarket, the ranking, from top to bottom, went as such: more healthful (53 percent); versatile, can be cooked many ways (50 percent); convenient, easy to prepare (42 percent); low in fat (37 percent); more economical (35 percent); tastes better (30 percent); and higher quality source of protein (27 percent).

Takeaways from the survey included that the industry has the opportunity to market chicken as a value opportunity, particularly when compared to other meats.

Meanwhile, consumer concerns about chicken care stem from misguided beliefs, the survey indicated, giving the industry a communications opportunity with simplified labeling and consistent messaging about the positive attributes of chicken.

The survey was commissioned by the National Chicken Council and sponsored by and WATT Poultry USA, and accounted for nearly 1,000 chicken purchases. ORC International conducted the survey online June 5 to June 8 among 1,013 adults.

See the full study here.  

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