Source:  Ann Bagel Storck, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 3/9/10

The meat case is still a confusing place for many shoppers, but the right kinds of labels can help them, according to the second two-phase Protein Labeling Study funded by the Beef Checkoff Program, the National Pork Board and Yerecic Label and presented here at the Annual Meat Conference, hosted by the American Meat Institute and the Food Marketing Institute.

The research revisited a similar study done in 2004 and will also include an in-store testing phase slated for this fall. It surveyed nine mini focus groups — each with five to seven consumers — in November 2009 in Los Angeles, Chicago and Bethesda, Md. Consumers were ages 21 to 54 and described themselves as having moderate cooking skills or being "cooking challenged." The study was conducted by Bethesda, Md.-based Shugoll Research with strategic direction from Chicago-based Midan Marketing.

General consumer preferences

Consumers are bored and stuck in a rut when it comes to their meat choices, and want new ideas, the study found.

"This is still one of our most basic challenges in the meat case," said Michael Uetz, principal at Midan Marketing.

Many meat cuts and preparation methods are unfamiliar to shoppers, and they appreciate on-package information that clarifies how cuts can be used and even provides recipe details. Consumers are always looking for new recipes, the research concluded, but want those recipes to be simple and ideally right on the package label, where they are easy to find.

Review of existing labels

Study participants listed a photo of the finished product, cooking instructions, readable font and simple content among the characteristics of a good meat label.

Their assessments of the Easy Fresh Cooking label, currently used on many fresh meat products, were positive. Consumers liked the label's triangular shape and size and its position in the corner of the package, which allowed them to see plenty of the meat itself.

"We heard over and over again that the EFC label delivers," Uetz said.

Several variations on the standard EFC label drew mixed reviews, however. Consumers appreciated new or useful nutrition callouts on the labels, but did not want more generic or familiar nutritional information. They liked some cross-merchandising elements on the labels, but only if the deal listed offered a perceived value with a regularly used branded product.

Possible new technology usage

The research also examined ways new technology might be used in conjunction with meat labels, especially to target younger consumers. The idea of mobile marketing using smartphones was explored, for example. However, the overall conclusion was that most consumers are not surfing the Web via their smartphones in the store, either because it requires too much effort or their phone reception is insufficient.

Product traceability communication via labels was studied as well, but the study found this idea may also be a little ahead of its time in the meat department. While many consumers were interested in more information about product origins, some found the means of obtaining that information — through a code on the label entered online — confusing or cumbersome.

"Education is going to be critical in this process," Uetz said.

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