AHDB poll reveals UK’s lack of appetite for treated meat imports
The survey, which quizzed 1,000 people, revealed that more than half would buy less chicken and meat from supermarkets, while 83% of participants would pay more attention to labelling.
Additionally, 81% said they would be concerned about quality and more than three-quarters admitted they would look more closely at production methods.
However, it seems that some people are not put off by imported treated meats, with 28% claiming there would be no change in the amount of chicken they buy, and 29% saying they would not alter their buying habits for beef.
AHDB’s head of strategic insight David Swales said its research showed there was a “distant gap” between what consumers said was important to them and what influenced their purchases.
“More than half of shoppers are unclear what current assurance marks actually mean. There is a danger that, rather than try to fathom the labels, shoppers may lose confidence in the whole category,” said Swales.
“Also, there’s the added complication that if we did import these products, domestically-produced meat would likely be at a disadvantage on price. As a key driver of shopper behaviour, there may be calls for these practices to be introduced in the UK to allow farmers to compete on a level playing field.”
Earlier this year, the British Meat Processors Association’s chief executive Nick Allen told GlobalMeatNews importing hormone beef would cause “consumer concern” and that the UK Government should understand the “full consequences”.
