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Spaniards are planning to give up on processed meat

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1 in 3 consumers wants to reduce the consumption of these products in the future.

Posted on May 29 ,09:55

Spaniards are tempted to buy meat because of its appearance, according to a study made by AECOC and FECIC. But that is for fresh meat only, which, according to the report, is usually sold in supermarkets mostly. "The visual appearance and colour of the meat are some of the most important factors at the time of purchase, as considered by 77% of the shoppers. But it is also true that the section is ordered by type of animal or that it is clearly identified if it is of organic production", mentioned the study.
Researchers have discovered that 90% of the Spanish consumers are reading the labels to see details about the meat they want to buy. Also, independent channels are visited when there is a special occasion to celebrate. The essential information is the expiration date, the type of animal -which has already been seen as one of the main decision factors of the purchase- and the price per kg of the product.
Despite the fact that Spaniards are enjoying to have meat in their dishes at least 3 times a week, "there is also a feeling of guilt in the consumer. This feeling is activated by the social pressure that is transmitted through the media, with messages such as that eating meat is bad for health and the environment, or that they refer to animal abuse. All this interferes with the frequency of consumption of meat, and causes some consumers to opt for new trends on the rise, such as flexitarianism or even vegetarianism," says the report.
Still, almost half of the meat consumers, consume it for pleasure (48%), 42% because they understand that the consumption of meat is part of a balanced diet, and 30% to maintain good health.
Nevertheless, the Spanish meat market is confronted with a decrease in meat consumption and the profile that has most reduced this consumption are women (33%) and those over 55 (39%). The main causes of this decrease are related to health in general, cholesterol, or because you have the perception that it is fattening. If you look at the data, you can see that 2 out of 3 have reduced their consumption by health issues, 30% because they believe that cholesterol increases and 11% because it fattens. In the case of sausages, this percentage increases considerably to more than 20%, according to the study. Still, some types of meat are perceived differently such as chicken meat, turkey or rabbit meat.
In fact, processed meat is mostly seen as a risk for the health and the environment, with one-third of the consumers declaring that that next year will consume less of these products. "The main message is that the consumer likes to consume meat, is an experience that he enjoys, but sometimes lives with certain remorse. Remorse that is given by issues related to health, but also 22% say they have reduced their consumption of meat for issues related to animal welfare and 15% for the impact of meat production on the environment," reveals the research.

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