Concerns, attitudes, and opinions of meat buyers in Garanhuns, Pernambuco, Brazil

Abstract

Animal production systems and agribusinessFull-length research article Concerns, attitudes, and opinions of meat buyers in Garanhuns, Pernambuco, Brazil ABSTRACT -With the objective of identifying the concerns, attitudes, and opinions of meat buyers and their relationship with their choice of place of purchase (supermarkets, free fair, or butchers), 381 consumers in the city of Garanhuns, Brazil, were interviewed. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and discriminant analysis, complemented by stepwise regression, Wilks' Lambda test, and Fisher's linear test.Most of the respondents expressed that inadequate commercialization of meat occurred in free fairs, and the lack of hygiene and the fact that meat was exposed in the environment without refrigeration were the main preoccupations. They also reported that meat consumption without inspection could lead to disease transmission, with pork being considered the most dangerous. Based on the theory of planned behavior, buyers agreed that their attitudes toward the purchase of meat (concern with food safety, price, animal welfare, environment, and slave labor) influenced their purchasing decisions. Regarding the subjective norms, the results indicated that purchase intention could be modulated by the opinion and judgment that other people exercise on the buyer's choice decision. Regarding perceived control, the respondents said that they were confused at the time of purchase and got irritated after making a purchase that did not satisfy their desires. The factors that differentiated consumers who prefer to buy meat in supermarkets from those who prefer butchers and free fairs are mainly the price of the product, custom/tradition, customer service, and hygiene of the establishment. Buyers who have a lower level of schooling and live in rural areas also tended to buy meat in free fairs.

International perceptions of animals and the importance of their welfare

“…After Australia, Brazilians were most likely to state that they would pay more for products that are kinder to animals. Some Brazilians say that animal welfare influences their purchasing decisions especially for pork and poultry products (Pinto da Rosa et al, 2021;Dill et al, 2021), and that they would choose products certified for animal welfare (World Animal Protection, 2016). Except for eggs, however, availability of animal welfare friendly products is still low in Brazil (Franco et al, 2018;Pinto da Rosa et al, 2021) and prices can be as much as 2.5 times higher than conventional products (Franco et al, 2018;Teixeira et al, 2018).…”