Understanding the current and future opportunities and barriers to continued consumer demands for chicken meat can help inform the planning and development of the industry, its companies and their products. This project used a variety of techniques to survey Australian consumers, to provide insights into decision-making behaviour related to chicken meat.
Survey results provide current insights into consumer usage and attitudes towards Australian chicken meat. The 2019 responses are compared to data from a 2008 Australian chicken meat usage and attitudes study. In-depth interviews with South Australian consumers provide deeper insights into chicken meat purchase drivers, and consumer understanding and use of labelling on chicken meat products.
General consumer understanding of chicken meat production practices remains poor, especially about the use of hormones/steroids and cages (neither of which are used in Australian chicken production), use of antibiotics, and country of origin. Consumers continue to trust government sources above all others for information on the production and safety of chicken meat.
Demand for chicken meat in Australia is likely to continue to grow as more consumers replace other meat products, e.g. beef and lamb, with relatively more affordable chicken meat. For chicken to remain the most popular meat for the average Australian household, the industry needs to continue to offer chicken meat products that provide versatility and good value for money, and deliver consistently good eating quality.
Ensuring consumers have access to healthy, convenient and animal welfare-friendly chicken products could help to grow overall consumption. The challenge for the industry will continue to be gaining the attention of consumers and effectively communicating facts.
The final report can be downloaded from the AgriFutures Australia website.
Project details
Project code: PRJ-010999
Principal investigator: Wendy Umberger
Research organisation: University of Adelaide
Project duration: August 2018 – December 2019
Related research
PRJ-002977: Chicken meat usage and attitude survey
Contact
Professor Wendy Umberger, Executive Director CGFAR, University of Adelaide, wendy.umberger@adelaide.edu.au
Learn more:
Visit the AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program website.
