ROCKVILLE, Md. – Free-range, grass-fed, pasture-fed, all-natural — there’s plenty of room on the grill for proteins consumers perceive are healthier options, market research firm Packaged Facts said in its Branded Refrigerated Meats and Meals: US Market Trends report.
An online survey of 2,000 adults in the United States found that 57 percent of respondents said they regularly buy more healthful meat items, while only 10 percent of respondents said they did not. Additionally, more than 40 percent of respondents reported shopping for meat from local sources compared to 22 percent of consumers who said they didn’t look for local sources of meat.
“From all evidence, the market for beef, pork, lamb, bison, and venison raised in idyllic conditions is rising steadily with meat (along with fish and poultry) among the fastest growing components of the overall organic food market over the last decade,” the firm said in its report.
When asked if they were concerned about the use of antibiotics and hormones in meat production, 56 percent of consumers said they were concerned while 21 percent appeared not to be concerned about this issue, Packaged Fact reported. More than 53 percent of respondents said they worry about preservatives and additives in meat, and 40 percent said they seek out meat products from animals that were raised humanely.
