Consumer/Market Analysis (module I)
Status quo: 30 October, 2008
Co-ordinated by Klaus Grunert, University of Aarhus, ASB, MAPP, Denmark
Pork consumption in Europe, Brazil and China: The Q-PorkChains international consumer survey 2008
Objectives
To map and evaluate consumer and citizen attitudes towards pig production and pork consumption
Main results obtained so far
Pork consumption in Europe, Brazil and China: Most pork meat cuts and pork-based products are consumed regularly and well appreciated by Europeans. They purchase mostly fresh or chilled pork meat and products. Supermarkets share half and half the place of purchase of fresh products with the local butchers. Consumers choose fresh pork for special occasions or weekends, and more proceed and convenient products when alone or socializing. The more educated and wealthier Europeans eat fresh pork meat more often, while the poorer choose more frequently for processed products. Non-pork eaters have been profiled as normal weighted women, living as single, and with a higher likelihood of coming from Belgium, Germany or Poland, relative to Denmark and Greece.
Consumption of pork meat and pork products is still very low in Brazil. Fresh first cuts are mostly prepared at home and consumed on weekends. Frequent consumption was observed within meat products (ham, salami or mortadela). Brazilians purchase their pork meat fresh or chilled. Supermarkets account for more than 50% of the sales of such products, particularly processed ones and pork based dishes. Most of the respondents are satisfied with all pork products, however, prices and the health characteristics of pork meat did not satisfy them.
Penetration of fresh pork (above 90%) and pork products (above 70%) indicates very high consumption levels in China. Fresh meat is mostly purchased at the butcher`s shop, prepared at home and consumed with the family. Supermarkets are the place for purchasing processed products. Chinese consumers are not very satisfied with the pork meat products, although they are the choice for special occasions.
Attitudes to pig production in Europe, Brazil and China: Europeans favours low stocking density (<100 sows), outdoor access, maximum effort to reduce the impact on the environment, healthy fat and constant quality. Although there is variation across the five sampled European countries for the type of quality and type of fat, there is universal and strong agreement in favour of maximum efforts to minimise the environmental impact and provide outdoors access (housing and floor type dimension). Brazilian consumers prefer farms with the maximum effort to reduce impact on the environment, low stocking density (<100 sows), slatted floor (wood or metal), followed by outdoor access and farms where animals produce healthy fat with constant meat quality. Chinese consumers prefer industrial pig production systems; farms with the maximum attention to food safety and production of lean meat with consistent quality. Chinese consumers rejected imported pig breeds and more tasty but variable quality meat.
Improving scientific knowledge
Module I comprehensively assesses the present and predict the future role of pork in people`s lives as citizens and consumers. Consumer research, scientific technology and industry expertise are gathered to create new product ideas that are able increase consumer satisfaction and improve the competitiveness of pork production chains.
Possible impact for the pork chains
European citizen attitudes towards technological progress are positive, yet such progress now appears to require re-direction in favour of environmental protection, animal welfare and landscape preservation irrespective of demographics.
Work planned for future
The next project research stage involves the analysis of behaviour and willingness-to-pay related to value-adding quality dimensions in new pork products. In order to achieve such goals researchers are going to develop new product concepts based on previous results (see above), inputs from industry partners and research outcomes from other modules in Q-Porkchains, and test them in creative tasks (scoring exercises and brainstorming). In total, 70 new product ideas will be generated and screened for (a) technical feasibility, (b) market potential and (c) expected profitability. The most promising ideas will generate 15 new product concepts that will be tested with selected consumer market segments.