European Consumers' Willingness to Pay for Red Meat Labelling Attributes

Bodybuilders and high-level meat consumers' behavior towards rabbit, beef, chicken, turkey, and lamb meat: A comparative review

In bodybuilders' diets, protein plays a crucial role in supporting muscle growth and repairing damaged muscle tissue. These individuals meet their protein needs by combining dietary sources with supplements. Animal-based proteins are often preferred over plant-based proteins because they are believed to better support muscle protein synthesis. This review explores the meat consumption patterns of bodybuilders and high-level meat consumers, focusing on rabbit, beef, chicken, turkey, and lamb. We describe and compare the types of meat bodybuilders commonly consume and provide an overview of protein supplements, including meat-based options, plant-based alternatives, and whey-based products. Our aim is to gain insight into the dietary preferences of bodybuilders and high-level meat consumers, considering their nutritional requirements and the potential effect on the meat industry. We conducted an extensive search across various databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar. We found that individual choices vary based on factors such as attitudes, trust, taste, texture, nutritional content, ethical considerations, and cultural influences. Nutritional factors, including protein content, amino acid profiles, and fat levels, significantly influence the preferences of bodybuilders and high-level meat consumers. However, it is crucial to maintain a balance by incorporating other essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals to ensure a complete and balanced diet. The findings from this review can inform strategies and product development initiatives tailored to the needs of bodybuilders and discerning meat enthusiasts.

Relationship between Consumers' Perceptions about Goat Kid Meat and Meat Sensory Appraisal

The goat meat preferred by consumers in Spain comes from suckling goat kids, slaughtered at a live weight of 8-10 kg. However, consumption of this meat is very uncommon, so it is necessary to show its value. To achieve this, we planned to investigate consumers' perceptions about goat kid meat and to study whether their perceptions are related to their sensory appraisal of the meat, measured by the mean of the consumers' home tests. The experiment was conducted with 30 volunteer families (from two cities with different consumption patterns), who were surveyed regarding their sociodemographic parameters, purchasing and eating habits, and the importance of the meat's attributes. As a result, four clusters were obtained, which were labeled "negative," "idealistic," "positive," and "concerned about fat content". The parameters of the animal production system were valued differently by the clusters. Meat tenderness, taste, and amount of fat were considered very decisive factors by most respondents. When the goat kid meat was valued, tenderness was considered more important than taste among older people ("negative" cluster), whereas there was not so much difference between the appraisal of all parameters for the other three clusters. We conclude that it is necessary to improve the information received by consumers about goat production systems and meat quality parameters. There is certainly potential for creating new markets, especially targeted toward young consumers and considering specific strategies for the different groups of consumers, depending on the region and habits of consumption.

Exploring Purchasing Determinants for a Low Fat Content Salami: Are Consumers Willing to Pay for an Additional Premium?

Consumers today are increasingly moving toward healthier lifestyles and food purchasing habits. This new awareness has also prompted the meat industry, usually indicted for the use of harmful compounds and ingredients such as additives, salt, and fat, to introduce innovative measures to meet demand. This study aims to assess consumer willingness to pay an additional price premium (APP) for a healthy salami by identifying which factors are more likely to have an effect on the willingness to purchase, such as socio-demographic and product and market-related attributes. An Ordered Logit model has been applied to define factors influencing consumers' willingness to pay for a low-fat salami. Results show a favorable consumer acceptance of reduced-fat salami conveyed by the willingness of consumers to pay an additional price for this product and confirm that the health awareness of consumers is an important driving force in cured meat marketing strategies.

Beef Consumers Behaviour and Preferences—The Case of Portugal

Meat consumption is estimated to increase worldwide, mostly because of the increase in population. Further, this increase in meat consumption will ultimately affect the environment and aggravate climate change. Herein, consumers’ behaviour was studied to understand if consumers would consider a change in their dietary habits by choosing beef from the Portuguese autochthonous bovine breed or even reducing their meat intake for environmental reasons. In 2021, a survey was conducted online and in some food sales outlets in Portugal. Therefore, data collected from the 491 participants were analysed with the aim of assessing the Portuguese consumer behaviour and preferences on beef. Firstly, we conducted a descriptive analysis. Then, factor analysis was performed by principal component analysis. Finally, by cluster analysis, we attempted to identify a group of consumers with different behaviours into specific categories. Although it was not possible to segregate consumers into different categories, most of the respondents agree that meat consumption harms the environment; however, just 30.6% are willing to reduce meat consumption due to environmental reasons. As for the concerns for animal welfare, respondents between the age of 23 and 49 years seem to have a greater concern towards animal welfare. To value autochthonous bovine Jarmelista meat, it is fundamental to implement a concerted communication between suppliers and producers to value Jarmelista beef. Furthermore, it is also important that regional governmental institutions support local producers not only for financial support but also to create strategies to protect the breed from extinction.