Critical factors affecting households' red meat consumption in Turkey

Abstract

Red meat consumption is vital for a balanced diet. This research examines the factors that cause consumers to prefer red meat, determines the shopping channels from which red meat is purchased, and the frequency and consumption of red meat. A face-to-face survey was applied to 273 households selected by simple random sampling. Data were analyzed using SPSS 23.0. The decisive factor in the participants' red meat preferences in the study was taste (61.5%), followed by production date (60.2%) and freshness (58.5%). According to this result, consumers were more pleasure-oriented in choosing red meat products. Advertising was the least important factor. 58.2% of the purchased red meat was from butchers, 10.6% from discount markets and 9.5% from local markets. Participants bought red meat several times a month (26.4% of them.) and consumed it several times a week (44.7%.) Half of the total meat consumed in the households was red meat. The purchasing and consumption frequency of red meat in the families in Bursa was low. Decreasing red meat prices will increase households' purchasing and consumption frequency. Farmers need a subsidy to lower production costs and increase productivity, thus reducing retail meat prices.