Abstract
This study was conducted to determine the perceptions of rural low-income consumers on meat quality and health issues associated with meat consumption. A total of 466 consumers in the Eastern Cape (EC) Province (South Africa (SA)) were randomly sampled, and principal component analyses (PCA) were used to analyse the data. With regard to purchasing decisions, correlation analysis was performed to establish the relationships between actual scores and mean scores so as to determine purchase motives and decisions. The major purchase point mentioned by all consumers was the supermarket (65%), and the reasons were that this purchase point was the most hygienic and the meat was fresh (35%). The estimated relationship showed a significant association between products consumed at home and the source of income of consumers. With regard to consumption patterns and health issues, most consumers were aware of nutritional balance issues (64%), and most were aware of the health risks associated with meat consumption (59%). It was concluded that consumer perceptions on the meat quality aspects associated with health and consumption patterns are affected by disposable income and cultural background.
Highlights
Meat is an important component in the daily diet of a large proportion of society and is regarded as a valuable food from a nutritional perspective [1]
The objective of the study was to determine the perceptions of rural consumers on meat quality aspects, and health and wellness issues, associated with meat consumption and consumption patterns
The expected difference among consumers of different groups are on preparations and cooking methods of the food
Summary
Meat is an important component in the daily diet of a large proportion of society and is regarded as a valuable food from a nutritional perspective [1]. The benefits of meat consumptions are significant, a diet rich in meat can have a potential negative effect on human health due to the high content of cholesterol and saturated fatty acids that may be contained in meat [4]. For red meats, such as beef and pork, studies have associated a reduction in their consumption as a reflex response associated with individual perceptions of health risks [5,6]. A shift in preferences towards the consumption of poultry products has been evident over the years due to the associated health benefits of poultry products [9,10]
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