Meat consumption drops in Australia
Meat consumption in Australia is falling abruptly, according to the latest surveys and studies. Between 2018-2019, Australians have consumed 105.2 kg per person, while over the following 12 months consumption has dropped to 99.5 kilos.
Nowadays, 20% of Australians are eating meat on a daily basis, according to the latest survey conducted by consumer intelligence platform Toluna. The research, which surveyed 1026 Australians between 27-30 July 2021, showed that health concerns were the driving factor for a number of dietary decisions, and changing the way consumers shop.
Of the respondents who ate meat, a quarter (25%) had made efforts to reduce their meat consumption, with a further 19% planning to reduce their meat consumption in the future.
Almost half (42%) of the meat-eaters surveyed aim to have 1-2 meat-free days per week, 24% go meat-free 3-4 days a week, while 7% choose not to consume meat 5-6 days per week. Only 20% of respondents eat meat every day, with 6% never eating it at all.
Health concerns were the biggest driver for reducing meat consumption (65%), with the high cost of meat (40%) and environmental reasons (30%) listed as other deciding factors. Only 12% of those who have reduced, or plan to reduce, meat conception have made this decision due to moral reasons.
The majority of shoppers (66%) purchase their meat from major supermarkets, with 20% buying from butchers. A small number (8%) buy their meat from small, independent retailers, with only 2% purchasing their meat products from farmer’s markets.
A quarter (25%) of respondents said they had tried plant-based meat alternatives, with the majority of those (66%) stating they will continue to buy them in the future and believe plant-based meats are a healthy alternative (70%).
Other reasons respondents enjoy plant-based meat alternatives is because they believe they’re better for the environment (54%), are more ethical (44%), and provide a vegetable boost (44%); while 20% can’t tell the difference between meat-alternatives and real meat.
For those who wouldn’t eat meat alternatives again, it was largely because they thought the plant-based alternatives didn’t have an appealing taste (52%), were too bland (43%), too expensive (39%) or too rubbery (29%).
Their families disliking plant-based meat alternatives (17%) and the food formats not being workable into meal plans (16%) were also reasons for not wanting to try these products in future, shows the survey.
"Our research shows that health concerns are weighing heavily on Australians, with health being the number one driving factor for the majority of our dietary decisions, which ultimately drive our purchasing decisions. Even though a very small number of Australians are currently following a vegan diet, a surprisingly large number are actively reducing their meat intake, and are looking to eat plant-based meat alternatives instead.
Australian consumers are wanting to improve their eating habits and are actively seeking out healthy food and drink alternatives across a range of categories. Retailers and brands can capitalise on this trend by ensuring they clearly communicate to consumers the health benefits of their products," commented Sej Patel, country director, Toluna, Australia & New Zealand, quoted by Bandt magazine.
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