‘No growth hormones’ tops consumer concern in animal products
For many consumers, buying a gallon of milk is much more complex than finding the preferred fat content and expiration date.
For many consumers, buying a gallon of milk is much more complex than finding the preferred fat content and expiration date. They want to know how the cows were treated, what they were fed, whether they received growth hormones or antibiotics, whether the milk is organic, and so on. A study published in Agriculture and Human Values examines which production attributes are most important to buyers for four different products: beef, chicken, milk, and eggs.
The study determined the importance of seven specific on-farm practices in consumers’ purchasing decisions:
- Animals were not administered growth hormones
- Genetically modified organisms were not used in the production of this product (non-GMO)
- Animals were humanely raised
- Animals were not administered antibiotics
- Animals were raised in a free-range (or cage-free) environment
- Animals were grass-fed (or raised on a vegetarian diet)
- The product is certified organic
The researchers found that the top three attributes overall were “no growth hormones,” “non-GMO,” and “humanely raised,” though there were differences in importance based on product type. The “organic” attribute was ranked lowest in importance for consumers.
“The biggest surprise in the study is that ‘no growth hormones’ is the number one concern consumers have across the board on all of these products,” said Brenna Ellison, food economist and lead researcher at the University of Illinois. “It’s odd because growth hormones are already prohibited for poultry products. Further, products that are certified organic or humanely-raised also prohibit the use of growth hormones in animals. Ultimately, it means consumers are spending unnecessary time looking for labels that reflect this particular attribute.”
The lack of importance of the “organic” claim was also surprising to the researchers. “When most people hear the term ‘organic,’ they think of produce, fruits, and vegetables,” said Ellison. “I don’t think the term translates as well to animals. Consequently, consumers may not understand that the organic certification for meat and other animal products actually already includes a lot of these other production attributes.”