Worker at a meat plant.
John Zogby Strategies conducted a new online poll of 1000 American consumers that showed the lack of education around antibiotic use in the meat & poultry industries
American consumers are demanding transparency from meat and poultry producers and government regulators when it comes to “antibiotic free” claims, according to a new national poll that showed antibiotic-free labels are important to two-thirds of Americans. This is far from surprising, since antibiotic use in meat & poultry production has been proven to increase antibiotic resistance in humans and animals – making us more susceptible to deadly diseases and virus. The American consumers that say antibiotic-free labels are important when purchasing meat includes majorities of every demographic group. Here’s the problem: only 26% say they believe these claims on meat labels “most of the time”. These statistics underscore that consuming antibiotic-free meat is an issue Americans care about, but now we know an important piece is missing — trust.
More than 77% of consumers want meat producers to “release independent verified data” to show that antibiotic-free claims are valid — underscoring an engrained skepticism of oversight and transparency from meat producers and regulators.
When asked, Americans do not necessarily know details about the impact of antibiotics at the meat counter – two in three report being not aware that antibiotics are used for animals raised for food. They were largely unable to identify the numbers of deaths annually because of “antibiotic resistant superbugs”.
“Antibiotic resistant superbugs” are a growing concern globally, and one of the main contributors to the development of these infections is the overuse of antibiotics in livestock. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified antibiotic risk as “one of the biggest public health challenges of our time.” Even though Americans don’t know the details of the potential consequences, a majority want antibiotics used for treating human illnesses, and not for growth promotion in the meat supply chain.
Addressing both the health concerns and the prevailing skepticism among American consumers is necessary. And producers should pay attention. There is even an opportunity for the meat industry. A solid majority are willing to pay more for meat if it means guarding these safety concerns – 75% are willing to pay more, with 59% willing to pay 10 cents more per pound and 19% willing to pay 50 cents more per pound. The willingness to pay 50 cents or more per pound can be found among an eclectic, but significant number of Americans: 37% of weekly farmers’ market shoppers, 28% of those who shop at least weekly at Walmart, and 26% of those who identify as progressive or very liberal.
Americans were also clear about who they would like to take the lead. Almost two in three believe that President Joe Biden should demand testing efforts for the meat & poultry industries.
As a Baby Boomer, I grew up in an America that pioneered mass-produced processed foods and “well-marbled” steaks. Today, that is no longer the case with consumers demanding healthier, safer, and more transparent options.
The new John Zogby Strategies poll has an overall margin-of-sampling error of +/-3.2 percentage points. For top line results, click here
