Concerns, attitudes, and opinions of meat buyers in Garanhuns, Pernambuco, Brazil

ABSTRACT With the objective of identifying the concerns, attitudes, and opinions of meat buyers and their relationship with their choice of place of purchase (supermarkets, free fair, or butchers), 381 consumers in the city of Garanhuns, Brazil, were interviewed. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and discriminant analysis, complemented by stepwise regression, Wilks’ Lambda test, and Fisher’s linear test. Most of the respondents expressed that inadequate commercialization of meat occurred in free fairs, and the lack of hygiene and the fact that meat was exposed in the environment without refrigeration were the main preoccupations. They also reported that meat consumption without inspection could lead to disease transmission, with pork being considered the most dangerous. Based on the theory of planned behavior, buyers agreed that their attitudes toward the purchase of meat (concern with food safety, price, animal welfare, environment, and slave labor) influenced their purchasing decisions. Regarding the subjective norms, the results indicated that purchase intention could be modulated by the opinion and judgment that other people exercise on the buyer’s choice decision. Regarding perceived control, the respondents said that they were confused at the time of purchase and got irritated after making a purchase that did not satisfy their desires. The factors that differentiated consumers who prefer to buy meat in supermarkets from those who prefer butchers and free fairs are mainly the price of the product, custom/tradition, customer service, and hygiene of the establishment. Buyers who have a lower level of schooling and live in rural areas also tended to buy meat in free fairs.