Meat and poultry products remain among the top choices for shoppers at retail, but the tenth annual Power of Meat study published by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and North American Meat Institute (NAMI) highlights several trends in the way consumers are changing their purchasing behavior.

These include:

• Price per pound remains a top factor as increases in beef and pork prices drove many to buy less meat or look to different species, cuts and brands.
• Appearance of a product is the second-most influential factor driving meat and poultry purchases, surpassing total package price.
• Nutrition has gained importance as shoppers are putting greater emphasis on leaner cuts and portion control.
• Shoppers recognize the variety of nutrition benefits meat and poultry products offer – with poultry being viewed as key in a balanced diet and red meat seen as a source of valuable nutrients.
• Growing overall interest in local and organic products extends to meat and poultry. Local interest is driven by perceived freshness and support for the local economy.
• While supermarkets remained the dominant outlet for fresh meat and poultry, farmers' markets are the greatest source of the occasional purchase, at 15 percent of shoppers.
• Meat is still very much a planned purchase, but the decision is increasingly shifting to in-store, making excellence in execution even more important.

The Power of Meat study was conducted by 210 Analytics, LLC, sponsored by The Cryovac Brand, a part of Sealed Air’s Food Care Division, and was unveiled at the FMI/NAMI Annual Meat Conference.

Sources: FMI, NAMI