Consumers are concerned about animal welfare in the food processing industry, but are not willing to pay more for meat, a conference on food safety has been told.
A study based on consumer discussion groups found that people thought free-range systems were the ideal, but were "conscious that this may not be economically viable for both farmers and consumers", said Mr Cathal Cowan, of the Teagasc National Food Centre, who led the study.
The study found that, although animal welfare is important to people, they are primarily concerned about food safety, especially the feed used, the addition of growth promoters and the use of genetically-modified organisms.
The results of the study were outlined at the Teagasc National Food Centre as part of its "Meat Week 2000".
Consumers also believe that if animals are well treated it is more likely that the food produced will be safer and of better quality.
The need for reliable information from independent sources on animal production was stressed. The study found that while the media are the main source of information, consumers regard information from Government and retailers as being more reliable.
"More information to customers from independent sources on animal welfare issues would have an impact on purchasing behaviour," said Mr Cowan.
Future consumption will become more dependent on the amount of concern about food production practices.