title: To eat or not to eat pork, how frequently and how varied? Insights from the quantitative Q-PorkChains consumer survey in four European countries.
abstract: This study uses pork consumption frequency and variety to identify and profile European pork consumer segments. Data (n=1931) were collected in January 2008 in Belgium, Denmark, Germany and Poland. "Non-pork eaters" are profiled as predominantly younger (<35 years) females, with a high likelihood of living single and being underweight (BMI<18.5 kg/m²). Three segments of pork eaters were identified. The "Low variety, Low frequency" segment (17.4%) has a similar profile as the non-pork eaters, though it is a largely non-Polish and non-German segment. The "High variety, High frequency" segment (18.6%) consists mainly of rural, lower educated and overweight or obese (BMI>30 kg/m²) males. The segment "High variety, Medium frequency" (50.1%) includes families and other non-single households, with a profile that matches the overall sample. Their pork consumption is balanced over a wide range of pork cuts and pork meat products. Each segment entails specific challenges for the industry and the public health sector.
authors.affiliation: Ghent University, Department of Agricultural Economics, Coupure links 653, B-9000 Gent, Belgium. wim.verbeke@ugent.be
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Verbeke
authors.forename: Federico J A
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Pérez-Cueto
authors.forename: Klaus G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Grunert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001530:Belgium; D003710:Demography; D003718:Denmark; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D050177:Overweight; D011044:Poland; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013552:Swine; D013851:Thinness