According to a presentation at the 2010 Food System Summit, female consumers are confused about which food choices are the “right” ones, but they are pressured by not having enough time to better understand the options. With respect to beef, women are most concerned with the “science” behind it, specifically what they consider to be unknown.

Mary Lou Quinlan, founder and CEO of Just Ask a Woman, has surveyed over 20,000 women over 11 years. She believes that women do not want to feel forced into compromises when shopping, particularly with respect to food risks. For example, concerns about growth enhancers or antibiotics used in animal products make females more uncomfortable about their purchases.

Based on these observations, Quinlan suggests that the best way for agriculture and food producers to reassure female consumers is to shift messaging from “an industry perspective to that of the end consumer, or the American mom” and to never remove the freedom of choice for the consumer by forcing them to either eat less or pay more.