Researchers observed consumer reactions to pig and poultry production systems in this study designed to determine how to encourage consumers to buy more British food products.

Two groups of shoppers visited either a “broiler” production unit or a pig breeding and “finishing” unit to observe the systems. Researchers gauged consumer reactions and insights to determine how consumers might be encouraged to buy more British food products. Among the surprising observations made by consumers, according to this report, is that chickens were not in cages; although space was a concern, according to researchers, consumers concluded that the animals were healthy and the systems were good.

At the 2009 Pig and Poultry Live conference, 15% of consumers said they consciously choose British pig and poultry products, while 85% do not or only sometimes choose British products. Nearly all (97%) of the responding shoppers felt that they were uninformed or only partially informed about what they were buying.