An omnibus survey completed on behalf of the Livestock and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland (LMC) has shown that since reporting last year, the vast majority of local consumers still continue to eat beef and lamb.
Out of a representative sample of 1,044 respondents, 90% said they still incorporate red meat as part of their diet, which is no significant change in results from last year.
LMC’s industry development manager, Colin Smith, said: “It is extremely encouraging to get such positive statistics for the second year in a row. Northern Ireland continues to produce some of the best Farm Quality Assured beef and lamb in the world and it’s great to see so many local consumers continuing to enjoy it, especially during these unprecedented times.
"We are encouraged that consumers continue to support our local farmers and processors by looking for the Northern Ireland Beef and Lamb Farm Quality Assurance Scheme (FQAS) logo when purchasing beef and lamb."
“LMC has continued to work hard to communicate the benefits of locally produced beef and lamb as part of a healthy balanced diet to consumers throughout the year. LMC’s advertising campaign ran from October 2019 to March 2020 on all forms of media. Since April 2020 our advertising activity has focussed primarily on social media platforms where we have been reaching and engaging with large numbers of consumers on a daily basis. LMC will continue to support our local producers by educating consumers as to the benefits of red meat as part of a healthy balanced diet.”
Education and consumer promotions manager for the LMC, Lauren Hyde, added: “Beef and lamb are rich sources of high biological value protein, haem Iron, B vitamins and Zinc, amongst many more vitamins and minerals. These nutrients are vital for optimum metabolic functioning which includes a healthy immune system, and to promote growth and repair of cells. It is best to obtain these from the most bioavailable source, which for a lot of these nutrients, is beef and lamb. This ensures we are obtaining the best version of the nutrient, in the most effective way, something our bodies cannot do as well from synthetic sources.”
Colin Smith continued: “We are delighted to see that these messages are continuing to reach consumers. Consumers in our home market have been more tuned in to local sourcing in recent months and our research is evidence of this. We are encouraged that consumers continue to support our local farmers and processors by looking for the Northern Ireland Beef and Lamb Farm Quality Assurance Scheme (FQAS) logo when purchasing beef and lamb.
“The FQAS logo means that your red meat has been produced to the highest animal welfare standards, with care for the environment and is fully traceable from farm to fork. Always look out for the logo to ensure you’re purchasing the highest quality, locally produced beef and lamb.”
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
