Concerns, attitudes, and opinions of meat buyers in Garanhuns, Pernambuco, Brazil

ABSTRACT With the objective of identifying the concerns, attitudes, and opinions of meat buyers and their relationship with their choice of place of purchase (supermarkets, free fair, or butchers), 381 consumers in the city of Garanhuns, Brazil, were interviewed. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and discriminant analysis, complemented by stepwise regression, Wilks’ Lambda test, and Fisher’s linear test. Most of the respondents expressed that inadequate commercialization of meat occurred in free fairs, and the lack of hygiene and the fact that meat was exposed in the environment without refrigeration were the main preoccupations. They also reported that meat consumption without inspection could lead to disease transmission, with pork being considered the most dangerous. Based on the theory of planned behavior, buyers agreed that their attitudes toward the purchase of meat (concern with food safety, price, animal welfare, environment, and slave labor) influenced their purchasing decisions. Regarding the subjective norms, the results indicated that purchase intention could be modulated by the opinion and judgment that other people exercise on the buyer’s choice decision. Regarding perceived control, the respondents said that they were confused at the time of purchase and got irritated after making a purchase that did not satisfy their desires. The factors that differentiated consumers who prefer to buy meat in supermarkets from those who prefer butchers and free fairs are mainly the price of the product, custom/tradition, customer service, and hygiene of the establishment. Buyers who have a lower level of schooling and live in rural areas also tended to buy meat in free fairs.

摘要：本研究旨在明确肉类购买者的关注点、态度与看法，及其与购买场所（超市、自由集市（free fair）或肉铺）选择之间的关联，对巴西加拉纽斯市的381名消费者开展了访谈。数据分析采用描述性统计与判别分析方法，并辅以逐步回归、威尔克斯λ（Wilks’ Lambda）检验及费希尔线性检验（Fisher’s linear test）。多数受访者表示，自由集市存在肉类商业化运作不规范的问题，其中卫生条件缺失、肉类未置于冷藏环境直接暴露于空气中是主要担忧点。受访者还提及，未经检验的肉类消费可能引发疾病传播，其中猪肉被认为是风险最高的品类。基于计划行为理论（Theory of Planned Behavior），购买者均认可其肉类购买态度——包括对食品安全、价格、动物福利、环境及奴役劳工的关注——会对其购买决策产生影响。关于主观规范（subjective norms），研究结果显示，购买意向会受到他人对购买者决策的看法与评判的调节。就感知行为控制（perceived control）而言，受访者表示，在购买时会陷入纠结，且在购买到不合意的商品后会感到懊恼。将偏好超市购买肉类的消费者与偏好肉铺及自由集市的消费者区分开来的主要因素包括：产品价格、消费习惯/传统、客户服务及场所卫生。受教育程度较低且居住在农村地区的消费者，也更倾向于在自由集市购买肉类。