Diners Say Yes to No Antibiotics
May 2017
Consumers want to know what they’re eating—and they expect brands and businesses to tell them. They’re not only looking for great-tasting meals. They’re also looking for information about ingredient statements, sourcing, manufacturing processes and animal welfare. Transparency is key to building trust with diners.
Now more than ever, diners are keeping an eye out for proteins raised without antibiotics. 77% of consumers say that antibiotic-free poultry is healthier than poultry raised with antibiotics. 44% say it’s tastier. And 43% say they’re willing to pay more for it.
In 2015, five of the nation’s top 25 restaurant chains announced a commitment to serving antibiotic-free proteins. Just one year later, four more restaurant chains followed suit. Operations from across the foodservice space now serving antibiotic-free options include Chipotle, TGI Fridays and Au Bon Pain, to name a few. The college and university segment is also making major moves in terms of eliminating antibiotics on campuses, as antibiotic-free meats are especially important to younger consumers. In fact, about 50% of younger consumers believe it’s unsafe to eat proteins that have been raised with antibiotics.
New Farm to Family by Butterball™ is a line of no-antibiotics-ever, all-natural turkey, raised on local family-owned farms and fed an all-vegetarian diet. It includes ground turkey, turkey burgers, turkey breast and ready to cook roasts. These products can help you meet diners’ increasing demand for antibiotic-free options and menu transparency. View products, discover recipes and learn more about our new addition with no additions.
SOURCES
Watrous, Monica. Consumers prefer transparency, Meat+Poultry, November 2016.
Hensel, Kelly. Total Transparency: Inviting Consumers Inside, Food Technology, March 2017.
Arnot, Charlie. Transparency Is No Longer Optional: How Food Companies Can Restore Trust, Forbes, November 2015.
Technomic Center of the Plate: Poultry Consumer Trend Report, 2017.
Calderone, Julia. More Fast-Food Restaurants Are Serving ‘No Antibiotic’ Meat, Consumer Reports, September 2016.
Tinker, Ben. Are there too many antibiotics in your fast food meat?, CNN, September 2016.
Cheeseman, Gina-Marie. Companies Bolster Animal Welfare As Consumer Pressure Heats Up, TriplePundit, March 2017.
Butterball Proprietary Research, August 2016.
