Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #420029
Research Project: Smart Optical Sensing of Food Hazards and Elimination of Non-Nitrofurazone Semicarbazide in Poultry

Location: Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit

Title: Consumer perception survey of animal welfare in broiler stunning

Author
item BARAHONA, LINDA - Auburn University
item BAKER-COOK, BETHANY - Auburn University
item CHO, SUNGEUN - Auburn University

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/17/2024
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: With the increase in global poultry meat consumption, public awareness of poultry welfare has also increased. From a poultry regard, the stunning method in processing is the most debated within the industry since it ensures an unconscious and painless slaughter. The long-established electrical stunning administers an electrical current to the chicken, causing an epileptiform, while gas stunning administers a mixture of gases to a closed chamber to induce hyopxia until unconscious. Voluntary animal welfare label certification have been shown to add value to poultry products by offering consumers information about humane production and processes. There are, however, few studies about consumer perception of poultry welfare, especially in poultry processing. An online survey (Qualtricsxm, Provo, Utah) was conducted in 2023 to understand consumer perception of poultry welfare, focusing on stunning. The survey consisted of 30 questions including self-assessment and an objective assessment of knowledge of broiler processing ,welfare perception, purchase behavior, and demographics. The participants (n=986) were U.S. regular chicken consumers (18+ y/o and consuming more than 2-3 times a month). The results showed that consumers considered themselves slightly informed regarding poultry welfare (3.7 +- 1.6 on a 7-point Likert-scale, 1 being not at all informed to 7 being extremely well informed). Only 28.3% (n=279) indicated they knew what 'stunning' is in broiler processing, but of these only 58% (n=162) were able to correctly define the stunning process after reading the definition of stunning, 70% of respondents (n=697) agreed that stunning should be done when asked to justify their response, the most prevalent word among answers was "no pain". Respondents were segmented into three knowledge groups based on their answers to six "true or false" questions about poultry production. The three knowledge groups were identified: 1) "high knowledge (hk)" (n=183, 18.6% ), 2) "average knowledge (ak)" (n=575, 58.3%), and 3) "low knowledge (lk)" (n=228, 23.1%) groups. When questioned about their willingness to pay more for humanely processed chicken, 44% (hk), 38% (ak), and 26% (lk) answered 'yes' in each group; among the respondents who agreed to pay more (36%, n=357 of total respondents), over half (51.5%, n=184) indicated they would pay 10-50% more. Regardless of the respondents' awareness and knowledge of the subject, 53% (n=521) manifested having concerns for animal welfare yet had not decreased their poultry consumption due to welfare concerns, 37% (n=363) indicated that had non animal welfare concerns, and 10% (n=102) indicating to have reduced their poultry consumption due to the concern. Overall, this study contributes to a better understanding of consumer perception of poultry welfare, which will eventually help advance broiler welfare standards, regulations, and decision-making within the industry and policy makers.