Profile and preference of pork consumers in Campo Grande - MS

This study was conducted to characterize the profile and preference of pork consumers in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Using a questionnaire at different points of pork sale, 211 random interviews were conducted. It was verified that 55.0% of the interviewees were female, with a more pronounced frequency of people at the age of 40–50 years (25.0%) and belonging to the social class B (67.3%). It was found that 85.0% of the interviewed people have their main meal “lunch” at home and 82.8% consume pork. The main factors pointed out by non-consumers of pork were that they do not appreciate the meat, religious thoughts and the high cholesterol content. It was verified that beef is the most consumed meat followed by poultry and pork. Regarding the consumer preference, beef takes the first place, followed by fish and pork. The great majority of the interviewed people showed a lack of knowledge about the nutritional value of pork. Pork meat may have more room on consumers’ tables in Mato Grosso do Sul provided that informative campaigns are held to clarify its nutritional quality and to eliminate the taboos and myths involving pork consumption