The consumer acceptance of prepackaged frozen cuts of pork in Metro Winnipeg

Abstract

A four phase study on consumer acceptance of frozen pork was conducted in Metro Winnipeg during 1971. The exploratory phase, phase I, consisted of four in-depth interviews with homemakers. The topics discussed were related to meat purchasing habits and attitudes to fresh and frozen meat. Defined areas within these topics were pursued in phase II which consisted of 200 personal interviews with the aid of a structured and semi-structured questionnaire. In phase III, 50 respondents tested the frozen pork in their homes. In phase IV, 43 of the 50 women in phase III redeemed credit slips, in a supermarket, for fresh or frozen pork. The results showed that the consumer must have assurance that the meat is fresh at the time of freezing and that it has been stored and transported under optimum conditions. The product at the point of purchase must be readily visible. Thus the use of transparent packaging and keeping the product frost free during freezing, storage and display is essential. The term "quick frozen" pork enhanced the attitudes to the frozen pork products... Frozen pork was considered different enough from frozen chicken that the attitudes towards the products are not associated in regard to considering to buy the frozen pork... The findings of this study in general indicated that with a suitable program of consumer information accompanied by the application of proper packaging and handling methods, frozen retail cuts of pork could be a highly marketable Manitoba food product.