A Study on Determination of Red Meat Consumption Behaviors and Preference of Imported Red Meat in Erzincan

The aim of this study to examine consumers’ attitudes towards red meat consumption and imported meat in Erzincan province. We conducted 206 face-to-face surveys with people living in Erzincan. We found that 5% of the partıcıpants consumed red meat at least once per day, 36.7% at least once per week, 36.2% at least 2-3 times per week, 11.6% at least once per month, and 10.1% 2-3 times a month per month. Monthly income affected the red meat consumption of the consumers (p<0.05) but the region where the consumer lives (province and district) did not significantly affect red meat consumption. Monthly income affected monthly spending for red meat consumption (p<0.05). Only 5.7% of consumers prefer imported red meat. Of those who do not prefer red meat, 47.4% believe that imported red meat is unsafe, while 33.3% prefer to support domestic production. In our study, the preference for imported red meat was not affected by education level. Among the participants, 63% did not prefer sheep meat because of its unpleasant odor, 18% because of its taste, 10% were not found at all seasons, and 9% were fatty.