Infographic: 6 common broiler production misconceptions

Consumers have wrong ideas about how chickens are raised for food production

6 Most Common Consumer Misconceptions About Chickens Main Article Image

There are six major misconceptions that U.S. consumers have about broiler chickens and the way they are raised.

Those misconceptions include:

  • 78 percent believe most chickens are genetically modified to grow bigger/faster
  • 77 percent believe there are added hormones/steroids present in most chickens
  • 73 percent believe there are antibiotics present in most chicken meat
  • 68 percent believe most chickens raised for meat are raised in cages
  • 55 percent believe that the way most chickens are raised increases their risk of getting sick
  • 44 percent believe a majority of raw chicken meat contains Salmonella

Speaking at the Chicken Marketing Summit in July, Tom Super, National Chicken Council (NCC) senior vice president of communications, Melissa Kinch, partner and associate director of Ketchum West, shared those misconceptions with summit attendees.

The duo added that according to NCC research, a majority of consumers surveyed say the media portrays the care of broiler chickens negatively, and that chicken labels and packages are phrased in ways that are misleading.

Super also encouraged those involved in the broiler chicken industry to be transparent and tell its own story, so animal rights activists will not tell it for them. In order to gain the trust of consumers and to clear up these misconceptions, Super said the chicken industry needs to get the conversation started from a shared place of interest. Those in the poultry industry need to use clear, educational language that tells a positive story while clearing up confusion.

The 2017 Chicken Marketing Summit has already been scheduled for July 16-18 at the Historic Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina.

6 most common consumer misconceptions about chickens_INFOGRAPHIC

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