About three-quarters of
Americans plan to don an apron and grab a spatula to grill their
favorite steaks, burgers or chicken this year. But can consumers trust
their food is safe as grilling season kicks into high
gear? Ninety-four percent of American say yes, and that's good news as
Americans enter the heavy summer grilling months.
Cargill's latest Feed4Thought survey, which polled more than 1,000
people in the U.S. in April 2018, found that 94 percent say they trust
that the meat they buy for grilling is safe to eat. The survey also
found that nearly 80 percent believed food producers are taking the
necessary steps to ensure their meat is safe for grilling.
Additionally, 87 percent believed an animal's diet can have an impact
on food safety.
"We're entering the season where Americans turn to the grill to
prepare their meals, and food safety is top-of-mind," said Chuck
Warta, president, Cargill Premix and Nutrition. "It's clear that
consumers continue to care very deeply about where their food comes
from and how it is raised, and they are increasingly aware that safety
actually begins on the farm with what is in an animal's diet."
That's why Cargill continues to invest in research, learning how the
health and wellbeing of animals can positively impact food safety.
Feed additives like prebiotics, probiotics, plant extracts and
fermentation ingredients work with the natural biology of the animal
to support immune strength and gastro-intestinal health in poultry,
pigs and cattle.
Additional results from the Feed4Thought survey include:
-- 72 percent of Americans say they grill, with 41 percent grilling at
least once a week.
-- Favorite grilling options:
-- 42 percent steak 25 percent hamburgers 18 percent chicken 12
percent pork chops/ribs
-- 79 percent indicated they grill their meat to proper temperatures.
-- 38 percent read packaging labels for inspection and certification
information.
You can find a full summary of findings here.
"Food is very personal, so it's important that we continue to build
trust with consumers regarding the health, safety, and sustainability
of the meat they eat," said Brian Sikes, president, Cargill Protein.
"At Cargill, we have hundreds of food safety professionals across our
North America protein business working hard every day to implement
food safety measures. We also encourage consumers to promote food
safety by following safe handling and cooking practices as they fire
up for grilling season."
About Cargill Cargill's 155,000 employees across 70 countries work
relentlessly to achieve our purpose of nourishing the world in a safe,
responsible and sustainable way. Every day, we connect farmers with
markets, customers with ingredients, and people and animals with the
food they need to thrive. We combine 153 years of experience with new
technologies and insights to serve as a trusted partner for food,
agriculture, financial and industrial customers in more than 125
countries. Side-by-side, we are building a stronger, sustainable
future for agriculture.
About Cargill Animal Nutrition's Feed4Thought Survey Feed4Thought is a
regular consumer survey effort from Cargill Animal Nutrition that
explores key perceptions and opinions about important topics in the
animal protein supply chain. The online survey for Cargill Animal
Nutrition was conducted by ORC International. The U.S. survey was
conducted in April 2018, and polled a demographically representative
sample of more than 1,000 U.S. adults.
