Value-added poultry product development: A consumer driven approach

To provide consumer oriented insight into the expanding market for value-added chicken product development, consumer science and econometric techniques were used to identify consumer perceptions and willingness to pay for chicken product attributes. 'Convenience' and 'health' were positively perceived attributes of unprocessed products while traditional processed products such as chicken nuggets represented undesirable composition, processing and quality concerns. Consumers had a strong preference for a refrigerated free range chicken breast product, without additives/preservatives or added flavour that could be oven heated. Microwaveable and organic products were less preferred. Half of respondents were willing to pay around 30% more for a value-added chicken product over the price of a conventional one. This information will allow poultry processors to develop new value-added chicken products in response to current consumer attribute preferences while maintaining a price that could enhance not only their profits but consumer satisfaction.