Consumers say they’ll pay up for chicken wings
By Meatingplace Editors on 3/17/2016

Consumers expressed a craving for chicken wings in March, with those willing to pay more for the item jumping almost 23 percent from the month before, according to Oklahoma State University’s monthly Food Demand Survey.
Consumers also said they would be willing to pay more for steak and chicken breast, but not hamburger, pork chops or deli ham, compared with a month ago. Willingness to pay more increased 5 percent for steak and about 3.2 percent for chicken breast.
Compared with a year ago, consumers today are willing to pay more for chicken, but not beef or pork products.
The monthly online survey of at least 1,000 people tracks consumer views on food safety, quality and price with a focus on meat demand.
Spending
Spending on food purchased away from home rose 3 percent in March from February, while spending on food eaten at home was little changed, the report noted. Consumers expect slightly lower beef prices, slightly higher chicken prices and stable pork prices and plans for dining out increased.
Issues and concerns
E. coli, salmonella and GMOs remained the most visible issues in the news over the past two weeks, according to the report. The largest percent increases in awareness over the last month among those surveyed were for battery cages, lean finely textured beef and animal welfare. The largest percentage decreases were for E. coli and bird flu.
Salmonella, E. coli and hormones were the top three concerns during March. The largest percent increases in concern were for lean finely textured ground beef and battery cages. The largest percent decreases were for E. coli and greenhouse gases.
What consumers want
Consumers reported their main challenge was finding affordable foods that fit within their budget. Losing weight was the challenge experiencing the largest increase. Taste, safety and price remained consumers’ most important values when purchasing food, similar to past months, with slight increases in perceived values of nutrition and naturalness.