The survey, commissioned by the NCC, quizzed 1,004 adults over a two-week period about the amount of chicken they consumed and whether they had any concerns about the product.
From the research, 86% of people admitted they ate a chicken meal or snack purchased from a supermarket, while 68% consumed the meat from a foodservice establishment.
Among the reasons for consumers’ high rate of purchasing was due to its “versatility and convenience” and participants said they expected to further increase their overall consumption of chicken in the next 12 months.
In feedback, consumers said they would buy more chicken if they had more information on the product. Over half of those who participated (57%) said they would look for additional information on product packaging and 62% said they would buy more chicken if more information was available.
“Consumers are asking for more transparency and information that will make them confident in their chicken purchases,” said Tom Super, NCC senior vice-president of communications. “They [consumers] want information about how freshness is communicated, how best to cook chicken and what the label claims mean.”
Food safety concerns were also among consumers’ feedback, with results suggesting participants were significantly more concerned this year about chicken purchase considerations than in any other year. The majority said they would be more likely to purchase chicken if food safety concerns were addressed.
Other parts of the survey revealed fewer respondents were citing health benefits as the reason they chose chicken over other types of meat, while more than half of chicken consumers said they never chose plant-based proteins over chicken.
The survey was backed by research conducted by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) which revealed that Americans would eat 93 pounds of chicken per person in 2018.