We are a generation who loves gawking at YouTube videos about food. We feasted on anything related to food; from cakes, pasta, down to organic steak -- we all love them. But how well do wereally know what we eat?
A group of researchers surveyed 2,038 people about food, in this case, farm animals where steaks and chicken come from. The study aims to show how concerned we are on how farm animals were raised, how we understand organic and even how much we are willing to pay for it. The study also gauges how much we actually care on how farm animals are treated.
Results reveal that 70 percent of men and 85 percent of women are moderately and extremely concerned on how livestock were raised. This result is encouraging, as it means that, well, we care.
On the question on why we choose humanely raised meats, eggs and animal products, 63 percent of the participants showed a strong opposition on animal cruelty.
Meanwhile, if you are searching for healthy options, go to Colorado, as it is the place to be if you want to find humanely raised animal products. You can also find food treated ethically in Washington, New Hampshire and Kansas.
It is a good thing that there are many people who care for animals and how they are raised. There are also so many ways to describe how each animal is raised and we see it on food labels. The respondents were then asked if they can understand the labels "organic," "pasture raised," "grass fed" and "free range." It turns out that the respondents have better grasp with "organic" food, which means the animals are raise without any pesticides or antibiotocs. Meanwhile "free range" animals are those not raised within cages and can freely roamed around.
So far, results are encouraging. But how much are you willing to pay for humanely raised food? Sixty-four percent of the respondents said they are willing to spend around 5 to 20 percent to humanely raised food.
Overall, the results show that we care on our health as much as we care on how animals are treated, which both are good things.