Consumer concern over animal welfare issues has reached critical mass in the meat and poultry industries, creating a new generation of challenges and opportunities, according to a recent survey by researcher Packaged Facts.

Consumer concern over animal welfare issues has reached critical mass in the meat and poultry industries, creating a new generation of challenges and opportunities, according to a recent survey by researcher Packaged Facts. This development, kindred to the organic movement, is says the company readily apparent in the proliferation of overt product claims such as certified humane, cruelty free, and cage-free, along with linked claims such as antibiotic-free, hormone-free, or grass-fed.

On the one hand, new Packaged Facts survey data from February/March 2017 show that nearly half of U.S. consumers agree (somewhat or strongly) that livestock animals are “treated appropriately under current practices and regulations,” against only a fifth who disagree.

The contingent who strongly agree that livestock animals are treated appropriately (20%) correspondingly outnumbers those who strongly disagree (9%).

On the other hand, a growing range of consumers are paying more attention to the treatment of food animals. Packaged Facts data also show that a quarter (26%) of consumers strongly agree, and another third (32%) somewhat agree, that they are becoming more concerned about the treatment of animals raised for food.

In contrast, only 15% of U.S. consumers somewhat or strongly disagree that livestock animal treatment is of increasing concern.

Packaged Facts’ new report, “Animal Welfare: Issues and Opportunities in the Meat, Poultry, and Egg Markets in the U.S.”, charts the changing attitudes and emerging opportunities for marketers of beef, poultry, eggs, meat substitute, and vegetable protein products. The opportunities range from product development, labeling, and marketing to M&A activity and investor relations—and extend beyond the fresh meat and dairy cases to in-store prepared foods and foodservice menus.

“Agricultural producers, food retailers, and restaurants alike are playing key roles in growing the market for protein products that satisfy next-generation consumer demands for food animal welfare,” said David Sprinkle, research director for Packaged Facts.

The report discusses food industry trends pertaining to beef, pork, poultry, chicken, turkey, eggs, meat substitutes, vegetable proteins, plant proteins, veganism, vegetarianism, and flexitarianism, as well as certified humane, cruelty-free, cage-free, pasture-raised, free range, grass-fed, antibiotic-free, steroid-free, and hormone-free.