Some urban consumers are willing to pay more for meat that is said to
come from better-treated animals.
That’s what the launch of meat labelled humane by the Winnipeg Humane
Society has proven, says the organization and the butchers selling the
product.
“This stuff is really popular. A lot of people are asking for it,” said
butcher George Andrews, who runs Stephen and Andrews Food and Wine
Shoppe, a high end Winnipeg food store.
A small number of Winnipeg butcher shops are now offering meat
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emblazoned with a label saying “Winnipeg Humane Society Certified.” The
label guarantees the meat comes from animals that were not caged, that
had adequate space, that were not treated with growth hormones, that
were not treated with antibiotics unless they were sick, and that were
independently inspected.
The meat costs about 10 percent more, Andrews said. But that doesn’t
seem to matter to his clientele.
“It’s not the No. 1 seller, but eventually I think it will be. The
price difference is so small that once the supplies are there and we’re
able to get whatever we want whenever we want it, then we will switch
over to nothing but humane-raised,” said Andrews.
Shoppers seem to like the idea that the meat they are eating was
produced in an ethical manner and does not contain antibiotics or
growth hormones.
“It’s the idea that you’re able to eat something that’s pure, clean and
humanely raised,” said Andrews.
He acknowledged that some consumers may think the label implies that
all other meat is inhumanely raised, but he didn’t think that would be
a big problem.
“Most people don’t have a clue where their meat comes from.”
If the perception does grow, it will push farmers to ensure that they
are raising their livestock humanely, which will help both people and
animals, he said.
Marcel Hacault, a pig farmer who speaks for the Manitoba Pork Council,
said he thinks there’s a good market opportunity for this type of
branded product.
“We recognize that there is a niche market of people who will always
want specialized specifications to their food,” said Hacault.
“There’s more and more of that happening with branded meat every day.”
But he’s offended by what he sees as the label’s sly insult to the rest
of the industry.
“I don’t like the inference that all the other meat is in some other
way inferior,” said Hacault.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency ensures that hormone and antibiotic
traces are not in any food that hits the grocery store shelves, Hacault
said.
The promoters of this meat shouldn’t imply that regular meat contains
residues.
He said consumers should ensure that this specially labelled meat was
slaughtered in a provincially or federally inspected plant.
Andrews said he doesn’t think “humane-raised” meat will be a short-term
fad. Consumers at his store are showing more interest in
non-traditional meats such as free range musk ox, bison and venison.
That’s a sign that they’re searching for meat that’s more natural and
less processed.
“They’re all becoming way more popular,” Andrews said.
