Meat & Seafood Transparency

More Than a Trend: Transparency Influences Purchase¹

Animal care is most important.

Consumers are somewhat or more likely to buy meat or seafood from brands and retailers that share information about:

Animal care practices

Clear sustainability commitments

Traceability through the food supply chain

Environmental impact from farm to table

58%

of U.S. consumers surveyed believe having information about  how animals are raised is extremely or very valuable.

Transparency inspires brand loyalty and trust

Consumers want information about sourcing and production and will respond by:

64% Making transparent brands/retailers their “go-to” for meat + seafood
60% Recommending the meat or seafood brand/retailer to family and friends
56% Choosing a brand even if others are less expensive
56% Trusting a brand/retailer’s transparency claims

Meet the Conscious Consumer

Values and beliefs drive purchase decisions

In the past six months:

53%

Of consumers surveyed engaged in one conscious consumer behavior

In the past six months:

30%

Engaged in two or more behaviors — qualifying them as “Conscious Consumers” in this study

Important considerations for the Conscious Consumer when purchasing meat + seafood

Conscious Consumers

Other

Fair treatment  of workers

Animal welfare

Environmental sustainability

Support for local U.S. farmers and ranchers

Transparency significantly impacts Conscious Consumer purchase decisions

Brand/retailer information more likely to influence purchase decisions

Assurance farms follow proper animal care practices

Clear sustainability commitments to continuous improvement within the food supply chain

Efforts to measure environmental  impact of meat or seafood across  the supply chain

Ability to confirm product traceability through the food supply chain

Younger consumers lead the charge for change

Gen Z and younger millennials are shaping the future of shopping

Transparency about how meat + seafood are sourced or produced significantly influences younger consumer behavior:

71% Would make the brand/retailer their  ”go-to” preference
65% Would recommend brand/retailer to family  or friends
64% Would choose brand/retailer even if others are less expensive
62% Would trust brand/retailer claims

The future is transparency

By 2030, all U.S. consumers surveyed reported the following on-pack information will be extremely or very important:

Animal welfare ratings

Full product traceability  to origin

Carbon footprint or environmental sustainability score

Farm location and information

4 things brands and retailers can do right now

Promote animal care practices to all audiences
Appeal to conscious consumers with traceability details
Highlight environmental impact to connect with younger consumers
Meet consumer expectations for on-pack transparency

Transparency + Traceability = Trust

DOWNLOAD INFOGRAPHIC

The infographic data are the results of an August 2025 Merck Animal Health consumer transparency research study, conducted by Fountainhead Brand Strategy, with 989 consumers who represent the U.S. adult census and have eaten beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish, seafood, dairy products and/or eggs in the past week.

Sources