APCOM

They're not afraid anymore of mad cow disease or eating poultry or meat. Consumption of these products is again at high levels. In Milano people eat more meat than in past years: 30% prefer chicken, 20% beef, but one out of seven eats a bit of everything. These are the results of Milanese Camera di Commercio's study about meat consumption, presented today for the meeting "Meat's division between criticism and perspectives".

The Camera di Commercio's study reveals that Milanese are pretty confident about quality control system: 73% of them thinks that meat is guarantedd enough and 80% trusts the label's information. The study reveals also that 90% of Milanese prefer made in Italy's meat. If it is not possible to find it, they use Argentinean, French or German meat, but never Chinese or East-European.

In Milano people buy meat in supermarkets (70%), but a lot of people prefer traditional butchers, because they trust little shops more. "The evolution of the commercial system certainly contributed to orientate meat purchases toward big supermarkets - says Maurizio Arosio, president of Butchers Association of Trade Union - but the investigation confirms that in Milano the trust relationship between consumer and shopkeeper is very important". In 2007 in Milan there were 946 companies operating in the meat department.