April 20, 2004
Project #4025
SUMMARY REPORT
HALAL MEAT FOCUS GROUPS
WITH OHIO MOSLEM CONSUMERS
Prepared for:
David Mangione
Ohio State University
Page Number
I.
INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................1
II.
DETAILED RESULTS .........................................................................................2
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
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Summary of Six Focus Groups with Ohio Moslem Consumers
on Meat Purchase and Consumption Patterns
Dr. Richard Stock, Director
Business Research Group
University of Dayton
300 College Park
Dayton, OH 45469-2110
937-229-2453
fax 937-229-2371
Dr. Richard Stock of the Business Research Group at the University of Dayton conducted
six focus groups with people who attend Islamic Centers in Ohio.
Three focus groups were conducted with people who attend the Greater Cincinnati
Islamic Center in West Chester, Ohio, two groups on March 14 and one on March 22.
On April 4, three focus groups were conducted at the Cleveland Islamic Cultural Center
in Parma, Ohio. There were approximately 10 participants in each of the groups. In
both Cincinnati and Cleveland, the group participants were recruited by the Islamic
Centers.
The objective of the focus groups was to understand in general, halal meat purchase and
consumption patterns of the Moslem population in Ohio with special attention to goat.
In each group, after an explanation of the nature of focus groups the topic was introduced
as follows: We are going to talk about your purchases patterns with respect to meat in
general but have a particular focus on Halal meat. Ohio State University is working with
meat producers in Ohio to understand what the requirements of the Halal meat market
are and what producers need to do to meet the requirements of that market. The results of
the focus group will be shared in a report to that group.
In what follows, a summary of the groups is provided based on the discussion guide used
in each of the groups. The question initiating the discussion is shown in italics.
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Meat Consumption Patterns
Thinking of your household's consumption of meat products (of whatever type) both when
you eat out and when you eat at home how often do you eat meat?
For most respondents meat was consumed "Every single day"and often twice a day.
There were some respondents who indicated they might eat it every other day, but they
were the exception. At the same time, some participants took pains to note that it might
only be a small part of a meal with several other dishes and ingredients involved so that
meat was not necessarily the center piece.
What meats constitute the bulk of the meat you eat?
There were a wide variety of responses but participants could seemingly be divided into
three general groups. There was a group of respondents that were either born in the
United States or were from particular parts of the Middle East (Lebanon, Palestine, Iran)
who predominantly eat chicken or beef with occasional use of fish or lamb. There was a
second group from the Middle East of primarily Arab origin who supplemented the
chicken consumption with more lamb consumption and less beef. Finally, there was a
group of participants from Pakistan and India who consumed chicken, goat and lamb
predominantly. Participants in both Cleveland and Cincinnati noted that those from the
Middle East were more likely to eat lamb and those from India and Pakistan were more
likely to eat goat.
While a substantial number of participants consumed beef, in all six focus groups
participants brought up very specific concerns about beef linked to issues about cows
being feed animal byproducts.
Participants were asked to rank order meat preferences in percent or however they would
choose. One Arab participant noted it depends on availability "Lamb is preferred first
and then beef ....fish" another went on to comment that beef was at the bottom. For
some participants, the choice between goat and lamb was tied to quality "If you provide
us a good quality meat it wouldn't matter whether it was lamb, sheep or goat".
Several participants in Cleveland and Cincinnati made the choice between lamb and goat
based on availability. In this regard, one participant in Cincinnati, when asked which they
preferred commented "Whatever is available ...goat is not as available in this area. I
prefer goat." Another noted "Everybody prefers goat but it's not available." Several
participants in both Cincinnati and Cleveland reported difficulty in getting goat when
they want it. When one participant in Cleveland commented, "If goat was more readily
available, I'm sure we would all eat a lot more goat." several nodded their heads in
agreement and one commented "we really love goat....young ones 30 lbs". They went on
to comment that they would eat goat every week if it was available.
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Meat Shopping Patterns and Attitudes
Where do you shop for meat?
In each of the six groups, most participants indicated they shopped at a Halal
market/grocery that typically would have other ethnic spices and foods as well. In the
Cincinnati area, participants were aware of three or four halal meat markets. In Cleveland
there were far more noted.
While most participants volunteered they did all their meat shopping at the halal markets,
there were other outlets mentioned. In Cincinnati, some noted they would periodically go
to Detroit because there was a slaughter house in Detroit. Others acknowledge buying
meat from large grocery chains although this would typically only occur when the group
was asked directly if they ever purchased meat at one of the large grocery chains. There
seemed to be something of a cultural split with those from India and Pakistani far more
likely to stay firm that they did all their meat shopping at a halal market.
The cultural sensitivity about not buying from a recognized halal source was illustrated in
one group. When asked directly if anyone went to the regular grocery store, one woman
said she wanted to be honest in a holy place, she did go to the grocery store but when she
got home she cleaned it and said a prayer over it. There was an immediate buzz around
the table from people who appeared embarrassed that she would say it. She then went on
to say that it was a money thing because the halal meat is very expensive. In seeming
excuse for the other woman to the group, another participant noted that there was a
disagreement about whether the prayer has to be said at the time of slaughter or can be
said at preparation. "And you know it [zabiha meat] is expensive". The first woman
reiterated "I know my budget ..."I know my family...I wash it as well as I can". At this
point, there was some discussion of price with one participant noting cost is an issue for
Halal purchases but "not that much different and there is less fat and the quality is
excellent".
In order to remove the need for personal confession, the groups were asked what percent
of the Moslems they were aware of who shopped at regular grocery stores for their meat.
Estimates varied from 30% to 50%. Participants also noted that this had started to
decrease with respect to beef consumption since a story on "60 Minutes" had revealed
that up to 30% of ground beef was from other meat including pork. As a consequence,
those who still purchased from regular grocers described picking out a roast themselves
and asking the butcher to grind it for them. Typically some would indicate they might
buy chicken at a grocery. One noted she would purchase an Amish brand that is more
cleanly. In part, the Amish brand purchase was linked to the idea that you could know
that a practicing Christian or Jew had conducted the slaughter rather than an unbeliever.
In both Cleveland and Cincinnati, participants had some experience in purchasing direct
from a farmer. In both cases, participants said that practice had been more frequent
several years ago when there were not as many halal meat outlets as there are now. In
many cases, the trips to the farmers are associated with the practice at Hajj (see below) of
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sacrificing an animal. Typically, the participants noted they would conduct the slaughter
and ask the farmer to do the rest of the butchering. Farmers were mostly found through
word of mouth.
None of the participants appeared to go to specialty retail butchers who were not halal
because of concerns about contamination with pork. Almost no participants had ordered
halal meat on the internet. They noted they had concerns about freshness and not being
able to see the meat.
Does your choice of outlet change for particular types of meat cuts?
Given the insistence of most participants that they did all of their meat buying at the halal
market it was difficult to answer this question. There was some suggestion (as noted
above) that participants were more comfortable with buying chicken at a large grocery
chain. In almost all cases, lamb or goat would be purchased from the halal store.
Of all these establishments we've discussed, where would you prefer to shop for your
meat?
The immediate response in every group to this question was "the regular grocery store"
whether that regular grocery store was Kroger or Meijer or Giant Eagle or some other.
Almost all participants experienced their current meat buying process of going to the
halal store as extremely inconvenient. As one commented: "Convenience is such a thing
that as soon as you have it you'll forget about that other thing." In part, this almost
universal first response was tied to participant descriptions of going once or twice a
month to the halal market (in some cases a lengthy trip), buying many pounds of meat
and cutting and freezing it when they got home. Several participants in each group have
a large freezer at home in order to accommodate this practice. Several expressed an
active dislike of going to the Halal store.
Beyond the inconvenience of the Halal market, participants often felt that a regular
supermarket would tend to be more hygienic, have better packaging and provide a
broader array of cuts.
In each focus group there were one or two participants who indicated they preferred the
halal meat market because they liked getting the other spices or liked purchasing from
another Moslem. Others noted that knowledge of their preferences was important "Plus
the way the meat is cut is very important. We like the meat cut in a particular way."
What are the characteristics of the place you prefer to shop for meat that are important
to you?
There was a remarkable uniformity across the groups in the initial responses to this
question. Almost the first word out of everyone's mouth was "Cleanliness" or "Trust".
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The trust issue often involved trusting that the Halal (see below for discussion of meaning
of Halal and zabiha) meat being purchased really was slaughtered in the appropriate
manner with the proper prayers said at the time of slaughter. "There are some stores that
sell Halal meat but I don't really trust them so I don't buy from them" "Trust that it is
really halal zabiha."..... "I know the person....that gives me more confidence...that he is
religiously practicing". Others noted that how they were treated was very important
"How do they treat you? If they treat me wrong I won't come back.....We can do that in
Lorain now. We have a choice of stores [halal] so if you treat me wrong I won't come
back." In this regard of trust, one participant noted "I know people here (looking around
table) who have been going to the same butcher for the last 25 years." Others noted that
trust also involved knowing that the Halal market would not be selling pork and would
know how they wanted their cuts made for particular dishes. Other participants discussed
being able to call their meat provider up and check on their delivery dates and make
orders in advance.
There were some concerns about health issues at Halal markets with some participants
noting they felt it was important to know "Health-wise it's inspected". Another
participant felt packaging was an important characteristic "sometimes when you buy at a
halal meat place it's not packaged well, the juice leaks out. Too flimsy a package."
As a follow-up, participants were asked: Must it be owned by a Moslem? While
participants indicated ownership by a Moslem was not important as long as the meat was
zabiha, they felt it was easier to trust that it was zabiha if the owner was a Moslem.
One final desired characteristic was noted by one participant. "If I could find somebody
who would do their own slaughtering then I'm all over that place".
Participant Views of what Constitutes Halal Meat
We are going to be speaking of Halal Meat, so I want to make sure that when we use that
term, I understand what it means to you. So...what does the term Halal meat mean to
you? Is there a continuum here.....or is it a very discrete thing. For example, would you
view some meat as preferable to other meat if it had been butchered in an appropriate
way but not by a certified Halal meat butcher?
There were essentially two camps among the participants with respect to what constituted
Halal meat. At one level, participants noted that Halal meat simply referred to all meats
that it was acceptable for a Moslem to eat. This included any meat (excluding pork) as
long as the blood had drained from the animal before it died.
Participants then used the term "zabiha" to refer to Halal meat that had been slaughtered
in the appropriate fashion. The elements of an appropriate slaughter included:
1.
A quick and merciful slaughter that allowed the blood to drain from the animal.
2.
A prayer to God "When you slaughter an animal it should be slaughtered in the
Name of God (Allah)".
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Participants noted that in general "Halal" often gets used for "Zabiha". In several of the
groups there was active discussion as to whether only the prayer is important or the
appropriate slaughter technique is also important. Participants noted that "Some people
take the position that any meat you buy at Krogers, for example, is Halal because it was
Christians or Jews doing the slaughtering so we don't have to worry in this country" [in
contrast to India where Hinduism dominates]. Some noted there had been specific
statements in the Quran that eating the meat of the People of the Book (Christians and
Jews) was acceptable. Others quickly retorted there were too many people in America
who were not Christians or Jews anymore so you were not safe. In several of the groups,
there was a mention that kosher meat was OK. One participant noted that kosher
requirements were actually stricter than zabiha requirements since they required not just a
cleaning of surfaces and equipment where pork had been but totally separate equipment.
Despite the discussions about whether regular supermarket "Halal" meat was alright to
eat, a vocal majority felt that it was very important to eat Halal zabiha meat where it
could be verified that the slaughtering was done so that the gushing blood was drained
and the appropriate prayer was said.
Participants also discussed in this context that the zabiha approach to slaughtering was
the most merciful and caused the animal the least pain. One participant noted that it was
important that the goat or lamb never see the knife and that the knife should be very
sharp.
Finally, participants often brought up at this time their initial concerns that animals were
being "fed animals or pig by products". They were as much concerned about this for the
zabiha Halal meat they eat as for meat from a super market. As many participants noted,
they had no way of knowing where the animal slaughtered came from and this was of
tremendous concern.
This may be the most important point learned in the discussion from the viewpoint of
Ohio meat producers. The Moslem population interviewed is extremely worried about
the provenance of the animals they consume. They would like to know that the animal
had not been fed any animal by products and that none of the meat was adulterated with
pork.
Details on Halal Meat Consumption
What percent of your meat purchases are for Halal meat?
As noted before, with rare exceptions, almost all participants indicated they personally
only consumed Hallal zabiha meat. When asked about Moslems they knew in general,
the estimates were often in the 50% range.
As noted in the prior discussion, many would say they are eating "Halal" but not "zabiha"
in the sense that they are not eating pork, but only meats that are permitted. However,
"Most would prefer to eat zabiha meat".
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Are there particular holidays or special days when you would consume more Hallal
meat?
Across all focus groups there was agreement that meat consumption rose substantially
during Ramadan due to the rounds of parties and impromptu visits that were typical after
the sun fell. Estimates of the increase in meat consumption ranged from 50% to 100%.
Because of concerns about availability problems, many participants report stocking up in
their freezers prior to the start
There was also discussion about increased use of goat and lamb at this time. One
participant noted that: "Ramadan is major season where more goat and lamb is used." In
one of the groups that contained more Indians and Pakistanis, about half of the
participants reported stocking up on goat prior to Ramadan. Each of the groups was
asked whether the increased meat consumption was biased toward lamb and goat. Some
participants simply felt that more meat of all types were consumed. Other participants
pointed out there would tend to be an increased consumption of lamb and goat because
more special recipes were cooked at this time "Whoever heard of beef biryani."
Every group mentioned that the second time where consumption increased was in the last
month of the lunar calendar (Zulhijjah) on the Day of Sacrifice (Eid-ul-Adha). There is
a requirement that every person who is able, to financially sacrifice an animal. There was
some disagreement across participants in the groups as to who should do it. For some
participants it was considered that it should be all men past puberty. Some women noted
it should be all adults "who were wage earners" and therefore should include women.
Due to the difficulty of finding an animal to sacrifice, it has become the custom for those
that are not born in the US to send money home to have the sacrifice done: "We send
money over to India where my husband is from". There are rules for distribution of the
meat that indicates what portion should be given to the poor, "1/3 to poor, 1/3 to family
friends and 1/3 to yourself". As a consequence, some prefer to send money home "Better
use over there, you can feed more poor people....because we have to distribute to the
poor people as part of the sacrifice".
Despite the possibility of sending money home, most participants noted there is a
preference to do the sacrifice themselves. "Over here slaughter is usually arranged
through the [Halal] store". Several participants noted there is a demand for a place where
they could go and sacrifice the animal then have someone else do all the other aspects of
the butchering for them. One focus group specifically suggested there was a market
opportunity for a farmer that advertised their willingness to provide sacrifice goats on this
day. They wonder out loud if the moderator could arrange for it. One participant noted
that they (some members of the Islamic Center) buy 200 goats from a farm in Dayton.
The animal sacrificed varies with the size of a family. Participants noted that for a large
family it might be a cow whereas in other families it might be one goat or lamb per
person in the family.
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In summary, there appear to be predictable times when goat and lamb consumption
increase based on a lunar calendar. If production cycles can be tied to the lunar calendar,
there are significant opportunities to provide appropriate size goat and lamb for the
Ramadan period and live animals for sacrifice and butcher on the Day of Sacrifice.
What Halal meats constitute the bulk of the Halal meat you eat? Are there particular
times of year or particular holidays when you are more likely to consume particular types
of Halal meat?
When you purchase Halal meat how many pounds do you purchase on average?
Since participants noted they only eat Halal meat, the focus of this question became
estimates of the amount of various meats they consume.
In both Cincinnati and Cleveland, participants who ate goat were asked how much they
consumed on average. The responses varied. "10 lbs on average ...every couple of
weeks" "15 to 20 lbs...depends on size of family". One participant noted that we
should "think of average meat consumption as same for other American families so if
they are consuming goat primarily it might be 270 pounds per year." "25 lbs every 2
weeks for 6 people." Results were similar for lamb...."35 lb lamb whole.....10 to 12 lbs a
week."
In general, participants had noted they were stocking up on meat when they went to the
Halal store because they only went one to two times a month "Most Moslem people or
Arab people they have a freezer where they go stock up." As a consequence, many
women gave their purchase amounts for each of the various meats on these visits: "1
lamb per month and 12 chickens and 20 lbs of beef"... "Twice a month 30 or 40 lbs
(chicken and beef) for family" "I buy the whole lamb, cut it up and freeze it."...."½ goat
or full goat 10 to 25 lbs". "I'll buy packages 5lbs ground beef, 5lbs chicken, 10 lbs of
halal steaks"
Shopping Issues for Halal Meat
Does your choice of outlet change for particular types of Halal meat cuts? Probe for
Retail Meat Market/Local Butcher Shop (and type of butcher shop), Farmer's Market,
Direct from a farmer, Auction, Direct-to-home sales, E-commerce purchases.
As noted earlier, the vast majority of respondents indicated they did the bulk of their
Halal meat purchases at a Halal market. Only a very few participants had tried the web
"You can order on-line Halal meat for the home" and reactions to the idea were very
lukewarm. "I like to see the meat before I buy it" "shopping is fun". A few participants
mentioned they had tried mail order deliveries.
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How often do you visit non-grocery store types of outlets for Halal meat?
As noted in the earlier discussion, visits to farmers had been more frequent in the past
and participants went less often now. One participant in Cincinnati had frequented an
organic farmer who raised animals using only organic feed. She was familiar with her
slaughter techniques and knew that she cleaned her equipment between slaughtering pork
and other animals. As important, she knew the woman was not using animal by products
to feed other animals. She commented in this regard "we need to be sure what they are
eating. Farmers are a very good source". At this point another participant piped up "Corn
fed meat is good".
Of all these establishments we've discussed, where would you prefer to shop for your
Halal meat?
Since participants did not distinguish between Halal meat and meat in general, reactions
were as noted earlier. Everyone's first reaction was that they would prefer to buy their
Halal meat at the regular grocery store. As one participant noted "Halal in Meijers... that
would be great".
What are the characteristics of the place you prefer to shop for Halal meat that are
important to you? Probe for any importance attached to religious affiliation of outlet.
Participants listed a variety of things that were important to them: These typically
mirrored the earlier discussion.
"Where you can get the cuts you want. They will cut to the way you want."
"Convenience, I would like to be at Krogers or Meijers."
"I have shopped at a Kroger's where they have a kosher section. Oftentimes, it
has crossed my mind that I hope one day we will have a Halal meat section."
"There is a movement to have Halal certified so Kroger could get the seal."
Again, when asked specifically if the religion of the person from whom they got their
meat was important, each focus groups immediate reaction was "No". They noted that
only "the person who slaughters is important [they have to have said the appropriate
prayer]". However, as they talked about it, some participants in some groups became
increasingly uncomfortable with the idea of a non-Moslem shop because the issue of trust
was so important and they felt they could trust a Moslem to be more careful with respect
to issues like pork contamination and origin of the meat.
Price was an important issue for many participants. In Cincinnati, there was a discussion
that Jungle Jim (very large specialty grocer in Cincinnati) had tried to carry Halal meat
but that it had failed because "they were charging too high a premium...You can buy for
$2.50 and they sell for $3.50". In Cleveland, a "New Kroger had kosher hotdogs but
were charging $4 and then always having to put them on sale because no one would buy
them at that price."
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Some participants felt that wherever they got their meat should also have many of the
spices they want: "Frankly speaking, everyone would want the place to have Indian
spices". What spices? "Bread, lentils all kinds, basmati rice, big list ....coriander...need
to have it in bulk and much bigger packages ginger, garlic, packaged spices, fresh
cilantro, hot green chili peppers."
Specific Requirements for Halal Meat
Thinking of each of the types of Halal Meat you purchase, what do you look for when you
examine the meat? [For each type of Halal Meat discussed, probe] Check for
perceptions of Lean vs. Marbled, Fresh vs. Frozen?
In what follows, the discussion is broken down by type of meat.
Lamb: There was a split with respect to lamb with some purchasing the whole carcass
and some just looking for a specific cut such as the leg, shoulder or chops. In some cases
participants mentioned they wanted it chopped (with the bone in) for stew.
As with goat, there is a preference for a younger animal (spring lamb) under 30 pounds.
Almost all of the focus groups mentioned that it is harder to get lamb that is lean and
many ask to have the fat trimmed off if possible. There was discussion that some Arabs
do like to have more fat with their lamb. "Some Arabs like fat" "its not just Arabs". In
general, however, participants preferred a leaner cut.
There is an association in most participants' minds between a younger lamb and one that
is tenderer. Many also noted that there is a particular smell associated with older mutton
that they try to avoid.
Some participants mentioned they do use the head, the heart and kidneys. One participant
commented "We would love to get intestines and stomach lining for a particular dish
(Palestinian)".
There was a complaint from one participant that their current zabiha meat providers don't
know how to cut because they are not trained butchers.
There was a discussion that lamb is used more during Ramadan and some participants in
Cincinnati noted they will drive to Chicago in advance in order to put a sufficient amount
in the freezer. Participants in Cleveland reported greater difficulty in finding lamb
around Easter because of demand by the populations in Cleveland (Serbs, Croats) who
are Eastern Orthodox.
Goat: Participants were looking for goat that was "pink...light in color. not too much
fat, not the strings or connective tissues" "Pink is the best" with "no blood...not dark in
color." "Judge freshness by color. You see the color you can tell, should be pink with no
fat". "Pink and little bit of fat. "I know the feel". "Condition of the fiber" "And not
such deep creases. If you see fibers, clue that it is going to be older."
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It was more often the case with goat that participants purchased the whole carcass "30 to
40 lbs because [it's] hard to get hold of so we buy in bulk". Some indicated this was
primarily because of the difficulty in getting goat "often if you go everything is gone at
halal stores." A typical pattern was to buy "20 to 40 lbs and put in freezer." Some
would prefer to buy just a leg or shoulder but availability drives the purchase of the
whole.
Participants universally agreed they were looking for a "Young goat, not more than 2
years old.,,, if older the taste will be different" "Fresh, less than 50 lbs whole carcass,
young. Look for no fat." "25 lbs. Cook better young goat." "After cleaning less than 40
lbs". The primary reason for wanting a young goat was because they were tenderer.
"Tender meat is important as part of treating a guest right making sure he is pleased with
what you offer him. "Tender and less fat" One participant commented they "Prefer male
to a female goat because they taste different."
At the same time, almost all participants who purchased goat indicated they wanted it
lean although they did not regard this as a problem because unlike lamb, goat "is almost
always lean". Participants also agreed that they would prefer their goat fresh rather than
frozen. They do ask when it was slaughtered. To some the fresh vs. frozen question is
more about how recently it was slaughtered. In one group, several participants
mentioned they are bothered by the goat they get here "because it smells". As a
consequence some no longer buy goat. Others noted that the smaller goats don't smell.
Several participants noted that "Lamb is easier to find locally"... "Lamb is more freely
available. You have to ask them specifically for goat and special order." In some focus
groups, participants reported difficulty in getting goats in winter.
Participants also noted they were more likely to purchase goat for the Day of Sacrifice.
Again this split, however, was along ethnic lines with more Arabs preferring a lamb.
Beef: Again participants emphasized the importance of lean meat. "I always tell them to
cut all the fat off." (nods around the table) Others will do it themselves. They did note
that different dishes require different meat cuts but definitely prefer lean and pink color.
"No fat at all prefer extra lean." "We don't need fat because you have to have oil to fry."
"We don't like fat on our meat." "All Arabs have cholesterol so they have to cut the fat."
"We'll add in vegetable oil but we [do] not want the animal fat. "I go to Dayton so I can
get veal and it is real light pink in color.. I go because it is economical...color is
important..to have the light pink, younger animal and tender."
Some participants commented on the difference between zabiha beef and non-zabiha
beef: "I notice the difference between beef at Kroger or Halal Store in taste. [Halal is]
Lighter in taste. There is a smell to the meat at Kroger...I don't know whether it is the
method of slaughtering. I think it is also true for chicken".
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In the context of beef immediately concerns came up about regular retail meat outlets not
being sufficiently careful in separation of pork and other meats on their processing and
cutting areas.
Chicken
Participants in several of the groups commented on the how huge the chickens in regular
grocery stores looked. They noted they definitely preferred a smaller chicken (under 3
pounds) "Want 2 lbs or less". "Well I don't know if it's just me but I really couldn't buy
the chicken in Kroger's or Meijers..it's just big."
They believed that a smaller chicken would be tenderer and have less fat. "The big ones
look like baby turkey......you get them and go, oh my god, is this a chicken or a turkey"
"Sometimes chicken is just awful." "You can tell from the smell." "Small chicken is
tender and breast meat is tougher in big chicken" "The bigger ones always have a ton of
fat and we wind up removing it." "You mean the smell, that's what bothers me" "They
look so huge. They look like turkeys... they don't have the same taste. They have a lot of
fat." "It's not the same taste."
Participants buy both the whole chicken and individual cuts. There was a split between
the Arab and IndoPakistani populations with respect to skin preference. More Arabs in
the groups noted dishes where they leave the skin on whereas IndoPakistanis were far
more likely to want the skin off and all the fat trimmed off.
Are you willing to pay more for Fresh relative to Frozen Meat?
Participants in general preferred fresh relative to frozen meat because it enabled them to
judge how recently it had been slaughtered "If I could go to Kroger and get fresh Halal
goat meat. I would go shopping every day. I have to go only every 2 weeks."
They noted they would often be taking the meat home to freeze it themselves because of
the infrequency of their trips to the Halal market. "Right now can't do spur of the
moment." This is a particular dilemma for people who live farther from Halal meat
stores. They might run out when they want to prepare Halal meat for guests. "I always
prepare Halal meat when we have company because you don't know who can eat what."
[Note implication that might not happen in just cooking for family.]
Most participants noted they will ask their Halal market person how fresh the animal is.
Several participants noted they call the market on a regular basis to see when the meat
shipments are coming in. Several also noted they order from the Halal meat market in
advance and pick up on the day the meat comes in.
While participants clearly preferred fresh to frozen, they were also very price conscious.
It was clear that many of the women would have difficulty initially choosing something
that was frozen because of their desire to gauge qualities of the meat from smell, color
and touch.
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When you shop for Halal Meat do you prefer: A whole Carcass or specific cuts?
As noted in the prior discussion on goat, most consumers are buying the whole goat
carcass because of the problems of limited availability. There were some participants
(with smaller families) who would have liked the option of getting just a leg or a
shoulder. At the same time there were participants who felt they would want the whole
carcass anyway because "there is not much meat there".
With respect to lamb, there was again a desire to be able to choose the cuts. Several
participants indicated it would be nice to just have a leg or a shoulder, or just the makings
for stew.
Are any by-products from the processed Halal Meat important to you? Probe for Head,
Heart, Kidneys, Lungs, Stomach, Intestines
With respect to goat, almost every part of the goat was mentioned by a subset of
participants. These included the neck, the liver, the brain, the kidneys, the tongue, the
heart and the lungs. "tongue is most commonly used then heart then liver" "Liver,
tongue, heart, kidney" "Once in 4 months...special occasion type of thing." "Would like
lungs from goat but can't get" "I've seen it all cooked" There was also a discussion about
wanting not the hoof but the lower leg in one focus group. In another, one participant
wanted both the hooves of goats and cows, but she wanted them cut properly with the
skin and all hair taken off and well cleaned.
Again with lamb, almost every portion was mentioned by a few participants in each
group. These included the head, the feet, the brain, the tongue, the liver and the kidneys.
Some make a soup off leg ligaments. Others mentioned the shin bone and the ankles. In
each case it was only a subset of those who eat lamb who wanted the byproducts. Some
do and some don't.
With respect to beef, participants wanted many of the traditional cuts although some
noted a preference for more stew pieces that could be cut into smaller pieces to go in
other dishes.
In the context of byproducts, there are concerns raised about substitutes for gelatin. In
the US they mostly use gelatin from pig source. This is a concern for capsules that
contain medicine also have this.
Final Topic on Envisioning Preference for Meat Purchases
We have talked a great deal about how you currently think about and conduct your meat
purchases. For a minute, I would like you to imagine how you would really like to do it?
If you had your preference, how would you get the meat you want?
There was always a spirited discussion when this question got asked. Many participants
had noted at prior points in the discussion their preference for greater convenience. They
Halal Meat Focus Groups
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associate greater convenience with going to the local super market. "Go to the grocery
store and get everything including the halal meat." "Fresh, available at every grocery
store so we could do one stop shopping."
These sentiments were tied to the inconvenience of their current approach which involves
single purpose trips to the Halal market with meat purchases determined for the next 2 to
4 week time frame. Invited to dream, one participant noted: "Delivered by someone and
delivered to my door and fresh the way I want it." Some participants still would want to
go and look at what they were buying..
Participants were intent on ways they could make the local supermarket approach
happen. One pointed out that you could create demand for goat and lamb by supplying
zabiha goat and lamb for everybody. Non-Moslems would not care that it was zabiha and
yet you could satisfy Moslems.
Thinking about our discussion, do you have any final comments that would be helpful to
meat producers that want to provide meat to Moslem consumers?
Each focus group responded in a unique fashion to this question. Their answers often
touched on points made in the previous discussion.
In one Cincinnati focus group, they discussed how one would need a separate Halal
section in the local supermarket because of concerns about pork corruption of trays/saws,
knives, chopping blocks, wrapping paper, sinks, etc. "better to have a complete separate
section for halal". Others noted they will often will buy a roast and ask them to grind it so
they know that no pork has been added. Again concerns were expressed about ground
beef being adulterated with other scraps of meat. "There are reports/studies that have
been done suggesting that at least 1/3 of the meat is pork." Several referred specifically to
a "Sixty Minutes" television piece they had seen. They noted that a grocery store close to
the Islamic Center would work because everyone would stop by on their way out of the
Islamic Center.
In several groups there was a discussion about whether there was an excess demand for
goat and lamb that was not currently satisfied. There was general agreement that the
problem was more severe for goat than for lamb. In part, they felt that the price of goat
was often prohibitive.
In several of the groups, there also was a discussion at this point about steroids, growth
hormones, and the use of animal byproducts in feeding animals. Many participants
struggled with the fact that even zabiha meat might be prohibited because the animals had
been fed animals before being slaughtered in the appropriate fashion. "The animal
should be grass fed." Several participants indicated they would pay more for organic
meat because of concerns on being fed animal parts. "Animals being fed meat is against
our faith. And it is concern in the halal meat outlets because they get it from same
farmers."
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