New research conducted by Bord Bia and Kantar has shown a strong preference for grass-fed beef from consumers in China.

The research was presented by Bord Bia's insight and planning specialist for the Asian market, Evelyn Chiang, to a group of Irish and Chinese delegates as part of the Irish trade mission to China in Shanghai today (Wednesday, May 17).

According to Bord Bia, the research was conducted to inform Irish beef exporters how the Chinese market has evolved in the past two-and-a-half years.

The survey was conducted on Chinese consumers who had purchased beef at retail outlets in the past month. It found that 60% of the people surveyed had a preference for grass-fed beef, while only 6% had a preference for grain-fed beef.

While this was the case, the survey findings also noted that the understanding of grain-fed and grass-fed beef is low for many consumers and there is a perception that all cattle (globally) are fed on grass.

The perception of Irish beef among consumers in China is mainly linked to its positive taste and quality attributes.

Cities in China are divided into four categories known as 'Tiers'. Tier 1 cities have a population greater than 15 million people, while Tier 2 cities have a population of between three and 15 million people.

The research was conducted on residents in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities and identified that Chinese beef consumers have a preference for buying domestic product.

The survey found that only 17% of the respondents said they usually buy Brazilian beef - despite Brazil being the largest beef exporter to the country.

New Zealand and Australia ranked higher than Brazil in popularity, with 43% and 39%, respectively, of the people surveyed saying they usually buy beef from these countries.

Over one in three beef consumers in China that are living in Tier 1 cities expect to buy more beef in the near future at both retail and foodservice outlets.

As well as these outlets, the restaurant sector in China is another lucrative channel for beef products, with over a quarter of Chinese beef consumers surveyed saying they dine out three times or more every week.

Chinese, hotpot, and western cuisines are most often chosen when dining out and premium beef cuts are preferred when dining at western, BBQ, Korean, and Japanese restaurants, but flank and thinly sliced beef is more popular when dining at Chinese and hotpot restaurants.