Germans eating more chicken wings - Brief Article - Industry Overview - Statistical Data Included

Eurofood, July 19, 2001

German consumers are eating more poultry and in particular more ready-prepared chicken products such as chicken wings.

In the first quarter of 2001, German consumers bought 23% more ready-to-eat or half-prepared chicken products than the same period in 2000, according to figures issued by Maple Leaf Rassau.

In 1997, the average German ate a total 0.7kg of convenience poultry items. This figure has doubled over the past four years, estimate Maple Leaf. "The potential for products such as marinated chicken wings is high. Canadians, for example, bought last year an average 2.5kg of chicken wings last year, versus less than 100g in Germany," said Scott Sartisson, managing director of Maple Leaf Rassau.

After the UK, Germany is the second biggest consumer of ready-to-eat poultry products in Western Europe.

The growing popularity of poultry and in particular of convenience poultry foods has been attributed less to food crises such as BSE and food-and-mouth disease but more to social changes.

The rise in single person households, the growing reluctance to spend time cooking and the increase in demand for foods that are easy to prepare but also healthy, new, exotic and tasty are all propelling the trend.

The trend is also expected to last, says Scott Sartisson. In 2000, poultry made up 17% of total meat consumption and this figure is still climbing.