Nearly all Iowa households eat meat, and their meat purchase decisions are driven primarily by freshness, price and taste more than how or where the meat or poultry was raised, according to the latest Iowa Farm Bureau Food & Farm Index®, which was released this week.

The scientific survey, conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF), shows that a whopping 99 percent of Iowa grocery shoppers’ households eat meat.

Key purchase drivers

The survey showed that Iowa grocery shoppers ranked freshness and price as the top factors driving their meat and poultry purchases. Both were rated at 24 percent. Taste was also a key deciding factor at 22 percent.

“Iowans have several options for protein in their diets today,...