Taste
The main reason people eat meat is because they enjoy it (Harrington, 1995). It may however be an acquired or habit-based enjoyment as other people live quite comfortably without it. The taste of meat helps to reinforce that enjoyment and this is one of the main reasons why would-be vegetarians resist becoming vegetarian (Table 11).
The vegetarians' attitude to meat is not totally negative. Some have a nostalgia and a craving for particular meats and especially for the taste and smell of bacon. Others find most cooked meats repulsive to the extent of causing nausea, and even some meat eaters are not particularly fond of its taste. For example, in a survey of Australian teenagers, 56% of all the females and 37% of all the males agreed that they did not like the taste of meat (Worsley and Skrzypiec, 1996a). Some people find preparing and cooking meat particularly repulsive. The stickiness of raw meat and the elasticity of meat when it is chewed can be objectionable. According to another survey, enjoyment of vegetarian foods was a more important reason for women becoming vegetarian than a dislike of meat (Neale et al, 1993). In summary, different people have different attitudes and it is difficult to generalise on the role of taste in making people like or dislike meat.
Table 11 Reasons given by students for not becoming vegetarian
| Females % | Males % | |
| Liked meat too much | 23 | 23 |
| Vegetarianism considered to be unhealthy | 19 | 23 |
| Pressured by others to eat meat (eg by peers, parents, meat-eating household) | 20 | 16 |
| Did not like alternative vegetarian foods | 9 | 18 |
| Killing for meat is "OK" | 1 | 4 |
(Worsley and Skrzypiec, 1996a)
Contact for Enquiries
Rural Affairs Coordinator
Sector Performance Policy
MAF Policy
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0675
Fax: +64 4 4 894 0745
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