Irish shoppers are cutting down on meat purchases and relying more on shopping lists in response to inflation in the cost of food, research prepared for Bord Bia shows.

A survey conducted by the Irish food board shows sales of red meat and seafood have slowed, with shoppers buying 15% more chicken to compensate, as it is viewed as being more versatile and better value for money.

The number of treats being purchased by households fell 19%, and a majority of respondents said they are eating out at restaurants and cafés less.

The survey of 10,000 people was conducted in Ireland, the UK, the US, Germany and France, with just under half of Irish respondents answering that they are also buying less takeaway for consumption at home.

Some 54% of people in Ireland now consider making a shopping list, and sticking to it has become more important in recent months. Internationally, however, just over 40% of shoppers considered using shopping lists.

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A majority of Irish shoppers now go to multiple outlets to shop, and many are also switching to own-brand labels for better value. More people are also preparing food from scratch at home, and opting for foods with a longer shelf life.

As a result, purchases of frozen foods have increased and, similarly, 56% of Irish consumers said minimising food waste has become more important in recent months.

Figures from Kantar showed consumers spent €1.3bn on groceries in the 12 weeks to Christmas day as inflation of 15.4% boosted the value of sales to a record high.

Bord Bia reported on Wednesday that Irish exports of food, drink and horticulture products hit €16.7bn last year, an increase of 30% or €13bn on pre-pandemic levels driven by higher prices as well as improved volume of sales.

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