Sausage Reigns Supreme in New Poll

Majority Say They Most Often Eat Sausage at Breakfast

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Americans and sausage remain inherently "linked" according to a new poll commissioned by the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council and conducted online by Harris Interactive from August 16 – 18, 2011 among 2,112 U.S. adults on the eve of National Sausage Month in October.

More than four in five U.S. adults (82 percent) eat sausage, according to the poll. This includes 87 percent of men and 77 percent of women.

"Sausages have been around for more than 20 centuries, which is a testament to both their popularity and their staying power," said National Hot Dog and Sausage Council President Janet Riley.  "New flavors and products and many great tasting old standards have both enjoyed steady category growth.  To put it another way, sausages are 'smoking' hot and they are going to stay that way."

Meal Preference

When asked at which meal they most often eat sausage, the majority of adults (54 percent) said they most often eat sausage at breakfast, compared to 26 percent at dinner and 4 percent at lunch. More women than men, 30 percent to 21 percent, respectively, said they most often eat sausage at dinner.  Those in the Northeast (35 percent) are significantly more likely to eat sausage at dinner compared to those in the South (22 percent) or West (20 percent).

Favorite Sausage

While there is no debating the overall popularity of sausage across America, there is some dispute regarding which sausage offers the most bang for the bite, with individual and regional preferences differing wildly.

Of those who eat sausage, 27 percent said breakfast sausage is their favorite. One quarter (25 percent) prefer Italian sausage; 18 percent bratwurst; 14 percent kielbasa; 7 percent chorizo; 3 percent andouille; and 5 percent said other.

About two out of five (41 percent) Northeasterners, more than any other region in the country, chose Italian sausage as their favorite type of sausage to eat, while 32 percent of Southerners chose breakfast sausage. Bratwurst was most popular in the Midwest, with 29 percent choosing it as their favorite to eat. Chorizo was most popular in the West, with 13 percent selecting it as their favorite.

Breakfast sausage was the only type of sausage that more U.S. women preferred than men (30 percent to 24 percent, respectively). Men are more likely to prefer bratwurst when compared to women (21 percent to 15 percent, respectively).

Links Versus Patties

Like chocolate or vanilla, ketchup or mustard, links or patties is all about personal preference. But which do most Americans prefer?

The NHDSC poll found that more than half of Americans who eat sausage (54 percent) prefer sausage links compared to sausage patties (25 percent), while 21 percent have no preference. Almost 2 out of 3 Northeasterners (64 percent) prefer sausage links over patties, more than any other region in the country. Of those who chose patties as their favorite, one in three (33 percent) are in the Midwest.

New Recipes that Cost $15 or less to Prepare

To inspire  National Sausage Month celebrations while recognizing tight economic times, the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council has developed five new recipes incorporating various types of sausages that are all designed to feed a family of four for under $15: Spicy Chorizo Skillet Dinner; Southwestern Sausage Salad; Smoked Sausage Mac and Cheese; Deep Dish Sausage Pizza; and Sausage Stuffed Zucchini.   High resolution photos of the recipes are available upon request.  

"Whether your taste buds prefer  links or patties, breakfast or bratwurst, Italian or andouille, smokies or salami, there is no better time than National Sausage Month to reacquaint yourself with your favorite sausages and to familiarize yourself with a few new ones," said Riley. "We at the Council encourage everyone to grab a napkin and dig in!"

New Infographic

Also available on www.hot-dog.org is a new infographic featuring sausage history, facts and data.  

Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of American Meat Institute from August 16 - 18, 2011 among 2112 adults ages 18 and older, of whom, 1,733 eat sausage. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

SOURCE National Hot Dog & Sausage Council