PERCEPÇÃO DOS CONSUMIDORES DE PROTEÍNA ANIMAL SOBRE O BEM-ESTAR DOS ANIMAIS DE PRODUÇÃO NO MUNICIPIO DE PARAUAPEBAS, PARÁ, BRASIL

The objective was to assess the level of knowledge of consumers of products of animal origin regarding the welfare of farm animals, in the city of Parauapebas-Para, Brazil. Questionnaires containing ten questions related to the theme of animal welfare were applied, totaling 342 respondents, chosen at random, considering four questions of a socioeconomic nature, whose respondents were organized into six educational levels and five levels of family income. The research was carried out in fairs, butchers, mini markets and two large supermarket chains in the city of Parauapebas, in different neighborhoods, to reach audiences with different levels of income and who were, preferably, consuming or purchasing products of animal origin. The collected data were analyzed by a non-parametric test of significance at 5%. It was noticed that consumers with better education and higher income are willing to pay for a product of better quality and durability and believe that with the advance of knowledge in relation to well-being, certified products have become more accessible less favored consumers.