Consumers' concerns about food attributes related to health, safety and nutrition were ascertained by way of a mailed survey in the metropolitan area of St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1993. An ordered probit analysis was conducted to determine how these concerns correlated with eating habits - specifically increasing, decreasing or making no change in the consumption of various types of meats. Those who had decreased their beef consumption were concerned about their intake of sodium, fat and cholesterol. They also preferred a variety of foods and tended to be older and better educated. Taste, appearance and guaranteed safety ranked high on a list of food attributes consumers preferred.