The paper discusses the concept of quality and the factors that it consist of. It takes into account the role of the consumer in the formation of the product quality. It presents the basic quality assurance systems used in food production. Purchasing decision-making process and its implications have been presented. The situation on the market of meat and cured meat in Poland and the legal requirements for the production of food of animal origin have been described. It presents the results of their survey, comparing them with the available data.