Meat consumption falls by 17% in a decade

Brits have cut their consumption of meat by 17% in the last decade, with the biggest falls seen in the amount of red and processed meats eaten.

A study carried out by University of Oxford researchers and published in the Lancet Planetary Health journal showed that between 2008 and 2019 meat consumption dropped by about 17g per person, per day across the country.

Results, drawn from data collected from more than 15,000 people showed red meat consumption fell by 13.7g, per person, per day while processed meat fell by 7g per person, per day. This was offset by an increase in the consumption of white meat by 3.2g.

The reduction seen in the previous decade would not be enough to meet a target set in the National Food Strategy to reduce meat consumption by 30% in the next decade.

Lead researcher Dr Cristina Stewart from the University of Oxford said meat-free dishes would generally have a lower environmental impact, adding that a 30% reduction would amount to just two meat-free days a week.