90% of European Health Experts Say Meat Consumption Is Too High

New research suggests that 90 percent of European doctors and dietitians believe meat consumption across the continent is too high.

The study, commissioned by the international climate advocacy organization Madre Brava, polled 600 healthcare professionals in Italy, Germany, France, Spain, and the UK.

On average, Europeans consume around 66 kilograms of meat per year, though habits vary by country. Earlier this year, for example, one survey found that people in Spain eat meat roughly four times a week. In 2021, a separate survey conducted by Quorn revealed that one in five Brits eats meat at every single meal.

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In every country included in the new research, experts agreed that red and processed meat intake, in particular, must come down for the sake of public health. These types of meat have been linked to higher risks of chronic conditions such as heart disease, colon cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

The Madre Brava study also found that around 95 percent of experts support adding health warnings to red and processed meat packaging. Nearly 90 percent agreed that public institutions like schools and hospitals should serve fewer meat-based meals, and 82 percent said governments should do more to promote plant-based lifestyles.

“Healthcare professionals across Europe are clearly gravely concerned that people are eating too much meat,” Madre Brava CEO Vicky Bond said in a statement. “This overconsumption means people are getting sick from preventable diseases like heart disease and cancer, and struggling unnecessarily with poor health.”

By contrast, plant-based whole foods are associated with lower risks of chronic disease, thanks to their abundance of vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and other protective compounds.

Reducing meat consumption in the US

While the research focused on Europe, similar calls for reducing meat consumption are growing in the US. In Massachusetts, a new bill dubbed the “Bean New Deal” would require state-run dining halls, cafeterias, and canteens to offer at least one healthy plant-based protein option at every meal. In New York City, the Health Department recently announced new food standards that will remove processed meats from all city agency menus by 2026.

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“We need action, both from the supermarkets shaping our food systems, and from governments, to rebalance our diets,” adds Bond. “This includes adding more plant proteins to the mix. It is not about cutting out meat entirely, but health professionals are seeing how essential it is for us to eat much less meat and have more plant-rich diets for the sake of our health.”