The Study
Meat, money and messaging: How the environmental and health harms of red and processed meat consumption are framed by the meat industry.
This study looked at websites and reports from 6 big meat industry groups in the UK to see how they talk about health and climate issues. It found 4 main ways they downplay risks and encourage people to keep eating meat. It tells us what messages they use, but not whether those messages actually change what people think or do.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
Meat companies in the UK say eating meat is fine, even healthy, and not bad for the planet. They say science hasn’t proven meat is dangerous and that most people eat a safe amount.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 520 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1These messages may make people feel okay about eating meat, even when science says less is better for health and the planet.
- 26 meat industry groups said people don’t need to eat less meat.
- 3They said meat has important nutrients and farming in the UK is eco-friendly.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Food policy
Year
2022
Authors
Kathryn Clare, N. Maani, J. Milner
Related Content
Videos (1)
Claims (5)
The UK meat industry says most people don’t need to eat less red or processed meat because, on average, we’re already within safe limits — only heavy eaters are at risk, so big changes for everyone aren’t needed.
The UK meat industry says the science on red and processed meat causing cancer isn't clear, to make people worry less and stop strict rules on eating meat.
The UK meat industry says you need red and processed meat to stay healthy because it has important nutrients, and warns that eating less meat could leave women and kids missing key vitamins and minerals.
The UK meat industry says we don’t need to eat less meat to help the planet—instead, they believe better farming practices and natural carbon storage in grasslands are enough to fight climate change.
The UK meat industry uses the same PR tricks as big tobacco and oil companies—like saying the science isn't clear or that it's your choice—to avoid government rules that might hurt their profits.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.