If consumers with a high intake of red meat and processed red meat – such as beef, ham and sausages – reduced their consumption to the recommended 70g or less per day, this would achieve a 16 per cent reduction in all meat consumption across the country.
If those consumers reduced their intake further, to 60g or less per day, Scotland would meet the Climate Change Committee’s recommended target of a 20 per cent shift away from all meat by 2030.
Supporting a greater proportion of the population to adopt dietary recommendations is an important step to help address climate change, experts say.
Climate change
Meat and dairy production contribute significantly to the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
The UK’s Climate Change Committee recommends that the Scottish Government takes action to encourage a 20 per cent reduction in consumption of all meat by 2030, rising to 35 per cent by 2050, and a 20 per cent shift away from dairy products by 2030.
Nutritional impact
University of Edinburgh researchers, in collaboration with Food Standards Scotland (FSS), modelled the impact of reductions in meat and dairy consumption on the nation’s micronutrient intake, as well as incidence of type 2 diabetes and other diseases.
The study used data on dietary intakes collected in more than 3400 adults as part of the Scottish Health Survey in 2021.
If meat and dairy removed from diets is not replaced with nutrient-rich foods – such as oily fish, beans or vegetables – it could increase the percentage of the population below dietary requirements for essential nutrients, such as calcium, iodine and zinc, by up to nine percentage points.
Meat and dairy reductions were not associated with any concerns over intakes of protein as a result, the research showed.
Diet improvements
A blanket approach to reduce meat and dairy consumption cannot be recommended without broader improvements in diet among the Scottish population, experts say.