A new advertising campaign promoting the consumption of red meat will be launched by the government-sponsored Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) on 27 August
Nutritional recommendations are for us to eat less red and processed meat, with the Eatwell Guide recommending limiting red meat to 70g per day, and processed meat to a maximum of twice weekly. As both have been linked to the development of cancer by the World Health Organisation, The Vegan Society has condemned the new campaign from the AHDB as irresponsible propaganda.
The British Dietetic Association and the NHS are clear that meat and dairy are not an essential part of our diets, as all the nutrients we need, including Vitamin B12 and protein – nutrients highlighted by AHDB’s campaign –, can be obtained from well-planned plant-based diets at every stage of life.
Recent studies have confirmed that replacing animal proteins (including meat, dairy and eggs) with plant-based proteins such as nuts and beans increases the chances of aging healthily and reduces the risk of developing several chronic diseases. Research this year by The Vegan Society and The Office of Health Economics even shows that the NHS could save millions from plant-based diets; every million people taking up plant-based diets would result in a saving of £121 million per year from a reduction in cancer, heart disease and obesity, among other conditions.
Criticising the release of the campaign, Claire Ogley, Head of Campaigns, Policy and Research at The Vegan Society, said:
“Other governments are already taking advantage of the opportunities afforded by a transition to plant-based eating and the adverts released by the AHDB make the UK look increasingly behind the times. In the last few months, Germany, Austria and Norway have begun to recommend eating less meat and more plant foods in their dietary guidelines.
Medical professionals including The Doctors Association UK and Plant-Based Health Professionals, backed by the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, have already condemned the campaign. We join them in calling for the government to begin promoting sustainable, healthy plant-based diets and put a stop to outdated marketing campaigns that push yesterday’s food onto today’s generation.”
For more information on the nutritional benefits of a vegan diet, visit The Vegan Society’s nutrition pages: The Vegan Society | Nutrition and Health
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Plant-Based Health Professionals UK is a community interest company whose mission is to provide education and advocacy on whole food plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine for the prevention and treatment of chronic disease, as well as for supporting planetary health.