While for twenty years, our meat consumption had fallen, it has increased slightly since 2013. Each French person swallowed an average of 85 kilos each in 2021. Although it is a source of protein, iron and vitamins, meat takes up too much space in our diet, says the National Health Security Agency (Anses).
“Meat consumption in France is still too high,” said Perrine Nadaud, nutritionist at the National Food Security Agency (Anses), interviewed by Le Progrès. In 2021, each French person ate an average of 31.5 kg of pork, 28.6 kg of poultry and 22.1 kg of beef. In total, we swallow more than 85 kg of meat per year, barely 5 kg less than Americans, Australians or Argentines. Consumption which, after having fallen from 1990 to 2013, has since started to rise again, indicates Agreste, the statistics service of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Health risks
If the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) emphasizes the “recognized health benefits”, it nevertheless declares red meat and processed meat “as probably carcinogenic”. This is why certain doses should not be exceeded, says ANSES. This recommends a volume of 500 grams of meat excluding poultry, that is to say red meat, per week. “For processed meat, we can speak of a risk if we consume more than 150 g per week” even warns Perrine Nadaud.
The latter also advises to limit the consumption of meat cooked at high temperature such as barbecue or frying and “to remove the fat from the meat before this type of cooking”… The issue is also environmental, since breeding is responsible for 16% of greenhouse gas emissions. The ideal compromise, for all those who do not wish to become vegetarians, is therefore to favor the quality of the meat over its quantity.