Farmers criticize scientists for suggesting that the meat industry follows the same PR manual as big tobacco –

Farmers today criticize “reckless” scientists for claiming that the meat industry follows the same PR model as mainstream tobacco in order to minimize harm to health and the environment.

The feud began when scholars from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine published an article comparing the industry’s tactics to “other harmful products”, including alcohol and fossil fuels.

They claimed that eating meat was a “threat to both human health and the health of the planet.”

The researchers also said that “the meat industry may use different constructs that contradict this narrative.”

But the National Farmers’ Association, which represents 47,000 farmers in England and Wales, called comparisons with other industries “unfair”.

They were one of six industry players that the researchers encouraged to do “broader research.”

Studies have linked red meat to a variety of cancers, including colon and colon cancer, due to chemicals released during digestion and preservatives used during shipping.

But while it also provides a good source of protein, iron, and vitamin B12, other research suggests that red meat may improve blood pressure and prevent other health problems.

Livestock is responsible for about 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the world. But Welsh meat farmers said UK farming standards had far less impact on the climate than in other countries.

The National Farmers Association, which represents more than 47,000 farmers in England and Wales, called the allegations “baseless”. Pictured: Tom Bradshaw, vice president of the National Farmers Association

The study in the Journal of Food Policy looked at 26 website documents and other public health messages written by six representative bodies of the meat industry.

The organizations were: NFU, Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board, British Meat Processors Association, Country Land and Business Association, Craft Butchers and Lifetime Pasture.

The analysis identified four general themes in health and environmental messages, which the article argued were false.

First, the health and environmental impact of meat is “still open to debate”.

The meat industry has no scientific consensus on the matter, and the meat contradicts what comes from questionable sources, the researchers said.

Second, the researchers said the documents suggest that “most people don’t need to worry” about the effects of meat on their health.

Most of the meats recommended in moderation are safe and pose little danger to a person’s health, the researchers said.

Third, according to experts, many documents claim that eating meat is actually healthy.

Fourth, meat producers’ health reports say, “You don’t have to cut to be green.”

They said that many of the newspapers claimed that animal husbandry is done in places where non-meat farming is difficult and therefore the land is used more efficiently.

These four themes are not supported by larger research and represent meat producers’ distraction tactics against the growing evidence, the researchers said.

Lead author Dr Kathryn Clare said: “There is growing evidence that current red and processed meat consumption trends pose a threat to both human health and the health of the planet, and this is increasingly recognized in the UK political arena.

“Our results suggest that the meat industry uses different frameworks that contradict this narrative.”

The scope is in line with a “minimised playbook” used by the alcohol, tobacco and fossil fuel industries to distract attention from the dangers of their products, the researchers said.

Co-author Dr James Milner added: “These findings should serve as a call to action for further industry scrutiny as addressing people’s meat hunger will be key to efforts to prevent climate degradation and improve public health. develop”.

But outraged farmers have reacted to the allegations, arguing that comparisons to these industries are unfair.

Tom Bradshaw, vice president of the NFU, said the scientific consensus in the meat industry is “more detailed, complex and complete” than in other industries.

He told MailOnline: “This work makes a number of mistakes, particularly by blurring and confusing British and global production standards.

‘How and where a product is produced is crucial to understanding its sustainability.

By then, the Climate Change Committee had stressed that emissions from UK beef production were less than half the global average and recognized the benefits of sustainable farming systems.

“In the UK, where there is very strong scientific consensus about their harm to human health and the environment, comparing livestock to products such as tobacco and fossil fuels is reckless and irrelevant for this study.”

Mr. Bradshaw added: “It also overlooks the naturally occurring nutritional benefits that red meat provides, such as vitamin B12 and iron.

“The issues related to nutrition and food production are much more nuanced, more complex, and there is a lot of discussion among scientists.”

A spokesperson for Hybu Cig Cymru (Meat Promotion Wales), which was not involved in the investigation, told The Telegraph: “There is no point in comparing meat, which has been an essential part of the human diet for millions of years, to harmful products with no nutritional value, such as tobacco.

“It is widely accepted that meat in moderation can be a healthy part of a balanced diet, and independent scientific research has shown that beef and lamb raised on low-density farms on these islands have a much lower carbon footprint than some nasty environmental practices in other parts of the world.

HOW SHOULD A BALANCED NUTRITION BE?

According to the NHS, meals should be potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains.

• Eat at least 5 servings of different fruits and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruits and vegetables count

• Basic meals based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, preferably wholemeal

• 30 grams of fiber per day: Equivalent to eating all of the following: 5 servings of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole-grain biscuits, 2 thick slices of wholemeal bread, and a large baked potato in the crust

• Have some alternatives to milk or dairy products (such as soy drinks) and choose low-fat, low-sugar options

• Eat beans, legumes, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 servings of fish per week, one of which is fat)

• Choose unsaturated fats and spreads and consume sparingly.

• Drink 6-8 glasses / glass of water a day

• Adults should have less than 6 g of salt per day and less than 20 g of saturated fat for women and less than 30 g for men.

Source: Eatwell NHS Guide