AHDB’s ‘Let’s Eat Balanced’ campaign attacked by green groups

A coalition of leading environmentalists, health experts, and animal protection groups is urging the UK government to halt a multimillion-pound campaign promoting meat and dairy.

The “Let’s Eat Balanced” campaign, run by the AHDB, has been criticised for allegedly contradicting official health guidelines and environmental goals – something that the levy board strongly refutes.

More than 40 organisations, including Greenpeace, Plant-Based Health Professionals, and NHS consultant Dr Shireen Kassam, have signed an open letter calling for the end of the campaign.

See also: Scottish meat campaign returns with health-focused drive

The consumer campaign aims to highlight the taste and nutritional benefits of British beef, lamb, and dairy, while showcasing British farming.

Dr Kassam said: “Neither red meat nor dairy provide essential nutrients.

“It is abundantly clear from decades of research that getting protein from plant sources is better for health, resulting in a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and dementia.”

In response, AHDB’s market development and communications director, Will Jackson, said: “AHDB takes a science-based approach to providing accurate, transparent information on the nutritional and environmental benefits of red meat and dairy.

“Let’s Eat Balanced promotes a healthy, balanced diet, and shows how lean, unprocessed British meat and dairy can be healthy choices within a diet.

“We are very concerned that Dr Shireen Kassam, an NHS consultant, claims that ‘neither red meat nor dairy provide essential nutrients’, when all evidence proves otherwise.”

An extract of the open letter details: “The Let’s Eat Balanced campaign flies in the face of the government’s own public health and sustainability goals and demonstrates that the AHDB is not currently fit for purpose.”

Recommendation

The Climate Change Committee, the government’s advisory body on net zero, has recommended a 20% reduction in meat and dairy consumption by 2030, criticising the AHDB campaign for undermining these objectives.

New research reveals that 70% of the UK population is unaware of official recommendations to limit red and processed meat consumption to 70g a day, as outlined in the Eatwell Guide.

Only 29% of those surveyed could identify this limit, with just 35% correctly recognising the 70g guideline.

Environmentalist Dale Vince, who has signed the letter, said: “This new research shows clearly that most people don’t understand the dangers of eating meat.

“So, it seems pretty crazy for a government-sponsored body to be promoting meat and dairy when actually the country needs to be informed of the risks and encouraged to eat plant-based foods instead.”

TV presenter Chris Packham, also in support of the open letter, said: “The AHDB has become little more than an advertising company for the meat and dairy industry… the government should be supporting farmers who grow nutritious pulses, fruits, and veg.”