Alliance hits back at calls for cigarette-style warnings on meat packaging

The Countryside Alliance has responded to calls for placing cigarette-style warnings on meat packaging in the hopes of reaching net zero targets.

Researchers at Durham University created labels with messages such as “WARNING: Eating meat contributes to climate change” alongside dramatic images of deforested areas. Their study found that placing such cautionary labels on canteen dishes discouraged people from choosing meals containing meat, reducing their selection by seven to ten percent.

Dr Milica Vasiljevic, an associate professor in quantitative social psychology at the university, said:

“We already know that eating a lot of meat, especially red and processed meat, is bad for your health and that it contributes to deaths from pollution and climate change.

“Adding warning labels to meat products could be one way to reduce these risks to health and the environment.”

In a statement to the media, Mo Metcalf-Fisher, Director of External Affairs at the Countryside Alliance said:

“There is no justification for demonising a dietary preference enjoyed by the vast bulk of the British public; those wanting to push plant-based alternatives should do so via the free market, not bureaucrats.”

He added, “The only case for labelling is for promoting meat produced by British farmers, which is internationally renowned for having the highest levels of quality and sustainability. Greenhouse gas emissions from UK beef are around half the global average. Our farmers help combat climate change - not contribute to it - through regenerative farming techniques and the production of renewable energy”.

The article was covered in The Sun and Daily Express.