Austrians eat meat in an excess: Meat exHAUSTION Day near!

Austrians eat meat in an excess: Meat exHAUSTION Day near!

Österreich, Land - Austria reached its “Meat Ex House Day”, a critical point on which the recommended annual amount of meat is consumed on April 10, 2025. According to the EAT-Lancet Commission, the maximum annual meat consumption per person should not exceed 15.7 kilograms. According to current figures, meat consumption in Austria in 2023 is 57.6 kilograms per capita, which corresponds to more than triple the recommended amount. Every day, the Austrians eat more than 1.1 kilograms of meat, which means that meat consumption in Austria is almost twice as high as the global average of 33.8 kilograms per capita. Vol.at reports that …

The situation is not only worrying in Austria. With almost 52 kilograms per capita, Germany has the highest meat consumption in German -speaking countries, while Switzerland is just under 46 kilograms per capita. These high consumers contradict the guidelines of the EAT-Lancet Commission that aim to provide a healthy diet without exceeding the planetary limits. Class = "Source_2"> Four paws highlighted ...

environmental pollution from high meat consumption

meat consumption has not only health but also serious environmental consequences. Intensive livestock farming causes high surface and water consumption, loads floors and water and contributes significantly to climate change. According to Destatis Factory farming underlines again.

The Lancet Commission calls for a sustainable adaptation of consumption behavior. Her recommendations are based on the "Planetary Health Diet", which focuses on six basic indicators to preserve biological diversity, water balance and ecological balance. It is important to continue to work on reducing meat consumption, since the current reduction rate would only be reached by the recommended amount of 15.7 kilograms in 88 years.

prices and buying behavior

A relevant factor for high meat consumption in Austria is attractive discounts that are increasingly used in the food retail trade. Animal welfare organizations, such as Four paws criticize that almost 50 percent of the meat sold are acquired. The proportion of meat products in supermarkets has doubled since 2005, which leads to increased demand and thus leads to the resources.

In order to cope with the serious challenges of meat consumption, four paws calls for the termination of such discounts and a transparent labeling of animal foods based on the form of husbandry and origin. These measures are essential to promote sustainable and responsible meat consumption and to minimize the influence on the environment.