How will the COVID-19 pandemic shape the future of meat consumption?

Abstract

Since its recent onset, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly altered the daily lives of millions around the world. One area particularly affected is our diets, with food supply chain disruptions, media coverage of food safety issues and restaurant closures all influencing consumer dietary behavior. Given this situation, we pose a timely question – what is the impact of the current pandemic on longer-term meat consumption patterns? This issue is pertinent given accumulating evidence that overconsumption of meat, particularly red meat, is associated with negative environmental and health outcomes. Here, we discuss how the current pandemic has already begun to shift public awareness of illnesses linked to animals and has resulted in short-term changes in patterns of meat consumption. Past zoonotic outbreaks, such as SARS and swine flu, are also referred to, and we find that these led to similar short-term reductions in meat intake, a shift in the type of meat chosen and longer-lasting impacts on consumer perceptions of the health risks associated with meat. We conclude that, if immediate changes in eating patterns as a result of COVID-19 are retained in the longer-term, one possible opportunity to emerge from the current pandemic may be a shift away from over-consumption of meat, leading to potential health and environmental benefits in the longer term.

A Critical Appraisal of the Evidence Supporting Consumer Motivations for Alternative Proteins

“…Food recalls and fraud in recent years have unfortunately eroded consumer trust in food manufacturers, with recent international controversies such as nephrotoxic melamine added to boost the protein content of infant milk formulas (2008), or horsemeat-adulterated ready meals (2013). Recent concerns about disease risk and food authenticity due to COVID-19 (2020) and the African Swine flu (2019) [ 6 ] have further influenced consumer desire for a safe and secure food supply. Consumer trust is highest for farmers and lowest for multi-national food producers and manufacturers [ 158 ].…”

“…Another reason that is offered for the move to find new protein alternatives is the projected shortfall in global protein availability to meet the needs of a rising population [ 4 , 5 ]. In 2020, the COVID-19 and African Swine flu pandemics have been linked to a surging demand for plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs) due to concerns around food security and risk of disease from animal-based foods [ 6 ]. According to Nielsen data, PBMA sales more than doubled in the United States in April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the previous year [ 7 ].…”

The Impact of Awe Induced by COVID-19 Pandemic on Green Consumption Behavior in China

“…The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has not only induced changes in people’s emotion and cognition, but also changes in their social behavior [ 1 ], consumption patterns [ 2 ], education way [ 3 ], and hygiene behaviors [ 4 ]. Although the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic has not yet been accurately explained.…”

Taking a lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic: Preventing the future outbreaks of viral zoonoses through a multi-faceted approach

“…This is mostly due to market disruptions caused by infection outbreaks among meat industry workers and related closures or reduced operation of meat processing plants ( Middleton et al, 2020 ; Steinberg et al, 2020 ). The restaurant and school closures imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are also a contributing factor ( Attwood and Hajat, 2020 ). Assumptions frequently shared via online social media during the earlier stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, that meat production and consumption are fuelling the health risks related to infectious diseases, may also affect the dietary choices of some individuals, although the extent of this phenomenon remains unclear ( Abd-Alrazaq et al, 2020 ).…”