Red meat is a popular choice for NI consumers

“This is an extremely encouraging statistic and reiterates the prominent and valued place red meat has on our plates,” said LMC chief executive, Colin Smith.

The statistic is drawn from a recent independent omnibus survey commissioned by LMC to examine the current eating habits of NI consumers and to evaluate their awareness of Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured (NIFQA) beef and lamb, as well as their familiarity with the Commission’s advertising campaign, Good Honest Food.

Consumer eating habits have remained relatively stable over the past five years, Colin explained: “Consumer commitment to eating and purchasing red meat remains steady. In terms of alternate diets, there has been no notable variation to the number of consumers reporting to follow vegetarian and vegan diets over recent years. At the time of our research a low level of just 2 percent of NI consumers claimed to follow a vegan diet.”

A key area of work for LMC is educating and informing the public about the benefits of eating beef and lamb as part of a healthy, balanced diet, and the positive environmental and sustainable attributes of these red meats.

Colin continued: “LMC is at the fore of leading the conversations about the health, environmental and sustainable credentials of beef and lamb. Our messaging on this is well received, with 85 percent of consumers stating they believe NIFQA beef is high quality and 77 percent agree it is natural source of vitamins and minerals.

“Data gleaned from our recent research indicates that consumers make conscious and informed decisions about the foods they eat. We are pleased that for the vast majority of NI consumers this means having beef and lamb on their plates.”

Concluding Colin said: “The nutritional value of red meat and its health benefits are well known and cannot be disputed. As versatile red meats, NIFQA beef and lamb lend themselves perfectly to being the star ingredient in a wide array of dishes. With that in mind, I would encourage you to put beef and lamb on your menu. And, if you’re looking for some recipe inspiration our website www.beefandlambni.com is home to dozens of tasty dishes.”