Guidance on exactly what health claims can be made with red meat have been compiled to help the industry promote British produce.
The guides, for beef, lamb and pork, will help drive the industry forward to promote the positive health benefits of eating red meat.
In the same way, health care professionals will be able to find in the guides useful, legally compliant, factual information and help communicate them to the public.
The organisation behind the guides, the AHDB, has worked closely with trading standards officials in Buckinghamshire and Surrey to get over 70 key messages on nutrition approved to help positive messaging on beef, lamb and pork in the diet.
Three separate Nutrition and Health Claim Regulations guides have been published and are now available online to support marketing across the UK.
Negative misconceptions
Laura Ryan, AHDB Senior Strategy Director for Beef and Lamb, said red meat is often undermined by negative misconceptions.
“Our own market research shows that health is becoming a more prominent driver for consumers when purchasing food, but the consumption of beef, lamb and pork, as part of a healthy balanced diet, is often challenged and undermined by negative misconceptions,” Ms Ryan explained.
“With the release of the guides, the AHDB aims to demonstrate how red meat can be accurately promoted to consumers, using scientifically substantiated nutrition and health claims, expressed in a clear, consumer-friendly language.
“We hope that retailers, processors and producers alike will use the guides to help shout about all the nutritional benefits beef, lamb and pork brings to a balanced diet.”
Balanced diet
The work is part of a strategy to positively influence and modify consumer understanding and behaviour towards beef, lamb and pork in a healthy and balanced diet.
The claims in the guide can potentially be used by retailers for labelling, as well as being used for shelf edge, promotional materials, recipes, websites and advertising.
Ms Ryan added: “Certain immediately recognisable nutritional messaging resonates more with some groups than others, so it is likely that the selection of the claims used may be influenced by the target audience of a particular promotional campaign.
“For example, older people were found to be more interested in eyesight, bone health and mental function. Those with children were more interested in bone health, protein and immunity support.”
The guides can be found online on the Meat Matters and Meat and Health official websites.
