Nine in 10 say meat and dairy can form part of balanced diet

Nine out of ten consumers who saw AHDB's most recent adverts agreed they successfully communicated that meat and dairy can form part of a balanced diet.

Reaching 43 million adults, the We Eat Balanced campaign ran in autumn 2022 and January 2023 to drive awareness of meat and dairy's nutritional value.

The levy board's campaign, which is now in its third year, also showcased British produce as some of the most sustainable in the world.

In January, the ads featured on mainstream TV/on Demand, YouTube, newspapers, social media and in eight major supermarkets, where eight million on-pack stickers linked shoppers to healthy meat recipes.

AHDB's social media campaign also delivered more than 41 million impressions, with new content targeting the next generation of consumers, aged between 18-25.

More than 90 percent who saw We Eat Balanced on social platforms said they felt reassured that British meat and dairy are sustainable, according to figures by AHDB.

Its campaign also had a positive impact on the perception of specific health benefits red meat and dairy can offer.

Six percent more people saw dairy as a good source of vitamin B12 after the campaign, supported by TV’s Dr Ranj Singh’s.

AHDB’s director of marketing, Liam Byrne said the campaign was designed to celebrate the positive role meat and dairy could play within a healthy diet, while dispelling negative myths.

“At a time when consumers are facing huge pressures on their budgets, the campaign has played an important role in helping shine a spotlight on the nutritional value red meat and dairy can bring.

"Especially micronutrients such as iron, zinc, and calcium, that we know are found in a more bioavailable form in animal sourced foods.”

The We Eat Balanced campaign also enlisted further help from Dr Emily Andre during Iron Awareness Week.

She played a role in highlighting that nearly half of young women in Britain are iron deficient, and the positive role red meat can play as part of a balanced diet.

It follows figures showing that sales of meat-free products declined this 'Veganuary' compared to the year before.

More than a million fewer households bought meat-free products in January 2023 compared to 2022, with only 13.7% of households buying one.

This compares to 96.4% of households buying meat, fish or poultry (MFP) in the first three weeks of the year, AHDB said.