More than nine in ten doctors and dieticians across Europe believe that average meat consumption currently exceeds levels that could be considered healthy, according to new research undertaken by Madre Brava.
According to the research, which polled 600 healthcare professionals in the UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy, and was carried out by Marlin Research, 91% said that they believe average meat consumption already exceeds healthy levels, while 84% believed that excess meat consumption was a ‘public health concern’ requiring food system reform.
Eating too much meat
“Healthcare professionals across Europe are clearly gravely concerned that people are eating too much meat,” commented Vicky Bond, Madre Brava’s CEO. “This overconsumption means people are getting sick from preventable diseases like heart disease and cancer, and struggling unnecessarily with poor health.”
Other findings from the study include that 95% of respondents called for health warnings on red and processed meat, while 87% said that public places such as schools and hospitals should serve less meat.
Plant-rich diets
In addition, more than four fifths (82%) of respondents said that governments are failing to invest enough in promoting plant-rich diets as a foundation of public health.
“We need action, both from the supermarkets shaping our food systems, and from governments, to rebalance our diets,” Bond added. “This includes adding more plant proteins to the mix.
“It’s not about cutting out meat entirely, but health professionals are seeing how essential it is for us to eat much less meat and have more plant-rich diets for the sake of our health.”
Country-by-country level differences were evident in the findings, with 72% of doctors and dieticians in Italy saying that meat consumption was a public health concern – compared to more than 80% elsewhere – while in Germany, as many as 98% supported health warnings on red and processed meat.
In the UK, meanwhile, healthcare professionals expressed the highest levels of concern across all questions, while respondents in France and Spain showed strong support for health warnings and reduced meat in public catering facilities.
The survey was conducted by Marlin Research between 31 July and 25 August 2025. Read more here.
