Russians suddenly began to eat more meat

Last year, Russians, probably without noticing it, set a record for meat consumption. The National Union of Pig Breeders told about it. It turns out that we ate an average of 79 kilograms per person, this is the highest bar in recent years. The results of the report are illustrated by beautiful graphs of consumption growth from 2015 to 2022. So it is: neither more nor less – 79 kilograms, mostly pork and poultry.

On the graphs, straight lines (separately for pork and separately for the aggregate) stubbornly creep up every year. And it turns out that over the past 8 years we have increased consumption by 7 kilograms, that is, we have added almost a kilogram per year per capita.

For pork, the annual dynamics was from 23.3 kg to 29.8 in 2022. Chickens ate 35 kilograms last year. Although its growth compared to 2021 was only 2%.

But there is a slight inconsistency in the report. We dine on pork and chicken, that’s true. However, in total they give 64.8 kilograms per year. Where did another 14 kilos go if we eat 79?

Most of us have long forgotten the taste of beef. The average price for it is 600-800 rubles, there are also 1.5 thousand per kilogram. Mutton costs about the same. By the way, its average consumption in Russia is no more than 2 kilos per capita. It is unlikely that these two types of red meat in total will give the missing 14 kilograms.

But, let’s say, last year we really set this same record. However, if there is a reason to be proud of him? According to medical standards, the daily consumption of meat for children and women should be up to 100 grams, approximately 36.5 kilograms per year. Men are allowed up to 200 grams per day, that is, 73 kilograms per year. It turns out that we have significantly exceeded even the recommended medical standards, having conquered the 79-kilogram mark.

True, in parallel we set another record. The fact is that for the harmonious development of the personality, doctors strongly recommend such a “meat basket”: 33 kilograms of poultry meat, 31 kg of beef, 15 pork and 1 kilogram of lamb.

For pork, which experts recommend treating without fanaticism, we have doubled our consumption, but how much beef we eat lately (at a rate of 31 kilograms) is bashfully silent about this.

But any record is important for us. Scientists explain the reason for the growth in meat consumption by the fact that last year the most popular types of meat practically did not rise in price. Wholesale prices for pork fell by 5-7%. And if we talk about retail, then we can safely say “no growth” in prices. Boneless meat fell in price by 1.1% over the year, and for bones – by 1.3%. Approximately the same dynamics is maintained for poultry meat.

As can be understood from the report of the union of pig breeders, success in consumption is ensured, perhaps, not so much by the “lack of price increases”, as. government policy to support the poor. Under this program, 0.5 trillion rubles were allocated to those in need in 2022, which led to a sharp increase in meat consumption. Another role was played by the indexation of salaries for state employees – also by 0.5 trillion rubles. And they, obviously, also decided not to deny themselves anything …

Of course, these conclusions look cheerful. Against their background, all the talk that the army of the poor is growing in the country, the calls of some politicians to urgently introduce food cards for the poor, have no basis. The state program of assistance to socially unprotected segments of the population, it turns out, is quite enough to make meat available to everyone in our lives. Oh well…

And since, as we know from The Twelve Chairs, meat is bad, we decided to ask the expert: would we get sick from overeating?

– It is necessary to observe the norms of meat consumption, – answered the gastroenterologist and nutritionist Nuria Dianova. – If this is not done, problems begin in the body with an excess of uric acid levels, the formation of kidney stones, and the development of gout.

In most cases, more than 50%, men are susceptible to such diseases. This is also associated with protein diets, an excess amount of protein in the body affects weight loss. But it leads to constipation and to those diseases that I have already mentioned.

It is necessary to use medicines – but cheap ones harm the kidneys, and expensive ones are not affordable. Unlike carbohydrates and fats, protein in itself greatly increases metabolism and weight loss, protein diets are popular among some categories of Russians. But these are diets, you can’t stay on them all your life.