Eating red meat with pride is the message that Colin Smith, industry development manager at the Livestock and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland (LMC), is looking to spread.
LMC, together with other UK levy bodies, contribute funding to Meat Matters, an initiative which gathers information from the Meat Advisory Panel, made up of a group of healthcare professionals, scientists and researchers who provide independent information about red meat and its role as part of a balanced diet. LMC has been funding this initiative for over 10 years.
Smith said: “Red meat produced in Northern Ireland and across the UK is a fantastic product. It is extremely encouraging to see the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes to accurately inform consumers and the media about the nutritional benefits of red meat. All too often it is the negative stories about red meat that reach the headlines.
“The team at Meat Matters continually examine media content for red meat references and is well placed to counter any misinformed negative press or to proactively distribute good news stories about red meat. Meat Matters gathers information from a Meat Advisory Panel, a group of healthcare professionals, scientists and researchers who can provide independent information about red meat and its role as part of a healthy, balanced diet.”
This information is also used by LMC to inform its own work in schools, advertising campaigns and to keep promotional material up-to-date.
Smith added: “As an industry it is important that we continue working to ensure the public are properly informed about the benefits of eating red meat and we must strive to dismiss the various myths surrounding the consumption of it.”
“We want to educate Northern Ireland consumers about the importance of buying local red meat. By purchasing Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured beef and lamb, consumers have the assurance that the meat they’re purchasing has been produced to the highest animal welfare standards, with care for the environment and is wholesome and free from unnatural substances.
“Looking to the future, LMC will continue to stress the benefits of incorporating red meat into the diet through its breadth of business activities.”
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
