Global, regional, and national consumption of animal-source foods between 1990 and 2018: findings from the Global Dietary Database

Summary

This comprehensive meta-analysis synthesised 499 dietary surveys from 134 countries to quantify global consumption of animal-source foods between 1990 and 2018. Using Bayesian hierarchical modelling to standardise intake estimates across diverse survey methods, the study found substantial regional heterogeneity in consumption patterns, with global mean intakes ranging from 8 g/day for cheese to 88 g/day for milk, and fewer than 1% of the global population consuming ≥1 serving per day of processed meat, cheese, eggs, milk, seafood or yoghurt. The findings provide evidence to inform dietary intervention, surveillance, and policy priorities at global and national scales.

Regional applicability

The UK, as one of 134 countries included in this meta-analysis, contributed data to these global estimates. However, the abstract does not provide UK-specific findings; application would require accessing country-level results to assess how UK consumption patterns compare to global means and regional peers, and to inform national dietary guidance and public health nutrition policy.

Key measures

Mean global daily intake (grams per person per day) with 95% uncertainty intervals for: unprocessed red meat (51 g/day), processed meat (17 g/day), seafood (28 g/day), eggs (21 g/day), milk (88 g/day), cheese (8 g/day), and yoghurt (20 g/day); proportion of global population consuming ≥1 serving per day by food category; regional and national variation in intakes

Outcomes reported

The study quantified global, regional, and national consumption levels of seven animal-source food categories (unprocessed red meat, processed meat, eggs, seafood, milk, cheese, and yoghurt) across 134 countries representing 95.2% of the global population in 2018. Mean daily intakes per person were estimated for each food category, stratified by age, sex, education level, and rural versus urban residence.

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