Steep price rises during 2011 and 2012 fuelled value growth in red meat. This slowed noticeably in 2014, as the price of pork turned to decline. As prices continue to fall, 2% decline is expected in red meat sales in 2015 to £7.3 billion, despite the rise in real incomes. However, rising real incomes should facilitate trading up from cheaper proteins to red meat and within red meat going forward.

Red meat is widely recognised as an important source of nutrients. However, it remains to be seen whether advice from the WHO in October 2015, linking processed red meat to cancer, will spark cutbacks. The low perceptions of red meat as versatile and the preference for short cooking times also pose threats.

Red meat is defined for the purposes of this report as comprising retail sales of processed and unprocessed beef, pork and lamb (including mutton) for in-home consumption.

Unprocessed/raw meat includes all the major meat cuts of carcass meat, such as roasts, steaks and chops but also mince, diced and stewing meats, as well as offal products, such as liver and kidneys. It also includes red meat which has been marinated or glazed with a sauce.

Processed and cooked red meat includes:

• bacon, sausages, burgers

• ham, continental and other sliced cooked or cured meats including cooked sausages

• canned meats to be served hot or cold (eg canned sausages, burgers, meatballs, pies, meat puddings and pie fillings).

Frozen red meat includes either raw/uncooked or processed red meat such as burgers.

Please note: canned meats includes poultry and game as well as red meat. Frozen sausages include all frozen sausages, not solely those made with red meat.

Meat snacks are excluded from this report but are covered in Mintel’s Crisps, Salty Snacks and Nuts – UK, January 2015 report.