There is growing international consensus that food systems transformation is important to address the challenges of malnutrition in all its forms, the burden of noncommunicable diseases, environmental sustainability, increasing inequality and ensuring the welfare of workers and animals.

In light of the urgency of these challenges, there are questions about the role of red and processed meat in healthy and sustainable food systems. Globally, production and consumption of all types of meat has increased substantially in the last 50 years, and – although red meat consumption is now plateauing in high-income countries (HICs) – is predicted to increase by a further 50% by 2050. Meat consumption remains highly unequal both between and within countries, and animal-source food intakes, including red meat, are lowest among those at most risk of undernutrition.

This information brief synthesizes the evidence on the role of red and processed meat production and consumption in health and environmental outcomes, and in different social and political contexts. It does not give consumption recommendations, but, rather, represents the first stage in a scoping process that could lead to World Health Organization (WHO) guidance on the role of red and processed meat in healthy diets from sustainable food systems.

Key messages
• Red meat can be an important element of a healthy diet, particularly at specific life stages.
• Excess consumption of red meat and processed meat is associated with increased risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
• Current health recommendations suggest that red meat consumption should be between 98 g and 500 g per week for adults.
• A reduction of 14% in the consumption of red and processed meat in upper-middle income countries, associated with an increase in plant-based food sources, might result in 65 000 fewer attributable deaths.
• Intensive animal farming is associated with increased risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and many forms of livestock farming are associated with unsustainable environmental impacts, such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, use of freshwater and land mass, and biodiversity loss.
• More precise and consistent use of definitions is needed to inform generation of high-quality evidence and implement monitoring and surveillance programmes.
• Integrating systems-wide incentives to shift away from centralized industrial production methods could generate win-wins in multiple areas, including reduced AMR risk, greater worker and animal welfare, protection of biodiversity and reduced water pollution.