![\"Health](\"https:\/\/www.theanimalreader.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/health-meat.jpg\" "\\"Health")
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A coalition of health professionals and organizations is urging the United Kingdom (UK) government to stop promoting meat and dairy. They want the government to support healthier, plant-based diets.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Plant-Based Health Professionals<\/a>, alongside 40 other organizations and well-known figures such as Chris Packham and Dale Vince<\/a>, sent an\u00a0open letter<\/a>\u00a0to government ministers.\u00a0<\/p>\n The letter calls for an end to campaigns that encourage meat and dairy consumption. It instead recommends to promote fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.<\/p>\n The coalition sent the letter to key government figures, including the Secretaries of State for Environment, Health, and Energy.\u00a0<\/p>\n They argue that the government\u2019s current support for the meat and dairy industry contradicts scientific evidence on health and environmental sustainability.<\/p>\n The letter highlights concerns over the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board\u2019s (AHDB) ongoing \u201cLet\u2019s Eat Balanced<\/a>\u201d campaign, which promotes red meat and dairy consumption.\u00a0<\/p>\n The campaign has continued despite scientific evidence showing\u00a0the need to reduce meat<\/a> and dairy intake\u00a0to meet climate and health goals.<\/p>\n In May 2024, Plant-Based Health Professionals UK and the Doctors Association UK wrote to the AHDB and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), urging them to reconsider their approach.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, their concerns were dismissed, and the campaign was relaunched in October 2024 and\u00a0January 2025<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The health coalition stresses that 70% of the UK\u2019s farming emissions come from red meat and dairy production, which also contributes to pollution and antibiotic resistance.\u00a0<\/p>\n They argue that moving towards plant-based diets\u00a0is crucial to improving public health and reducing the\u00a0\u00a3268 billion annual cost of diet-related illnesses in the UK.<\/p>\n The UK\u2019s official dietary guidelines, the\u00a0Eatwell Guide<\/a>, currently recommend limiting red meat intake to 70g per day. However, campaigners argue that this message is not adequately communicated in promotional campaigns.\u00a0<\/p>\n They point to other countries, such as Denmark and Canada, which have introduced updated dietary guidelines that emphasize plant-based foods and recognize the environmental impact of animal products.<\/p>\n The coalition is calling on the government to stop funding and supporting misleading campaigns and instead promote diets that are healthier and more sustainable for the planet.<\/p>\n The Animal Reader is an independent animal news platform based in the Netherlands. We share daily updates about animal-related issues.<\/em><\/p>\n Follow<\/a>\u00a0for daily animal news \u2013\u00a0Support<\/a>\u00a0animal welfare journalism<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n