Global red and processed meat trade and non-communicable diseases 

Chung MG, Li Y, Liu J Global red and processed meat trade and noninfectious diseases BMJ Global Health 2021; 6: e006394.

Commentary

Is the increase in global red meat and processed meat trade associated with an increase in diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs)? Based on this hypothesis, this study aimed to identify countries that are vulnerable to meat-related NCDs due to this trade.

Fourteen red meat and six processed meat items were selected and the bilateral meat trade flows across 154 countries. They then integrated health data and information on trade to quantify the burden of diet-related NCDs attributable to meat trade from a comparative risk assessment framework.

Results showed that these trades contribute to a rapid increase in diet-related NCDs, and that the extent of the burden varies widely geographically: over the period 1993-2018, island countries in the Caribbean and Oceania were shown to be particularly vulnerable to diet-related NCD incidence and mortality from large meat imports In the period through 2018, Caribbean and Oceania island countries were shown to be particularly vulnerable to diet-related NCD incidence and mortality due to large meat imports. Countries in Northern and Eastern Europe then experienced a significant increase in mortality and disability-adjusted survival years attributable to this trade.