- Table 1 Most commonly reported meat-containing food items within the top five contributing sub food groups to meat consumption among children and young people aged 2 to 15 years living in Scotland, 2024 (% frequency among consumers).
- Table 2 Most commonly reported meat-containing food items within the 'Other beef and veal including homemade recipe dishes' sub food group contributing to meat consumption among children and young people aged 2 to 15 years living in Scotland, 2024 (% frequency among consumers)
- Table 3 Table 3. Most commonly reported meat-containing food items within the 'Sandwiches' sub food group contributing to meat consumption among children and young people aged 2 to 15 years living in Scotland, 2024 (% frequency among consumers)
- Table 4 Most commonly reported meat-containing food items within the 'Coated chicken and turkey manufactured' sub food group contributing to meat consumption among children and young people aged 2 to 15 years living in Scotland, 2024 (% frequency among consumers)
- Table 5 Most commonly reported meat-containing food items within the 'Other sausages including homemade recipe dishes' sub food group contributing to meat consumption among children and young people aged 2 to 15 years living in Scotland, 2024 (% frequency among consumers)
- Table 6 Summary of the percentage of the population below the LRNI for key nutrients among children and young people age 2 to 15 years living in Scotland at baseline (2024) and following a reduction in red and red processed meat to achieve a 35% reduction in “total meat” together with a 20% reduction in dairy and no replacement
- Table 7 Summary of percentage of the population below the LRNI for key nutrients among children and young people aged 2 to 15 years living in Scotland at baseline (2024) and following a reduction in red and red processed meat to achieve a 20% or 35% reduction in “total meat” together with a 20% reduction in dairy and no replacement
Results
Current intakes
Meat intakes
In Scotland, the majority of meat eaten consumed was poultry (40%), followed by pork (37%) and beef (21%), with small intakes from lamb (1%). There was not a meaningful difference in these proportions by sex or age group. However, some differences were observed by age, sex and SIMD quintile:
- Among females, the proportions of meat from beef and pork was slightly lower with increasing age whereas the proportion from poultry was slightly higher.
- The proportion of meat from pork was lower and the proportion from poultry higher among those in SIMD 1st (most deprived) compared to those in SIMD 5th (least deprived).
Contribution of food groups to meat consumption
Tables 1 to 5 show the most commonly reported meat-containing food items within the top five contributing sub food groups to meat consumption among children and young people aged 2 to 15 years living in Scotland, 2024 (% frequency among consumers).
Table 1. Most commonly reported meat-containing food items within the 'Other chicken and turkey including homemade recipe dishes' sub food group contributing to meat consumption among children and young people aged 2 to 15 years living in Scotland, 2024 (% frequency among consumers).
| Food item | % frequency |
|---|---|
| Chicken breast, fried | 20.5 |
| Chicken curry home made | 14.6 |
| Roast chicken (skin eaten) | 9.1 |
Roast/grilled chicken breast (skin not eaten)
| 7.9 |
Roast chicken (skin not eaten)
| 4.1 |
| Chicken burger, in a bun, with lettuce and mayo | 4.1 |
Table 2. Most commonly reported meat-containing food items within the 'Other beef and veal including homemade recipe dishes' sub food group contributing to meat consumption among children and young people aged 2 to 15 years living in Scotland, 2024 (% frequency among consumers)
| Food item | % frequency |
|---|---|
| Spaghetti bolognese, homemade (pasta and sauce) | 30.5 |
| Beef burger/hamburger, in a bun, not quarter pounder | 10.6 |
| Beef lasagne | 6.9 |
| Beef bolognese sauce, home made | 5.7 |
| Spaghetti bolognese, homemade (pasta and sauce) | 30.5 |
| Beef burger/hamburger, in a bun, not quarter pounder | 10.6 |
Table 3. Most commonly reported meat-containing food items within the 'Sandwiches' sub food group contributing to meat consumption among children and young people aged 2 to 15 years living in Scotland, 2024 (% frequency among consumers)
| Food item | % frequency |
|---|---|
| Ham sandwich with white/malted bread | 25.9 |
| Cheese sandwich with white/malted bread | 19.3 |
| Cheese and ham sandwich with white/malted bread | 6.2 |
| Cheese sandwich with wholemeal/oatmeal bread | 5.5 |
| Ham sandwich with white/malted bread | 25.9 |
| Cheese sandwich with white/malted bread | 19.3 |
Table 4. Most commonly reported meat-containing food items within the 'Coated chicken and turkey manufactured' sub food group contributing to meat consumption among children and young people aged 2 to 15 years living in Scotland, 2024 (% frequency among consumers)
| Food item | % frequency |
|---|---|
| Chicken goujon/nugget/dipper, in breadcrumb or batter | 45.4 |
| Chicken nuggets/pieces, from takeaway e.g. McNuggets | 13.7 |
| Coated chicken breast fillet, grilled | 8.1 |
| Coated chicken pieces, fried | 5.9 |
| Chicken goujon/nugget/dipper, in breadcrumb or batter | 45.4 |
| Chicken nuggets/pieces, from takeaway e.g. McNuggets | 13.7 |
Table 5. Most commonly reported meat-containing food items within the 'Other sausages including homemade recipe dishes' sub food group contributing to meat consumption among children and young people aged 2 to 15 years living in Scotland, 2024 (% frequency among consumers)
| Food item | % frequency |
|---|---|
| Pork sausage, grilled | 52.1 |
| Hot dog/frankfurter | 10.2 |
| Sausage, fried | 6.3 |
| Chorizo | 4.9 |
| Hot dog/frankfurter with sauce in a bun | 4.7 |
| Pork sausage, grilled | 52.1 |
Characteristics of high consumers of red and red processed meat
To define high consumers, the quantity by which red and red processed meat consumption would have to be reduced to achieve the CCC recommendations for a 20% reduction in “all meat”, overall and by age group was calculated. High consumers were:
- For those aged 2 to 4 years: consuming >33g/day
- For those aged 5 to 10 years: consuming >39g/day
- For those aged 11 to 15 years: consuming >54g/day
Those at or below these values were described as ‘moderate consumers’.
Mean intake of red and red processed meat was 40.6g/day: 69.8g/day among high consumers and 31.5g/day among moderate consumers.
Males were more likely to be a high consumer of red and red processed meat (40%) than females (32%). There were no significant differences by age group or SIMD.
On average, red and red processed meat consumption was highest on Tuesday, followed by Thursday and Sunday with similar patterns between high and moderate consumers.
Intakes of dairy products
The vast majority of children and young people living in Scotland (99.6%) consumed some dairy. On average, daily intake of dairy was 274g/day with most from milk (67%), cheese (15%), and yogurt (10%) with small proportions coming from butter (4%) and cream (4%). 53% of the dairy consumed was low fat (skimmed or semi-skimmed).
These proportions differed across population subgroups in the following ways.
- Males had a slightly higher proportion of dairy from milk as compared to females (70% versus 64%) and slightly lower proportion from cheese (13% versus 16%).
- Young people aged 11 to 15 years had a slightly lower proportion of dairy from milk (63% versus 68-70%) and yoghurt (8% versus 10-15%) and slightly higher proportion from cheese (18% versus 13%), and butter (6% versus 3-4%) as compared to children aged 2 to 10 years. These trends were observed in both males and females.
- There were no meaningful differences in the proportion of dairy from milk, cheese, yoghurt, butter, or cream across SIMD quintiles.
Among dairy consumers, the top contributing main food groups to dairy consumption (grams) were: ‘semi-skimmed milk’ (22.7%), ‘whole milk’ (19.4%), ‘yoghurt, fromage frais and other dairy desserts’ (9.5%, with 9.1% specifically from yoghurt), ‘pasta, rice, pizza, and other miscellaneous cereals’ (7.3%, with 4.1% from pizza), ‘cheese’ (5.6%), and ‘sandwiches’ (4.8%).
The following differences were observed in contributions of main food groups to dairy consumption by population subgroup:
- ‘Whole milk’ contributed a slightly greater percentage among males (21.7%) versus females (17.1%).
- ‘Whole milk’ contributed a greater percentage – more than twice as much – among children aged 2 to 4 years (30.9%) versus young people aged 11 to 15 years (12.3%).
- ‘Semi-skimmed milk’ contributed a slightly greater percentage among young people aged 11 to 15 years (21.6%) versus children aged 2 to 4 years (18.7%).
- ‘Yogurt, fromage frais and other dairy desserts’ contributed a greater percentage among children aged 2 to 4 years (12.6%) versus young people aged 11 to 15 years (6.7%).
- There were no meaningful differences in food groups contributing to dairy consumption by SIMD quintiles.
Nutrient intakes and contribution of meat and dairy
Energy and nutrient intakes within the population of children and young living in Scotland have been reported on within the DISH report, published in 2025.
Dietary reference values provide a benchmark against which current dietary intakes can be assessed to determine if the population or certain groups within the population are getting enough to cover their needs. For vitamins and minerals, the Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) and Lower Reference Nutrient Intake (LRNI) are used.
Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) and Lower Reference Nutrient Intake (LRNI)
Used by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) for use in the UK, the RNI is the amount of a nutrient that is enough to ensure that the needs of nearly all the group (97.5%) are being met. The LRNI is the amount of a nutrient that is adequate for 2.5% of the population.
SACN advises on nutrition and related health matters. It advises the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and other UK government organisations, including the devolved governments.
The DISH survey showed that on average, overall, intake of protein and micro-nutrients was at or above the RNI except for zinc, which was below the RNI. Intakes of several key nutrients in females and males aged 11-15 years old was too low on average, with some below the LRNI.
- Collectively, ‘meat and meat products’ and ‘milk and milk products’ accounted for 26% of energy intake and 41% of protein intake.
- The contribution of ‘meat and meat products’ to energy and protein was higher with increasing age, while the contribution of ‘milk and milk products’ was lower with increasing age. These trends were observed in both males and females.
- The contribution of ‘meat and meat products’ to energy and protein was higher among those living in the most deprived neighbourhoods compared to those living in the least deprived neighbourhoods (14.6% compared to 11.1% for energy and 25.6% compared to 21.2% for protein). The opposite was observed for ‘milk and milk products’ (13.1% compared to 11.4% for energy in SIMD 1 versus SIMD 5 respectively, and 17.2% compared to 15.2% for protein).
- There were no meaningful differences in the contribution of ‘meat and meat products’ or ‘milk and milk products’ to energy or protein by sex.
- Regarding micronutrients, contributions from ‘meat and meat products’ varied from 7.2% for calcium to 24.0% for selenium. Contributions from ‘milk and milk products’ varied from 2.2% for iron to 44.6% for iodine. Overall, ‘meat and meat products’ were major contributors (contributing >20%) to intakes of selenium (24.0%) and zinc (21.4%). ‘Milk and milk products’ were major contributors to intakes of calcium (35.5%), iodine (44.6%), and vitamin B12 (39.1%).
- Compared to females, males had slightly higher contributions of ‘milk and milk products’ to intakes of calcium (36.9% versus 33.9%), iodine (46.8% versus 42.2%), and vitamin B12 (41.1% versus 37.0%).
- ‘Meat and meat products’ contributed slightly more to intakes of iron (16.5% versus 11.7%), iodine (9.5% versus 6.9%), selenium (25.9% versus 20.7%) and zinc (23.8% versus 18.8%) in those living in the most deprived versus least deprived neighbourhoods.
- ‘Milk and milk products’ contributed slightly less to intakes of zinc (16.9% versus 18.9%) in those living in the most deprived versus least deprived neighbourhoods.
Modelling
Modelling impacts of reducing meat and dairy
As outlined within Section 5, most children and young people living in Scotland had low intakes of at least one micronutrient of interest at baseline. Under the most extreme scenario of a 35% reduction in all meat and 20% reduction in all dairy, without replacement, the proportion of children and young people falling below the RNI increased for several nutrients, relative to current intakes can be seen in Table 6.
Table 6. Summary of the percentage of the population below the LRNI for key nutrients among children and young people age 2 to 15 years living in Scotland at baseline (2024) and following a reduction in red and red processed meat to achieve a 35% reduction in “total meat” together with a 20% reduction in dairy and no replacement
| Nutrient | Baseline (% below LRNI) | 35% less meat, 20% less dairy, RRPM (% below LRNI) |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | 13 | 15 |
| Calcium | 7 | 9 |
| Iodine | 14 | 19 |
| Selenium | 9 | 13 |
| Zinc | 15 | 24 |
| Vitamin B12 | 2 | 3 |
Nutritional impact of reducing red and red processed meat in high consumers only, alongside dairy reductions for all children and young people
To mitigate against the risk of exacerbated micronutrient insufficiencies in the general population of children and young people, the research explored the impact of reductions of red and red processed meat in high consumers only1, alongside reductions in dairy for all children and young people who reported consuming it.
There are no clear health benefits from a reduction in white meat. However, there is a well-established link between red and red processed meat and increased risk of colorectal cancer, which forms the basis of current public health nutrition advice for red and red processed meat. As the existing Scottish Dietary Goal for red and red processed meat (maximum 70g per day) applies only to adults, thresholds for defining high consumers among children and young people were based on the reduction required in order to achieve the CCC recommendation to reduce total meat by 20% (see Section 5 ‘Characteristics of high consumers of red and red processed meat’). This allowed the modelling to assess how such reductions would affect population average “all meat” intake, as defined by the CCC.
Table 7 outlines the results of the modelling, focusing on reducing red and red processed meat only to achieve the recommended reductions in total meat as recommended by the CCC.
Table 7. Summary of percentage of the population below the LRNI for key nutrients among children and young people aged 2 to 15 years living in Scotland at baseline (2024) and following a reduction in red and red processed meat to achieve a 20% or 35% reduction in “total meat” together with a 20% reduction in dairy and no replacement
| Nutrient by age group | Baseline (% below LRNI) | 20% less meat, 20% less dairy, RRPM (% below LRNI) | 35% less meat, 20% less dairy, RRPM (% below LRNI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron | |||
| 2-4 years | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 5-10 years | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 11-15 years | 31 | 34 | 36 |
| Calcium | |||
| 2-4 years | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 5-10 years | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 11-15 years | 15 | 19 | 20 |
| Iodine | |||
| 2-4 years | 10 | 14 | 14 |
| 5-10 years | 8 | 11 | 12 |
| 11-15 years | 24 | 31 | 31 |
| Selenium | |||
| 2-4 years | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 5-10 years | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| 11-15 years | 21 | 25 | 27 |
| Zinc | |||
| 2-4 years | 9 | 13 | 15 |
| 5-10 years | 9 | 14 | 19 |
| 11-15 years | 26 | 34 | 41 |
| Vitamin B12 | |||
| 2-4 years | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 5-10 years | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 11-15 years | 5 | 6 | 8 |
Impact of reducing red and red processed meat in high consumers only, alongside dairy reductions for all children and young people, on achievement of the Scottish Dietary Goals and greenhouse gas emissions
The impact of the 27 simulations on the percentage of children and young people aged 2 to 15 years in Scotland who met the Scottish Dietary Goals was evaluated. Estimated impacts on oily fish were not estimated, given that this was assessed using a food frequency question instead of Intake24.
There was no significant impact of any of the scenarios on the percent of children and young people meeting the SDG for trans fat: 99% of children and young people met the SDG at baseline and following all scenarios. At baseline, 15.7% of the population of children and young people met the goal for fibre, which increased by 2-7% across all scenarios.
Specific replacements had varying impacts:
- Replacing meat with pulses and legumes or vegetables slightly increased the percentage of children and young people meeting the goal for fruit and vegetables.
- Replacing meat and dairy with a variety of products, including pulses and legumes, vegetables, eggs, oily fish, plant-based alternatives, or chicken can increase the percentage of children and young people meeting the goals for energy density, total fat, saturated fat, fibre, and salt.
- Reducing meat and dairy may slightly reduced the percentage of children and young people meeting the goals for free sugars and total carbohydrates.
- Generally, the impacts on the proportion of children and young people meeting the Goals were larger when red and red processed meat were reduced rather than all meat.
In relation to dietary greenhouse gas emissions:
- On average, in 2024, dietary greenhouse gas emissions among children and young people aged 2 to 15 years living in Scotland were 3.65 kgCO2e per capita per day. This is slightly lower than the greenhouse gas emissions associated with adult (16+ years) diets in Scotland in 2021 (4.17 kgCO2e per capita per day).
- Greenhouse gas emissions associated with diets of children and young people could be reduced by up to ~21-28% of baseline emissions by reducing red and red processed meat and by ~19-24% by reducing all meat in line with CCC recommendations.
- Dietary greenhouse gas emissions were significantly reduced in all scenarios except when meat was not reduced (i.e., ‘dairy only’ scenario).