Currently beef is the most popular meat in the UK. There was a temporary decrease of beef consumption following the outbreak of BSE. The consumption of beef decreased from 19 kg to 14.2 kg/head in 1996 in the United Kingdom including EU 15. After the widespread drop in beef consumption in UK and all over Europe at the end of 2000, beef consumption in the UK and EU 15 has almost recovered to its traditional level. Moreover, a decrease in the number of calves associated with the reduction of the number of dairy cows, from 23 million in 1994 to 21 million in 2000, due to the milk quotas, has also been observed. Poultry production, particularly turkey meat, is also rising, at 2.6 % per year, from 6.4 to 8.1 Mt/year between 1990 and 2000.Mutton and goat meat consumption is relatively low, depending on imports for nearly 20 % of the total demand.
