FAO urges Asian states to regulate meat trade

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation has urged authorities in East and Southeast Asia to regulate the trade of meat products.

The FAO warns that the region’s surge in consumption of meat and other animal goods is threatening the health of millions of people and livestock. It says unregulated producers are racing to meet the demand, often ignoring disease and contamination risks.

The FAO’s figures show that during the last 50 years, consumption of meat products has soared in East Asia, from 8.7 kg per capita in the mid 1960s to 50 kg per person in 2015 — an increase of more than 500%. The trend is set to continue, increasing a further 15% by the middle of this century.