IFA Contacts Key International Public Health Agencies on Red Meat Data

Following the publication of a letter from scientists questioning data on the health impacts of red meat, IFA President Tim Cullinan has written to the Editor in Chief of The Lancet; the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue; the EU Commission; the United Nations; and the WHO asking that the questions raised by the scientists be addressed. 

“These key policy-making agencies, which are responsible for public health guidelines, must address the scientific questions raised about a study which attempted to demonise red meat,” he said. 

“The data in question, from ‘Global Burden of Disease’ of 2019, has since been cited in 635 documents, 351 scientific papers and nine policy documents. The questions raised by the scientists in The Lancet must be addressed urgently by the original authors and policy makers,” he said.

“The scientists have been fighting a long battle to have their concerns published by The Lancet. There must now be a response from the Global Burden of Disease to address the problem. If this is not forthcoming, then policy-making agencies must disregard the study and revisit any policies which were influenced by it,” he said. 

So far, it appears the original authors, the ‘Global Burden of Disease’ based in the US, have declined to properly address the scientific questions raised by the scientists, which include Prof. Alice Stanton and Prof. Patrick Wall from Ireland.