Processed meat intake varies widely by region, age, sex, and measurement method. In 2018, modeled global intake averaged 17 grams per person per day, while regional estimates ranged from 3 to 54 grams. Recent UK and Scottish surveys show that most measured red and processed meat intake was below the 70-gram benchmark, but higher intake remained concentrated in particular groups.
Contents
- Global intake estimates
- Levels and dietary thresholds
- Differences by sex and age
- Trends and reported frequency
- What the cancer-risk evidence measures
- Processed pork categories in the United States
Global intake estimates
The Global Dietary Database estimated mean processed meat intake at 17 g per person per day in 2018, with a 95% uncertainty interval of 15–21 g/day. The estimate covered 134 countries and 95.2% of the world’s population. Across regions, modeled mean intake ranged from 3 to 54 g per person per day.
The distribution was uneven. Countries representing 6.9% of the world population had mean processed meat intake of at least 50 g per person per day in 2018. These are modeled population estimates, not a single worldwide serving-size observation.
The underlying analysis used 499 discrete surveys covering 3.8 million individuals for estimates from 1990–2018. Of those surveys, 91.2% were nationally or subnationally representative. The source describes these figures as estimates from the Global Dietary Database analysis, so they should be read with the stated uncertainty interval and coverage in mind.
Levels and dietary thresholds
Scottish data provide a more detailed view of how intake falls around dietary benchmarks. In 2021, 72% of Scottish adults consumed no more than 70 g of red and red processed meat per day. Another 10% consumed more than 70 g but no more than 90 g, while 18% consumed more than 90 g.
Among adults who consumed red or red processed meat, 63% were at or below 70 g per day and 24% were above 90 g. Because these percentages describe different denominators, the all-adult distribution and the consumer-only distribution should not be treated as interchangeable.
| Scottish measure | Result | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Average intake among all adults | 48.7 g/day | 2021 |
| Average intake among consumers | 65.0 g/day | 2021 |
| Adults at or below 70 g/day | 72% | 2021 |
| Adults above 90 g/day | 18% | 2021 |
The Scottish Health Survey 2021 reported an average of 48.7 g per day across Scottish adults and 65.0 g per day among consumers. The Scottish Dietary Goal used about 70 g per person per day as an average intake benchmark and 90 g per person per day as the level for highest consumers.
The UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey reported average red and processed meat intake below 70 g per day in every age-and-sex group in 2019–2023. The recommendation cited in that report says that people eating more than 90 g of red or processed meat per day should reduce intake to 70 g per day. These thresholds are about red and processed meat together, rather than processed meat alone. The relevant source is the National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2019 to 2023 report.
Differences by sex and age
Scottish results show a clear sex difference in the distribution of red and red processed meat intake. In 2021, 64% of men were at or below 70 g per day, compared with 79% of women. At the upper end, 25% of men exceeded 90 g per day, compared with 12% of women.
Average intake also differed. Scottish men consumed an average of 59.5 g per day, while women consumed 39.2 g. Among consumers only, average intake was 75.6 g per day for men and 54.6 g for women. The figures come from the Scottish Health Survey 2021 and refer to red and red processed meat together.
Age differences were narrower but still measurable. The share of Scottish adults at or below 70 g per day was 76–77% among people aged 65 and over. It was lowest among people aged 35–44, at 66%.
The UK data identify working-age men as a higher-intake group. Men aged 19–64 had the highest mean red and processed meat intake in the 2019–2023 report, at 66 g per day. In the same age range, 27% of men consumed more than 90 g per day, compared with 6% of women. These results describe UK survey groups and should not be generalized to all countries or to processed meat alone.
Trends and reported frequency
Scottish food-purchase estimates indicate a long-term decline in average red and processed meat intake. The average fell from 65 g per day in 2001–2003 to 55 g per day in 2016–2018. The later average remained below the 70 g dietary goal.
This measure is different from a survey question about how often people consume processed meat products. In Scotland, 32% of adults reported consuming processed meat products at least twice a week in 2016, compared with 28% in 2008. The Scottish Health Survey 2016 reported that 42% of men and 23% of women reached that frequency in 2016.
Children showed a higher reported frequency than adults in the available Scottish comparison: 42% of children consumed processed meat products at least twice a week in 2015/2016, versus 32% of adults in 2016. Among children, the shares were 47% for boys and 36% for girls.
Another Scottish children and young people study reported that 67% consumed processed meat, 65% consumed white meat, and 47% consumed red meat during the study period reported in 2025. In that analysis, 90% were consumers of any meat, defined as reporting more than 0 g across dietary recalls. These percentages reflect the study’s definitions and measurement period, not a universal estimate for all Scottish children. The source is Current intakes in the Scottish modelling study.
Reported changes in eating habits also distinguish processed meat from other categories. Among Food and You 2 Wave 8 respondents who had reduced a meat, poultry, or fish category, 72% said they had eaten less processed meat in the previous 12 months. The comparable figures were 86% for less red meat, 36% for less poultry, 18% for less all fish, and 6% for less only some fish. These results apply to that subgroup of respondents, not to the entire population. See F&Y2 Wave 8: Changes to eating habits.
What the cancer-risk evidence measures
The World Health Organization reported an estimated 34,000 cancer deaths worldwide per year attributable to diets high in processed meat. That figure is a Global Burden of Disease estimate cited in 2015, not a current annual count. WHO also summarized an analysis of 10 studies estimating that each 50 g portion of processed meat eaten daily increased colorectal-cancer risk by about 18%. This is a relative-risk estimate associated with a daily amount, not a prediction that every individual eating 50 g will develop cancer. The source is WHO’s Cancer: Carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat.
A separate EPIC analysis examined renal-cell-carcinoma incidence. It included 493,179 participants and identified 691 cases through December 2008, using follow-up from 1992–2008. In women, calibrated processed-meat intake was associated with a renal-cell-carcinoma hazard ratio of 1.78 per 50 g/day, with a 95% confidence interval of 1.05–3.03.
The association was prominent in premenopausal women, with an interaction p-value of 0.02. The EPIC study reported zero statistically significant processed-meat associations with renal-cell-carcinoma incidence in men. These findings are observational associations from the reported follow-up period; they do not establish that processed meat caused every observed case. Details are available in the IARC summary of the EPIC renal-cell-carcinoma analysis.
Processed pork categories in the United States
An older USDA estimate helps show how processed pork was distributed across product categories, but its dates must remain explicit. Using 1994–96 and 1998 survey data, the estimate classified 62.3% of US pork consumption as processed, equal to 31.8 pounds per person. Fresh pork accounted for 37.7%, or 19.2 pounds per person.
| Processed pork category | Share of total pork | Pounds per person |
|---|---|---|
| Smoked ham | 28.3% | 14.4 |
| Sausage | 12.7% | 6.5 |
| Bacon | 6.3% | 3.2 |
| Lunchmeat | 5.5% | 2.8 |
| Processed pork, not otherwise specified | 9.6% | 4.9 |
Smoked ham was the largest listed processed-pork category at 14.4 pounds per person. Sausage accounted for 6.5 pounds per person, more than bacon’s 3.2 pounds. The table reported shares of total US pork consumption, so the listed category percentages should not be read as percentages of processed pork alone.
Because the underlying source data are from 1994–1998, this product mix is a historical estimate rather than a current US consumption snapshot. The figures and category definitions are from the USDA report Factors Affecting U.S. Pork Consumption.