Berlin (dpa) - According to a survey, consumers in Germany eat meat less than a few years ago. In a survey by the Forsa polling institute on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, just over a quarter of those surveyed said they ate meat or sausage every day.
In 2015, the share was a good third. "In particular, more and more men are giving up their daily portion of meat," says a ministry statement. Nevertheless, the proportion of those who eat meat every day is still significantly higher among men at 32 percent than among women at 20 percent.
The proportion of vegetarians and vegans remained unchanged at 5 and 1 percent, respectively. Almost half of the respondents stated that they had bought vegetarian or vegan alternatives to animal products once or more. The "Bild am Sonntag" had previously reported on the numbers.
"Consumers in Germany are eating more and more varied foods," Food Minister Julia Klöckner (CDU) told the newspaper. "What consumers don't need are government regulations for private shopping lists."
The Greens, for example, have long been calling for higher prices for animal products. In view of the recent debate about working conditions in the meat industry, the topic had come to the fore again.