A new study speculates that taxing meat could save 222,000 lives and $41 billion worldwide
Photo: Ryzhkov/Getty Images/iStockphoto Yesterday CNN reported on a PLOS One paper imagining what the world might look like if we taxed meat the way we tax alcohol and cigarettes .
The study speculates that adding costs to processed meat and red meat could save 222,000 lives and $41 billion worldwide, including 53,000 lives and $20 billion in the United States alone. The “economically optimal” tax rates that the researchers calculated to achieve this were, for the United States, 163 percent on processed meat , and 34 percent on unprocessed red meat .
The backbone of the researchers’ argument is that meat consumption is inherently unhealthy, which is territory I tread into with great discomfort. The World Health Organization classified processed meat as carcinogenic and red meat as “probably” carcinogenic in 2015, although detractors suggest that high-quality meat from well-cared-for animals shouldn’t necessarily be lumped in with the rest.
The various swirls of my own personal-health interests and beliefs begin to converge here. I was intrigued to see that some people in the low-carb high-fat world I follow on Twitter took issue with the fact that the PLOS One study’s main author, Marco Springmann, eats a vegan diet. I’m still trying to sort this out. Is a vegan person attempting to quantify the effects of taxing meat a conflict of interest? That is interesting. Why would it be a conflict of interest? Would a personal belief cloud someone’s ability to interpret numbers? If so, wouldn’t that go both ways, barring everyone who has a personal eating habit they believe in from researching and running numbers on nutrition and public health? Maybe I’m missing something.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
https://www.foodandwine.comFood & Wine goes way beyond mere eating and drinking. We&039;re on a mission to find the most exciting places, new experiences, emerging trends and sensations.
Read more »
Your Best BBQ Ever: The Simple Secret Is Better MeatIt you want a better cookout, start with better meat. From basic burgers and hot dogs to ribs, luxury steaks and wild game, these will elevate your backyard cooking.
Read more »
Grilled Cabbage With Spicy Thai Dressing RecipeDeeply fragrant, with smoky, charred edges, cabbage takes on a nutty, sweet flavor when grilled over blazing-hot coals, and a great texture that's simultaneously tender and crisp. Its layered structure also makes it the ideal vessel for picking up both smoke flavor from the grill and whatever sauce you choose to serve it with. In this case, we're going with a spicy Thai dressing that packs in chili, garlic, fish sauce, and a ton of herbs.
Read more »
Vegetarians & Vegans Weigh In On The Best Meatless Burger OptionsGrilling up a good time doesn't have to mean meat-based burgers for all.
Read more »
Beyond Meat fever turns the tiny pea into America’s hot new cropLong an afterthought for most farmers, the pea has been pulled into the alt-protein craze fueled by the likes of Beyond Meat and the Impossible Burger.
Read more »
What exactly is a processed meat? And how much is safe to eat?.NBCNewsBETTER: If you’re concerned about additives, more natural-sounding meats might seem appealing. But there’s a catch.
Read more »