Taiwanese ate more meat than grains last year for the first time since food consumption statistics started being collected, a Ministry of Agriculture report published yesterday showed.
Taiwanese on average ate 87.4kg of rice, wheat and other grains last year, slightly less than the 87.5kg of meat they consumed, the ministry said, adding that average annual grain consumption fell by 1.9kg from the previous year.
This means that on average, most people’s daily energy intake came from animal protein containing 421.8 kilocalories (kcal), while grains accounted for 416.8kcal, it said.
Photo: Chang Tsung-chiu, Taipei Times
Taiwanese ate significantly more chicken than any other meat, at 43.12kg per person, while beef and pork consumption reached historic highs of 7.34kg and 36kg respectively, the ministry said.
The US last year exported 63,000 tonnes of fresh and frozen beef to the nation, 10 percent more than the previous year, it said, adding that Taiwanese ate more US beef than that raised by any other source.
Poultry dethroned pork as Taiwan’s favorite meat, with the rise in chicken consumption directly responsible for the growth in meat intake, Department of Animal Industry Deputy Director-General Lee Yi-chien (李宜謙) said.
Taiwan’s increased appetite for chicken likely comes from a more health-conscious diet, as sales of chicken breast grew significantly, he said.
However, a temporary fall in pork production this year stemming from a government drive to modernize pig farms across the nation might have contributed to the ascendance of poultry, Lee said.
The nation is gradually abandoning the traditional taboo against beef eating, as evidenced by the increase in barbecue and hotpot eateries that serve beef, Taiwan Frozen Food Processors Association chairman Hsiu Chia-lin (許嘉麟) said, citing sales records.
Imports of US beef have grown, likely due to its superior marbling and texture from being grain-fed, he said, adding that the higher price of US beef did not diminish its competitiveness against Australian imports.
Meanwhile, average rice consumption continued to decline, dropping 0.05kg to 42.98kg, ministry data showed.
The consumption of tubers, including yams and potatoes, totaled 30.1kg, one of the highest quantities reported over the past decade, it said.
Yams received a boost from being a standard food item sold in convenience stores and fast-food restaurants, Agriculture and Food Agency Grain and Specialty Division Director Lin Chuan-chi (林傳琦) said, referring to baked yams and sweet potato fries.
The agency encourages the sale of yam products by the local food service industry, including bubble tea venues and bakeries, he said.
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