40% Of Brits Admit They Feel Guilty For Eating Meat

Almost half of Brits feel guilty about eating meat, according to a new poll.

The survey of 1,000 people, which was commissioned by advocacy campaign Future Normal and The Vegan Society, asked respondents a range of questions, including whether they feel guilt at eating meat, and whether they agree with the statement ‘it’s hypocritical that we eat some animals, such as pigs, while loving others, such as dogs, and keeping them as pets’.

Just under half (40.3 percent) expressed guilt over eating meat to either some or a great extent. Almost half (47.8 percent) said they slightly or strongly agree that it’s hypocritical to love some animals and eat others (with the figures reaching 33.2 percent and 14.6 percent respectively).

‘Guilt and hypocrisy’

In a statement sent to Plant Based News, Matt Turner, spokesperson for Future Normal, said: “This survey quite clearly shows that a near majority of meat-eaters in our country are acutely aware of the guilt and hypocrisy they feel when they consume animals. We consider ourselves a nation of animal lovers, yet the behavior of many often contradicts that very statement.

“If we’re open to making changes in our lives, the Future Normal is a place we can create. Being vegan simply means living in line with the ethics that so many of us already hold in our hearts.

“What we eat is the single most effective way in which someone can protest the exploitation of animals everywhere – three times a day, when you sit down to a meal, you are making a powerful stance against animal abuse.”