Meats

The Cultural and Religious Dimensions of Meat Consumption

Cultural preferences and religious restrictions have always been important considerations in the consumption of meats. For example, the most systematic and codified of all food taboos are the Islamic halal and the Jewish kosher dietary laws. Of all the restrictions in their diets, the avoidance of pork is perhaps the most well-known. Hindus are also noted for their general avoidance of meat consumption and their specific avoidance of beef. The latter is directly related to their belief that the cow is a sacred animal. Much research has been attempted to explain the roots of such religious prohibition of meats.

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Pigs near the finishing stage on an Arkansas farm in 1983. Contract farming has meant that the percentage of pigs that are raised in a single location dropped to just over 20 percent in 2004.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service/Tim McCabe

Cultural or regional variations in the consumption of meats are also prevalent in many parts of the world. For example, in the American South, niche meat types like alligator are more commonly eaten than in other parts of the country. At the extreme, horse, whale, and dog meat (considered taboo by many cultures) are consumed as delicacies by groups of people around the world. The intense affinity toward certain types of animals has compelled many to launch protests and campaigns against the consumption of meats like dogs and cats by other cultures. Nonetheless, even at such aggregate societal levels, tastes and perception toward meat do change. For example, as noted earlier, India, a country that is historically averse to meat consumption, has seen steady growth in the demand for meat. Religious and cultural norms have also shaped the production of meat in very specific ways. The slaughtering of animals in Islamic and Jewish traditions has to adhere strictly to a prescribed set of rituals and regulations.

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