Overview
- Fresh meat inflation reached 14.5% in the four weeks to December 2, according to Worldpanel data.
- Keychain chief executive Oisin Hanrahan says certain meat items could climb a further 10–20% this year, with 2–5% as the hoped-for range.
- He attributes part of the pressure to GLP-1 medication users prioritising nutrient-dense protein as they eat smaller portions.
- He also highlights higher input costs and constraints including energy prices, bad weather, crop disease, tariffs and new packaging and trade rules.
- A pooled analysis of 37 studies reported rapid weight regain after stopping GLP-1 drugs, which experts say could point to sustained protein demand.