Chicken meat boosts meat consumption in South Korea - SOUTH KOREA - High demand for chicken pushed up South Korea's per capita meat consumption in 2005, reversing downward trends prevalent in the past few years, a government report said Monday.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said the country's average meat consumption per person reached 31.9 kg, a 12-year high.

Per capita chicken consumption went up from 6.6 kg in 2004 to 8.0 kg last year. Beef consumption fell from 6.8 kg to 6.5 kg, with pork consumption falling as well.

This is also the first time since 1993 that South Koreans are eating more chicken than beef.

Preference for beef fell because of high prices after the ban on US beef in late 2003, a ministry official said. The belief that white meat is healthier may also have caused the change, he added.

South Koreans consumed 388,000 tonnes of chicken, 317,000 tonnes of beef and 838,000 tonnes of pork last year.

Source: eFeedLink - 21st February 2006