UTRECHT, The Netherlands – Chinese consumers are changing their eating patterns and increasing the share of beef, sheepmeat and seafood in their diets, according to Rabobank Group’s study titledDynamics of China’s Pork Industry. As a result, pork’s share of total meat consumption slid to 65 percent in 2010 from 80 percent in 1985. 


Despite soaring prices, pork remains the staple meat for Chinese consumers with per capita pork consumption increasing to 37.4 kilograms (82.3 lbs.) in 2010 from 25.8 kilograms (56.8 lbs.) in 1996. However, the slide in the share of pork consumption within total meat consumption is expected to continue in the future because of the faster growth of consumption of other meats.