To save money, Brazilians are consuming chicken, pork and eggs instead of beef

Data released a week ago by the Brazilian Association of Supermarkets (Abras) showed that people are now replacing beef consumption with cheaper animal protein as inflation increases and purchasing power is lost.

Between 2019 and 2021, the pre-pandemic period, per capita beef consumption in Brazil fell by 9.2%. Egg consumption increased by 10.9 percent during the same period, while pork (9.2 percent) and chicken (6.5 percent) also increased.

"The situation may be related to the spike in beef prices. Meat prices are generally bullish, inflation is in double digits, and consumers have a lot of constraints on their real incomes, so this alternative is being made." Abras vice President Marcio Milan said.

In terms of menu changes, Marcio Milan said that during the two years of the pandemic, annual per capita consumption of animal protein, including beef, pork, chicken, fish and eggs, increased by about 3.6 percent, from 126.7 kilograms per person to 131.1 kilograms per person. "This suggests that consumers have not stopped consuming protein because of the pandemic, but that meat and egg protein consumption has increased."

Chicken replaced beef as the preferred choice of consumers, with consumption increasing by 6.5%, from 42.8 kg in 2019 to 45.6 kg in 2021. Pork was also favored, with per capita consumption jumping 9.2 per cent from 15.3kg to 16.7kg. Consumption demand for fish remained flat, rising from 10.4 kg to 10.5 kg per person. While these alternative meats have taken over the market, beef consumption per capita has dropped by 9.2 percent from 30.6 kilograms to 27.8 kilograms.

According to a survey conducted by the Supermarket Association of Sao Paulo, meat is one of the most wanted items in supermarkets during the Black Friday sales in November. The Association of Supermarkets in the state of Rio also sees strong momentum in the recovery of purchasing power. Beef and milk were also the first items consumers said they would consider purchasing after the government's welfare was raised to 600 reais.