For the first time in 100 years, chicken is more popular than beef.
According to Priceonomics, consumers are choosing more leaner and healthier options to eat, based on the annual chicken consumption per capita. The information reported showed that chicken has risen from under 20 pounds in 1909 to over 60 pounds in 2012.
The same per capita showed that beef have dropped from 80 pounds per person to under 60 pounds in 2012. In the 1950s, Americans were consuming an average of 16 pounds of chicken per person every year.
The change is reportedly present for several reasons. The Huffington Post reported that red meat has been linked to diseases in the heart and diabetes, making while meat a healthier choice.
The Los Angeles Times reported that "poultry is fraught with risks that consumer groups say aren't being fully addressed by producers and federal inspectors."
According to the Nation's Restaurant, new beef prices have been on the rise. The drop in sales is reportedly going to continue into to new year. In 2012, the average price was $5.02 per pound of beef. This was up from the 2002 price of $3.32 per pound.
Last year, the price for beef hovered at $5.36 per pound, according to Beef Magazine. Chicken was set at $2.03 per pound. The prices of cattle has reportedly risen 52 percent.
The price change comes a decrease in supplies because of high corn prices. Chickens are able to feed on various items such as grains, corn and soybean meal, but corn has become the dominant food for cattle. According to the Huffington Post, fast food franchisee McDonald's is the second purchaser of chicken in the United States.
Do you think you eat more chicken than you used to?
