Despite these changes, the data show beef is still a good source of many key macronutrients and micronutrients that are needed for optimal human health.

Several factors may account for these changes, including shifts in livestock industry practices that affect food composition. However, updated analytical methods are likely the main driver of most of the differences observed.

The new data on beef will be incorporated into the next update of the UK’s national food composition database, the McCance and Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset that contains full nutrient data for generic foods eaten in the UK.

This high-quality analytical data is used by industry, clinicians, and in dietary assessment platforms. The dataset supports research and the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey, through which nutrient intakes of the UK population are monitored to inform policy development.

Beef, like other red meats, is rich in protein and provides us with essential micronutrients. It is a good source of iron, zinc and, according to the new survey, selenium. Beef is also a source for some B vitamins and one of the main sources of vitamin B12, a nutrient not found in plants.

The last time these nutrients were analysed in UK beef cuts was in 1992. To update these data, the Department of Health and Social Care commissioned the Food and Nutrition National Bioscience Research Infrastructure (Food & Nutrition NBRI) at the Quadram Institute to analyse the nutrients in fresh cuts of beef bought in UK supermarkets. Further funding was provided by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).

This analysis was commissioned as part of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey and the new data will be used to calculate population nutrient intakes for the next report. This is the first food group in a series of nutrient analysis reports.

Nutrient data were analysed across a range of beef cuts, including various steaks, diced, roasting joints and mince, for both raw and cooked cuts. For each beef cut, products were purchased from ten major supermarkets and combined into a composite sample at ratios representing each retailer’s market share. This means that the resulting nutrient values represent typical population consumption patterns.

Nutrient changes in beef

For most of the cuts sampled, the levels of nutrients were consistent with the 1992 survey.

However, the levels of iodine, vitamin D and some B vitamins including vitamin B1 (thiamin), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B6 and vitamin B9 (folate) were lower across all cuts in 2024 compared to 1992.

The concentration of some minerals (calcium, selenium, iron, magnesium, potassium) were higher.

These variations may be explained by differences in analytical methodologies between surveys, changes in cuts available or the nutritional composition of the cuts analysed.

In particular, the vitamin B12 level was also lower by 34% in the new survey compared to 1992, averaged across the different cuts.

However, all beef cuts are still classified as being good sources of this vitamin, with values remaining above the 0.75μg/100g threshold required for a valid ‘high in’ claim.

The differences demonstrate the importance of periodically reviewing these data to ensure accuracy.

Technological changes mean we can analyse nutrient levels with far greater precision. In 1992, microbiological assays were the standard method at the time, but these are prone to overestimation and less precise than the liquid chromatography techniques used today.

The range of beef cuts available has also changed. Medallion steaks, for example, have become popular in supermarkets over the last ten years meeting consumer demand for leaner meat that’s trimmed of fat. These generally weren’t available in the 1990s and so weren’t included in the previous dataset.

The data need to be kept up to date to keep pace with changes in food production. Over the last 30 years farming practices have changed affecting livestock breeding, how and what animals are fed, and how meat is produced and processed.

The lower nutrient levels measured now compared to the 1990s in beef mirrors what was seen in iodine, vitamin B2 and vitamin B12 in a recent survey of milk undertaken by the Food & Nutrition NBRI team in the Quadram Institute and published in 2025.

The updated beef nutrient data will be added to the next update of the McCance and Widdowson Dataset, as well as the CoFID searchable website so that users can access the up-to-date nutrition information.

The findings will be used in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey, which collects dietary information from around 4,000 people every year. Combining this data on what we eat as a population with the Food & Nutrition NBRI analytical data on food composition provides health authorities and the government with detailed insights into the adequacy of nutrient intakes across different age groups, informing policy decision-making.

“These data are providing a new benchmark for the nutritional composition of beef in the UK” commented Dr Maria Traka, Head of Food & Nutrition NBRI) and Research Group Leader at the Quadram Institute.

”They include a comprehensive array of nutrients and provide valuable information on the levels of key micronutrients that contribute to our health when we consume beef.”

“The strength of the UK data has always been the data derived from chemical analysis, and at the Quadram Institute we are proud to play a leading role in delivering these data resources for the UK.”

Reference: The ‘Nutrient analysis of beef report’ is available to read via the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). The updated values for beef will be incorporated into the National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2025-2026 and onwards to estimate the population’s intake of these nutrients

These values will be published in the McCance and Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods integrated dataset in due course, accessible through the Food & Nutrition NBRI website.