Meat products are an important element of the diet of most European consumers. The most common types of meat consumed in the European Union (EU) are beef and veal, pork, poultry (from which chicken and turkey are the most common), as well as young lamb. Moderate growth of meat production is forecast in the EU countries, which in 2030 will attain 47.5 million tons, that on 0.5% anymore by comparison to 2017 year. An increase will take place, above all things, due to the increase of volumes of poultry meat («plus» 4.6% by comparison to 2017), a small increase is expected on pork («plus» 0.4%). The production of beef will reduce on 7.4%. Basic pre-condition to the increase of production of meat in the EU countries of the expected increase of volumes of his export which will be stipulated world tendencies to growth demand on meat products. During the next 14 years EU plans to grow the volumes of meat export almost on 9% to 4.7 million tons, and it will remain net exporters. Thus, if both pork and poultry meat a general export will exceed an import substantially, balance on a beef is expected negative, and the volumes of its import to EU for indicated period will grow on 22%. In the EU, beef production continues to decrease slightly. The general decline was less than 1%, which is due to the conservation of animals in order to increase the size of the dairy herd, as a result of an increase in milk quotas. The EU has a high degree of self-sufficiency in relation to pork and therefore imports little. Import quotas are not used, because the import of some licensed countries does not meet veterinary standards. Thus, imports are effectively prohibited, although tariff quotas would be favorable. The EU does not interfere in the domestic pork market, nor does it play a leading role and export subsidies. The poultry meat is represented by a very diverse group of meat varieties from chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks to cesarocks. The production of chicken meat accounts for 70% of the total poultry production in the EU, while the production of turkey meat is 20%. The remaining 10% are distributed among other poultry in the EU. Internal consumption of meat in European Union by the populations beginning from 2018 year will have a tendency to the unimportant (within the limits of 1%) decrease. In 2030 an index of meat consumption per inhabitant in EU will be at high level and will make 85.3 kg per person in for slaughter weight. In the pattern of consumption in the nearest decades, as well as today, will championship be kept after pork (almost 48%), farther poultry meat (32%), beef (18%) and other kinds (2%). For the European experts forecast, during 2017–2030 price tendencies on the world and European markets of meat will look thus: on a beef – costs of EU-28 will decline on 1%; is a world price a decline on 19%; on the pork – costs of EU-28 a decline is on 5%; global price a decline on 4%; on a poultry meat are costs of EU-28 a decline is on 4% and global price will increase on 15%.
Quantitative meat quality parameters of broilers from different rearing systems