The consumption of animal source foods (ASFs) goes back to humankind's earliest beginnings and has been a vital part of its evolutionary diets. Ancestral intake levels were probably high, even if this must have been a function of the ecological context. After consumption dropped dramatically during the agricultural transition, a renewed access to ASFs became possible over time, especially during the era of industrialization. It is within the post-industrial and urbanized West that a new paradigm is now unfolding. Whereas ASFs were historically perceived as precious and desirable, they are now shunned by a small yet increasing number of people as unethical or harmful for health or the planet. Although some concerns are legitimate and need to be addressed, this trend can only be fully understood when taking a closer look at the various underlying societal dynamics that are involved in its creation.
- (Pre)historical diets: from hunter-gatherers to the industrial revolution
- Contemporary diets: the post-industrial West and the Global South
- Dietary discourse: the animal/plant divide in the post-truth era
- The diet as belief system: dietary evangelism and religious beliefs
