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Malaysians Told To Cut Chicken Consumption To Once A Day
A food security expert says Malaysians eat more chicken than almost anywhere else in the world, and reducing demand could help cushion future price shocks.
By Sadho Ram | 12 Jun 2026, 03:00 PM
 A food security expert says Malaysians eat more chicken than almost anywhere else in the world, and reducing demand could help cushion future price shocks. Malaysians may not like hearing it, but one food security expert says the country should consider cutting chicken consumption to just once a day Speaking during a recent podcast on national food security, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Food Security director Professor Dr Anjas Asmara @ Ab. Hadi Samsudin said Malaysians consume chicken at an unusually high rate compared to most countries. According to him, Malaysia ranks third in the world for chicken consumption per capita, with the average person eating about 49kg of chicken a year. Only the US and Israel consume more. For comparison, annual chicken consumption in neighbouring Thailand and Indonesia is estimated at around 18kg and 19kg per person, respectively. Anjas said chicken has become deeply embedded in the Malaysian diet because it is often the cheapest and most accessible source of protein. "Many of us eat chicken three times a day without realising it," he said, citing common meals such as nasi lemak with chicken for breakfast, chicken rice for lunch, and chicken-based dishes for dinner. The UPM expert's suggestion is straightforward: eat less chicken According to him, if Malaysians reduced their chicken intake from three meals a day to one, overall demand would immediately fall, easing pressure on the market and helping stabilise prices. The recommendation comes as experts continue to warn about Malaysia's exposure to global food supply disruptions. Anjas pointed to the chicken price crisis triggered by the Russia-Ukraine war as an example of how events thousands of kilometres away can quickly affect consumers here. While Malaysia does not import chickens from Ukraine, the conflict disrupted supplies of urea fertiliser, a key input used by corn growers around the world. That drove up the cost of grain corn, the main ingredient in poultry feed. As feed prices climbed, poultry farmers faced higher operating costs, which were eventually passed on to consumers through more expensive chicken. The issue remains a concern because Malaysia imports about 90% of the grain corn used to feed its poultry industry, making the sector heavily dependent on global markets. To reduce that dependence, Anjas said Malaysians should gradually diversify their diets and consider alternative protein sources, including plant-based foods such as tempeh. While changing eating habits will take time, he said, reducing the country's appetite for chicken could make Malaysia more resilient to future supply shocks. Source: Malaysians Told To Cut Chicken Consumption To Once A Day https://says.com/my/eats/malaysians-told-to...source=facebook |
