* The three official red meats are pork, lamb and beef. Pork is the leanest, lamb the fattiest and beef the most nutritious.
* Beef has 2.7mg of iron per 100g, and 4.1mg of zinc. A large proportion of the population, particularly teenage girls and women, are deficient in both minerals.
* Pork and lamb also contain zinc and iron, but not in the same quantities.
* Red meat is high in saturated fats and "bad" cholesterol, which can lead to clogged arteries and heart disease.
* But lean beef is actually fairly healthy; it will provide you with essential vitamins and minerals, but it will not have a high fat content.
* The British Dietetic Association says that up to 90g of lean red meat a day (equivalent to a portion of bolognese) is acceptable.
* But the Food Standards Agency (FSA) points out that different cuts of meat will have very different nutritional contents.
A lean pork leg joint will contain around 5.5g of fat per 100g, of which 1.9g will be saturated fat; compare that with a grilled joint of pork belly, which has 23.4g of fat, of which 8.2g will be saturated.
* A lean rump steak, grilled, has 5.9g of fat per 100g, of which 2.5g is saturated.
But the same cut of beef, not trimmed of its fat, and fried instead of grilled has 12.7g of fat, of which 4.9g is saturated.
The fat content of mince will vary widely, so the advice is always to look at the label and go for the leanest versions.
The benefits of red meat...
Zinc
Children and teenagers, particularly girls, have been found to be deficient in zinc - half of all girls in their teens do not have healthy levels of the mineral.
Some research has shown that having red meat less than twice a week can result in zinc deficiencies. Zinc is particularly important for healthy skin and a healthy immune system. During the winter months in particular a good supply may help prevent colds and other infections.
While other foods such as oysters, milk and lentils contain zinc, red meat is the most efficient way of getting it into your body.
Iron
Red meat is an essential source of iron - lean beef has 2.7mg of iron per 100g - and is vital to good health, as well as preventing conditions such as anaemia. Up to a quarter of menstruating women are thought to be deficient in iron. Meat contains more iron than most foods, and it is more easily utilised by the body than from vegetable sources.
Elderly people, pregnant women, children and those recovering from surgery could all benefit from increased iron intake. Iron helps to generate red blood cells, which carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissues and carbon dioxide back to the lungs. Red meat is also a good source of other vitamins and minerals such as phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and selenium.
Protein
Red meat is a major source of protein, which is needed for muscle and organ health. The protein found in meat is "complete", meaning that it contains all the amino acids that the body cannot make on its own. It is essential for the body's repair and renewal as well as general health.
Weight loss
Australian scientists have found that people who ate a diet high in protein, based on lean red meat, as well as fruit and vegetables, lost 25 per cent more weight over a fixed period of time than those who ate a low protein, carbohydrate-rich diet that contained the same amount of calories and fat.