Sales of meat have slowed to a crawl around the world, thanks in part to the growing number of 'flexitarians' --u00a0 that murkily-defined group of part-time vegetarians -- and public health warnings outlining the perils of red meat consumption.

According to an August report from Euromonitor International, meat was one of the worst performers over the 2005 to 2010 period, with sales growing less than 14 percent over the six-year period. Only vegetables fared slightly worse, with a growth rate of 11 percent.