Consumers have evolved rapidly in the last 10 years in response to socio-economic, cultural and ethical changes. The red meat industry is suffering from low credibility due to health scandals, etc. and has been slow to respond to changing consumer expectations. In order to restore consumer confidence in red meat, it is vital to understand and attend to their evolving demands for safety and quality. Using focus group discussions in five EU countries, consumer attitudes to certain aspects of lamb and beef consumption were recorded and compared. The issues for analysis were: (i) trends in consumption of lamb and beef (in and out of the home); (ii) factors influencing lamb and beef consumption; (iii) quality issues and quality meat products; and (iv) sources of information.