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Processed meats – such as bacon, sausages and ham –
do cause cancer, according to the World Health
Organization (WHO). Its report said 50g of
processed meat a day – less than two slices of bacon –
increased the chance of developing colorectal cancer by
Meanwhile, it said red meats were “probably
carcinogenic” but there was limited
evidence. The WHO did stress that meat also
had health benefits. Cancer Research UK said
this was a reason to cut down rather than
give up red and processed meats. And added
that an occasional bacon sandwich would do
little harm.
Processed meat is meat that has been
modified to increase its shelf-life or alter its
taste – such as by smoking, curing or adding
salt or preservatives. It is these additions
which could be increasing the risk of cancer.
High temperature cooking, such as on a
barbeque, can also create carcinogenic
chemicals. The WHO has come to the
conclusion on the advice of its International
Agency for Research on Cancer, which
assesses the best available scientific
evidence. It has now placed processed meat
in the same category as plutonium, but also
alcohol as they definitely do cause cancer.
However, this does not mean they are equally
dangerous. A bacon sandwich is not as bad
as smoking. “For an individual, the risk of
developing colorectal (bowel) cancer because
of their consumption of processed meat
remains small, but this risk increases with
the amount of meat consumed,” Dr Kurt
Straif from the WHO said.
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