WHO Classified Processed Meat as a Carcinogen 10 Years Ago
Scientists Urge UK Government to Take Action
Scientists in the United Kingdom have called for strong government regulation, warning that nitrite preservatives used in processed meats such as bacon and ham increase the risk of cancer. They pointed out that it has been 10 years since the World Health Organization (WHO) classified processed meat as a Group 1 carcinogen, alongside tobacco and asbestos, yet the UK government has not responded.
On the 25th (local time), the Daily Mail reported that researchers who contributed to the WHO report, along with other related academics, recently sent a letter containing these concerns to Wes Streeting, the UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
The letter called for a phased ban on the use of nitrites in processed meats and the mandatory inclusion of cancer risk warnings on the front of product packaging. The scientists especially emphasized that government support is needed to help small and medium-sized food companies transition to alternative processes that do not use nitrites.
Nitrites are widely used additives that keep meat a bright pink color and slow spoilage. However, they can convert into carcinogenic chemicals (nitrosamines) in the body, and consumption of processed meat has been shown to be significantly associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. In a 2015 announcement, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), under the WHO, concluded that consuming 50 grams of processed meat per day increases the risk of colorectal cancer by about 18%.
Additionally, a research team from Sorbonne Paris Nord University in France tracked more than 100,000 adults for an average of 7.3 years and found that nitrites consumed as additives increased the incidence of type 2 diabetes by 53%. The study indicated that nitrites added during the manufacturing process of processed meat, as opposed to those occurring naturally, are more hazardous.
Currently, about 90% of bacon sold in the UK contains nitrites, while the market share for nitrite-free products is only 5-10%. The scientists argued that warning labels alone are insufficient and insisted that the use of nitrites itself should be phased out within a few years.
However, since the UK Department of Health and Social Care maintains the Food Standards Agency's (FSA) existing position that causality between nitrites and cancer has not been established, the direction of regulatory discussions remains uncertain.
In South Korea, a research team from Seoul National University tracked more than 70,000 women aged 40 to 69 for 10 years and found that women who ate sausages, ham, or bacon at least once a week had a 57% higher risk of developing breast cancer. The risk was particularly higher among women under 50.
The research team advised, "While it cannot be definitively stated that processed meat directly causes breast cancer, reducing consumption is advantageous from a preventive standpoint."
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