Processed meats added to WHO's cancer list
Regular consumption of processed meat products does cause cancer, according to a new World Health Organisation (WHO) report that puts prepared and cured meat products on its list of cancer-causing substances.
A working Group of 22 experts from 10 countries convened by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of WHO, concluded that each 50 gram portion of processed meat – which includes the likes of cured meats, sausages, bacon and other prepared meat snacks – eaten daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%.
“Cue sensationalist headlines and huge industry backlash against these ‘obviously biased claims’. Can both sides please cut the nonsense?” asked our science editor Nathan Gray in a comment piece in which he pointed out that while the conclusion established a link between processed meat and cancer risk, it does not assess how much risk.
