Bacon, burgers and sausages were this week deemed to
be as big a cancer threat as cigarettes, according to global health chiefs.The warning saw processed meat added to the list of
items classified as carcinogenic to humans by the World Health Organization.
It means dietary favourites, including salami,
chorizo and smoked ham, rank alongside arsenic and asbestos, when it comes to the
potential cancer risk.
Officials said just 50g of processed meat a day –
less than one sausage – increases the risk of bowel cancer by almost a fifth.
The
report also classified red meat as 'probably carcinogenic' – one rank below –
but added that it had some nutritional benefits.
Experts
are now urging the public to avoid processed meat where possible and to have a
bean salad for lunch rather than a BLT.
A
processed meat has been preserved, for example by smoking, and includes ham and
pate, as well as burgers and minces if they have been preserved using salt or
chemical additives.
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