Researcher: Provide bacon and ham with cancer warning

A group of British researchers demands that bacon and ham products be provided with health warnings similar to those found on cigarettes. They argue that this kind of meat, often preserved with chemicals called nitrites, poses a cancer risk that British governments have failed to address.

The research group urges the government to act based on growing evidence that these foods can increase the risk of cancer, especially colon cancer. This type of cancer is particularly increasing among young people for reasons that are still unclear despite increased research on potential causes.

Ten years ago, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified processed meat as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning there is strong evidence that it can cause cancer and places it in the same category as tobacco and asbestos.

Since then, the British government has faced increased pressure to regulate or ban carcinogenic preservatives used in many processed meat products such as bacon and ham.

Damage to DNA

Nitrites are added to keep the meat fresh and pink, enhance the flavor, and prevent it from spoiling. The danger comes from how nitrites behave once eaten. Inside the body, they can be converted into compounds called nitrosamines, which are potent carcinogens that damage DNA, the genetic material that controls how cells grow and divide.

These nitrosamines can attach to DNA in the liver and form DNA adducts, small chemical bonds that stick to the genetic material and distort its structure. This damage can cause genetic errors that accumulate over time and cause cells to divide uncontrollably, forming tumors, especially in the colon.

Nitrosamines can also trigger stress in cells by creating harmful molecules called reactive oxygen radicals, causing further DNA damage. This combination of oxidative stress and genetic instability can contribute to the development and spread of cancer.

Experts estimate that nitrites in processed meat products have caused approximately 54,000 cases of colorectal cancer in the UK over the past ten years. Since the IARC classification in 2015, the scientific consensus supporting this link has only grown stronger.

Works just as well without

Recent studies continue to confirm a clear link between consuming processed meat and an increased risk of colorectal cancer. Other research has extended these concerns to breast cancer, finding that women who eat processed meat weekly have a significantly higher risk than those who do not.

In response, the EU has tightened regulations by reducing the allowed levels of nitrites in processed meat. Industry groups of food manufacturers opposing a nitrite ban argue that abolishing them could make food less safe by increasing the risk of bacterial contamination. However, many food safety experts and researchers disagree. With modern refrigeration and hygiene standards, it is entirely possible to produce safe, sustainable charcuterie without nitrites, they argue.

European producers already sell nitrite-free meat on a large scale without any registered outbreaks of food poisoning associated with such products in decades. This questions the claim that nitrites are crucial for food safety.