Bacon and sausage rank alongside cigarettes as major cause of cancer

BACON, ham and sausages have been placed in the same category as cigarettes as a major cause of cancer by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Its report states eating 1.8oz (50g) of processed meat a day – the equivalent of one sausage, or fewer than two slices of bacon – increases the chance of developing bowel cancer by 18 per cent.

The processed meat is now listed as a “cancer-causing substance” – the highest of five possible rankings and a status shared with alcohol, asbestos, arsenic and cigarettes. Red meat was ranked on the next level – as a “probable” carcinogen.

Cancer charities welcomed the findings and said those eating a lot of processed meats should cut back, although the occasional bacon bap would do little harm.

Although the processed meats have been classed in the highest risk category, that does not mean they pose as much danger as cigarettes, experts stressed. The classifications describe the strength of the scientific evidence that a substance causes cancer, rather than the level of risk attached to it.

The recommendations follow a meeting of scientists from 10 nations, including the UK, who reviewed 800 studies.

Dr Kurt Straif, from WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, said: “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.”

Prof Tim Key, from Cancer Research UK, said the links were backed by substantial evidence.

“If you eat lots of it you may want to think about cutting down. You could try having fish for your dinner rather than sausages, or choosing to have a bean salad for lunch over a BLT,” he said.

Current NHS advice is to limit intake of all meats to 2.5oz (70g) a day, but there is no specific recommended limit for cured and processed meats.

In the UK the average man eats 3oz (88g) of meat a day, while women eat 2oz (52g) but one in three people has more than 3.5oz (100g) a day, research suggests. A fry-up including two rashers of bacon and two sausages would make up almost 4.6oz (130g).

Dr Ian Johnson, nutrition researcher at the Institute of Food Research, said: “Meat consumption is probably one of many factors contributing to the high rates of bowel cancer seen in America, Western Europe and Australia, but the mechanism is poorly understood, and the effect is much smaller than, for example, that of cigarette smoking on the risk of lung cancer.

“It is also worth noting that there is little or no evidence that vegetarians in the UK have a lower risk of bowel cancer than meat-eaters.”

Speaking before the report was published, he pointed out that cigarette smoking increases the risk of lung cancer around 20 fold.