EATING just one-and-a-half sausages or two rashers of bacon a day could increase your risk of cancer by up to 18 per cent, world health experts warned yesterday.
They said a daily intake of 50g of processed meat raises the chance of bowel, colon or rectal cancer.
UK expert Prof Tim Key said: “This doesn’t mean you have to stop eating processed meat. But you may want to think about cutting down.”
But processed meats such as bacon and sausages will now be officially ranked alongside plutonium, cigarettes, asbestos and sunbeds as causes of cancer.
Red meat has also been considered as “possibly” cancer causing but researchers admitted there was “limited evidence” on its dangers.
The grim link was confirmed by the World Health Organisation.
Twenty-two scientists had reviewed more than 800 studies carried out in the past two decades on the health risks of a meaty diet.
They concluded that for every 50g of processed meat you eat daily, you increase your risk of bowel, colon or rectal cancer by 18 per cent.
This is equivalent to just two rashers of bacon, one and a half sausages, three hot dog sausages, two Pepperami or two thick slices of ham. One cooked sausage weighs around 35g.
And if you eat as many as four bacon rashers a day, your risk of cancer is raised by 36 per cent.
The report also found eating 100g of red meat a day — the equivalent of a 9oz steak — could increase your risk of the same cancers by about 17 per cent. Experts could not say whether the risks were higher in one particular sex or age group.
They also had “no conclusion” on whether there was a safe level of meat to eat.
It is estimated that about 34,000 deaths worldwide are attributable to diets high in processed meat, the report said.
In the UK six in every 100 people get bowel cancer.
Twenty-one per cent of bowel cancers are caused by processed or red meat, which inc- ludes beef, pork, lamb and goat.
But several UK experts stressed the cancer risk was relatively low.
Professor Kevin McConway, of The Open University, said processed meat may be put in the same category as cigarettes but it does not make it as dangerous.
He stressed: “There are well over 100 different agents in Group 1”.
Researchers defined processed meat as anything transformed to improve its flavour or preserve it.
This might include corned beef, dried meat like beef jerky, canned meat or even meat-based sauces.
Processes include salting, curing, fermentation or smoking.
Research has found cooking meat over a flame increases our exposure to cancer-causing carcinogens.
Cancer Research UK has previously warned barbecue chefs not to over-do the chargrilled meat.
Treats not off menu
By PROF TIM KEY, of Cancer Research UK
THIS decision doesn’t mean you need to stop eating red and processed meat. But if you eat lots, you may want to think about cutting down.
Eating a bacon bap once in a while isn’t going to do much harm — having a healthy diet is all about moderation.
Overall red and processed meat cause fewer cases of cancer in the UK than some other lifestyle factors, notably smoking.
Tomato fights Big C
A “SUPER tomato” that could fight heart disease and cancer has been developed by British scientists.
The fruit is packed with high levels of plant chemicals thought to protect against the health risks.
It contains the same amount of antioxidant resveratrol, which also slows down ageing, as 50 bottles of red wine. And it has as much genistein, believed to reduce the risk of breast cancer, as five pounds of tofu.
The team at the John Innes Centre in Norwich added a special protein called AtMYB12 to boost production of the compounds. A spokesman said the tomatoes will be grown in big batches for medical research rather than sold in shops.
Meanwhile, another study found teenagers who eat plenty of fruit and veg have far healthier hearts 20 years later.
Those who ate nine portions a day were 26 per cent less likely to have hardened arteries in middle age than those who ate just two.
Researcher Dr Michael Miedema, of the Minneapolis Heart Institute, said: “People shouldn’t assume they can wait until later to eat healthy. Early choices have lifelong benefits.”
