Supermarket Bacon and Ham Linked to 50,000+ Bowel Cancer Cases

Strategic Insights -

A coalition of leading scientists, including Professor Chris Elliott OBE, founder of the Institute for Global Food Security, are calling for a ban on nitrites in processed meats, citing the devastating human and financial costs of bowel cancer caused by the chemicals. According to analysis based on figures from Cancer Research UK and the British Journal of Cancer, 5,400 bowel cancer cases each year are caused by eating processed meats, with treatment costs averaging £59,000 per patient. This comes as the World Health Organisation (WHO) classified processed meat as a Group 1 carcinogen ten years ago, yet ministers have taken little action to reduce Britons' exposure.

Key Takeaways:

  • A coalition of scientists, led by Professor Chris Elliott OBE, are calling for a ban on nitrites in processed meats due to the links to bowel cancer.
  • Analysis based on figures from Cancer Research UK and the British Journal of Cancer estimates that 5,400 bowel cancer cases each year are caused by eating processed meats.
  • The WHO classified processed meat as a Group 1 carcinogen ten years ago, yet ministers have done 'virtually nothing' to reduce Britons' exposure.
  • Treatment costs for each bowel cancer patient average £59,000.
  • Up to 90% of bacon sold in the UK contains nitrites, which have also been linked to breast and prostate cancer.
  • Nitrite-free bacon and ham make up only 5-10% of the market.
  • The coalition is urging the Health Secretary to mandate clear front-of-pack cancer warnings on nitrite-cured products and to phase out the use of the chemicals in all processed meats sold in the UK.

Statistics:

  • 50,000+ bowel cancer cases linked to processed meat consumption.
  • 5,400 bowel cancer cases each year are caused by eating processed meats.
  • One in 19 cases of bowel cancer in the UK are linked to meat preservatives.
  • Treatment costs for each bowel cancer patient average £59,000.
  • £3 billion NHS bill to treat 'preventable' cancers over the past decade.

Sources:

  • Cancer Research UK
  • British Journal of Cancer
  • World Health Organisation (WHO)
  • Institute for Global Food Security
  • University of Minnesota
  • NHS guidelines