Scientists are calling for cigarette-style cancer warnings on bacon and ham sold in the UK, citing the link between nitrites in processed meat and bowel cancer. The demand comes a decade after the World Health Organization (WHO) classified processed meat as carcinogenic to humans, putting it in the same category as tobacco and asbestos.
Four scientists who contributed to the WHO's 2015 declaration, along with other experts, have written to Health Secretary Wes Streeting urging bold action. They argue that successive UK governments have done “virtually nothing” to reduce the risk from nitrites, which are added to bacon and ham for curing, preservation, and colour.
The Coalition Against Nitrites, which organised the letter, claims that inaction has led to 54,000 Britons developing bowel cancer, costing the NHS £3 billion. The scientists recommend that mandatory warning labels be placed on the estimated 90% to 95% of bacon and ham packets containing nitrites, and that food producers phase out these chemicals over the next few years.
Denis Corpet, emeritus professor of food safety at Toulouse University and one of the signatories, said: “Consumers deserve clear information. Most people don’t realise that the WHO classifies nitrite-cured meats like bacon and ham in the same carcinogenic category as tobacco and asbestos.” He added that ministers should introduce labels similar to “smoking kills” on cigarettes.
The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) acknowledged the clear evidence linking processed meat to colorectal cancer but stopped short of endorsing warning labels. Kate Oldridge-Turner, the charity’s head of policy, advised that dietary guidelines should reinforce limited consumption and increase availability of healthy foods in public settings.
Professor Chris Elliott, a former government adviser on food safety, criticised the lack of action: “A decade on from the WHO report, the UK government has done virtually nothing to reduce exposure to nitrites… Every year of delay means more preventable cancers, more families affected and greater strain on the NHS.” A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson responded that the Food Standards Agency considers the link between nitrates, nitrites, and cancer as inconclusive.
