Telegraph: More than two-thirds of English councils serving nitrite-cured meats in schools

Two in three schools are serving a type of processed meat that has been linked to cancer, research from the Coalition Against Nitrites has found.

Our Freedom of Information survey of 173 local authorities found that 68 per cent of councils are serving nitrite-cured meats such as bacon and ham in schools.

Only 16 per cent of local authorities had stopped the practice, with the remainder unable to provide clear information on school-meal menus.

Prof Chris Elliott, founder of the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University Belfast, said:

“We know schools are under great pressure on many fronts, but it is really not acceptable that many are putting the health and well-being of children at risk by serving nitrite-cured meats. It is the antithesis of what schools want to achieve. We have safe alternatives to nitrites that are now becoming more widely available in supermarkets.”

“Our schools should be taking the lead in providing healthy, nourishing food for pupils, not jeopardising their futures. In the UK and across the world, colon cancer rates are rising, especially among young people. Banning nitrites from processed meats would be a very important step in stemming this extremely worrying trend.”

Read the full story in The Telegraph.