The Science
There is a growing consensus of scientific opinion that nitrites in processed meats react with secondary amines to produce carcinogenic nitrosamines in the stomach when the meat is cooked and ingested. A wealth of evidence from the World Health Organisation, UK, US and European universities, as well as government agencies, has directly linked the consumption of processed meat to colorectal cancer.
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WHO: 34,000 cancer deaths a year linked to diets high in processed meats
The World Health Organisation has declared nitrite-cured processed meats to be a Group One carcinogen, following a report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
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EFSA: Exposure to nitrosamines through nitrite-cured processed meats a “health concern” for all ages
The European Food Safety Authority have recommended reducing the use of nitrites in processed meats following their risk assessment in 2023.
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ANSES: Confirmed link between nitrite-cured processed meats and cancer
The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety confirmed in 2022 there is a link between colorectal cancer and nitrites in processed meats, recommending limiting dietary exposure to nitrites by processed meat products.
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Queen’s University: Mice trials demonstrate link between nitrite-cured meat and cancer
A Queen’s University Belfast report, published in the journal Nature, found mice fed a diet of nitrite-containing processed meat developed 75% more cancerous than a control group, demonstrating the difference between meat that contains nitrites and meat that is nitrite-free.
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University of Hong Kong: Nitrite-cured meat consumption “significantly associated” with risk of breast cancer
A study by researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, published in 2022, looked at a total of 1,307 breast cancer cases and 1,050 age-matched controls from three hospitals over a period of seven years.
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BMPA: Contrary to previous claims, nitrites do not protect against botulism
The Observer newspaper reported on a leaked internal report produced for the British meat industry, which found nitrites do not in fact prevent the growth of C-botulinum, a claim that has often been made in support of continued use of the chemicals in processed meat.
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Johns Hopkins: Nitrite-meats linked to manic episodes and mental health problems
A 2018 analysis by Johns Hopkins University found that people hospitalised for a manic episode were more than three times more likely to have ever eaten nitrite-cured meats than people without a history of a serious psychiatric disorder.
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Glasgow University: Nitrite-cured processed meat linked to hundreds of avoidable cases of breast cancer
The findings, published in the European Journal of Cancer, show that even those who ate small and infrequent servings of the nitrite-cured processed meats were 15 per cent more likely to develop breast cancer than those who abstained.
