British Advocacy Group Asks for Cancer Warnings on Ham, Bacon Products

Products such as bacon, ham, and hot dogs may contain curing ingredients, such as nitrites, to preserve them.

A worker monitors a meat grinding machine at a meat processing plant in Yakima, Wa., on Dec. 29, 2003. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Meats cured with nitrites, such as bacon and ham, must feature cancer warnings, advocacy group Coalition Against Nitrites said in an Oct. 24 letter to British Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting.

In an October 2015 statement, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified processed meat as carcinogenic, or cancer-causing, to humans based on “sufficient evidence” showing that its consumption is linked to colorectal cancer. Consuming 50 grams of processed meat on a daily basis raises the risk of such cancer by 18 percent, it said.

“A decade on, we—a coalition of independent scientists, cancer specialists and public health experts—register our profound disappointment that decisive protective measures have not been taken in the UK,” the coalition said in the letter.

Sodium nitrites and nitrates are forms of salt that help preserve the shelf life of meat by controlling bacterial growth and preventing rancidity, according to a post by the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Products such as bacon, ham, and hot dogs may contain curing ingredients, such as nitrites, to preserve them.

Nitrites present in cured meats promote the formation of nitrosamines, which are compounds having “clear carcinogenic potential,” the coalition’s letter said.

“Despite repeated confirmation from independent studies and sustained public concern, policy responses remain fragmented and inadequate. There has been no meaningful phase-out of nitrite use, no mandatory front-of-pack cancer warning to inform consumers, and little support for producers to transition to safer alternatives,” it said.

The advocacy asked Streeting to commit to three actions.

First, mandate that nitrite-cured products clearly display warnings on the front of the package that explain the cancer risk.

The second involves committing to a long-term plan to phase out the use of nitrites in processed meats sold in the United Kingdom, including passing necessary regulatory measures to ensure compliance, the letter said.

The final action is to fund and incentivize research into alternatives to nitrites and safer curing methods, and to support such a transition in the meat industry, including providing the required support for small and medium-sized producers.

The coalition cited precedent from similar tobacco regulations and the UK’s position on setting global standards for nitrite use.

“It is therefore concerning that no satisfactory action has been taken on nitrites in processed meats,” the latter stated.

The letter comes amid concerns in the United States about the consumption of processed foods.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Make America Healthy Again Commission have raised concerns about the consumption of ultra-processed foods. A report by the commission blamed such foods for higher calorie intake, depleted nutrition, and exposure to harmful additives among Americans.

In addition to meat, other processed foods include cereals, sweetened beverages, packaged bread, and packaged snacks such as chips and cookies.

In an Aug. 7 brief, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that roughly 55 percent of total calories consumed by Americans aged one year and older came from ultra-processed foods. Young people were found to be more likely to consume such items.

In April, New York-based Smith Packing LLC recalled roughly 18,792 pounds of ready-to-eat sausage and other meat products due to sodium nitrite levels exceeding regulatory limits, according to an April 29 announcement from the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) agency.

The problem came to light after the company received multiple complaints from consumers about the products being off-color and off-taste.

In June last year, FSIS issued a public health alert for certain pork and beef bacon products, citing high sodium nitrite levels.