The World Health Organisation (WHO) released a report which placed processed meats, including bacon and sausages, in the same category as smoking and asbestos as cancer causing.
The WHO’s cancer research unit now classifies processed meat as “carcinogenic to humans” based on evidence from hundreds of studies, and linked it specifically to colon, or colorectal, cancer. The report outlined that simply eating 50 grams of processed meat each day which is the equivalent of two slices of ham, can increase the risk of such cancer by 18%. 
WHO defines processed meat as any type of meat that is salted, cured, fermented or smoked to enhance it’s flavour or preserve it. Processed meat generally contains pork or beef, hot dogs, ham, sausages, corned beef, canned meat, suya, kilishi. It defines red meat as any muscle that comes from a mammal, including beef, veal, pork, lamb, mutton, horse, and goat.
Unprocessed red meat such as steak and lamb shanks is classified as “probably carcinogenic” means probable to cause cancer!
What does this mean for meat lovers? How much needs to be consumed to be at risk?
The WHO said the finding was important for public health since processed meat is so widely consumed. However, it said red meat still has “nutritional value.”
According to NBC news – Biology is always messy. Just because something raises the risk of cancer doesn’t mean it will always cause cancer, and of course other things that people eat and do will affect the risk, too. People who eat a lot of fruits and vegetables will lower this risk of cancer but might not eliminate it. 
The IARC says a 50 gram portion of processed meat eaten every day raises the risk of colon cancer by 18 percent — that’s two to three slices of bacon.
So mums, like the good doctor says a balanced diet is the best advise and moderation, increase the consumption of fruit and vegetables and reduce the amount of processed food consumed daily.
What are your opinions about this report? Would you go vegetarian? share your comments with us in the comment boxes below.
