According to French health officials, excessive consumption of charcuterie may cause cancer, dealing a blow to their country’s cherished cold meat industry.
Responsible is the carcinogenic coloring agents used to give hams their renowned pink hue.
The government of Emmanuel Macron has committed to restricting the use of nitrates and nitrites, stating that it is essential to limit their usage to “strictly necessary” proportions.
However, France will not prohibit manufacturers of processed foods from including them.
Following a 2015 World Health Organization (WHO) judgment that labeled processed beef as carcinogenic, the number of calls for similar action in the United Kingdom is increasing.
Sir Chris Whitty, England’s senior medical officer who rose to prominence for his role in guiding the country through the Covid pandemic, is at the helm of the drive to forever alter British bacon.
Approximately ninety percent of bacon sold in British stores contains chemicals.
Nitrates and nitrites have also been related to breast and prostate cancers, in addition to colon cancer.
During her final days battling bowel cancer, the late broadcaster Dame Deborah James, also known as “bowel babe,” donated millions of dollars for charity.
Anses, France’s national food safety agency, announced yesterday that its research had reached the same conclusion as the WHO, associating exposure to nitrites and nitrates with an increased risk of colon cancer.
Nitrites are commonly used to increase the shelf life of processed meats by inhibiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria such as salmonella, listeria, and botulism.
Importantly, they also impart an enticingly sour flavor and a fresh-looking pink tint to items like bacon.
Nitrates, on the other hand, are most typically employed as a fertilizer in agriculture and can sometimes be detected in water supplies as a result, although they can also be utilized as a preservative in meats.
Anses, the French equivalent of the Food Standards Authority in the United Kingdom, advocates limiting exposure to nitrates and nitrites voluntarily through food consumption.
It stated, ‘Nitrites and nitrates ate through food and water are known to trigger the production of nitroso compounds, some of which are carcinogenic and genotoxic to humans.’
The greater the population’s exposure to these substances, the higher the risk of colorectal cancer.
The organization estimates that eating charcuterie accounts for almost half of the French population’s daily exposure to nitrites.
However, 99 percent of the population does not exceed the healthy daily exposure guidelines for nitrites and nitrates.
This corresponds to 0.07mg of nitrites per kilogram of body weight per day and 3.7mg of nitrates per kilogram of body weight per day.
Anses admitted that their proposed move could reduce the shelf life of products such as cooked hams.
Anses recommended that consumers consume no more than 150g of processed meats per week, or 20g per day, which is about similar to one slice of ham.
Current UK recommendations recommend that Britons consume no more than 70g of cooked red or processed meat per day, which is more than three times the French recommendation of 20g.
The French action stops short of a complete ban on the use of chemical additives, which was feared by the country’s processed meat industry, which is estimated to be worth $5.65 billion annually.
In February, nitrite and nitrate intake limits were suggested for the nation.
However, several British professionals and politicians, led by the Conservative MP Dr. Daniel Poulter, advocate a complete prohibition on this side of the English Channel.
Former health minister under David Cameron, Dr. Poulter has garnered cross-party support for his motion, which also has the backing of Sir Chris, the government’s top medical officer.
They want meat producers to employ more natural alternatives that provide the same purpose as preservatives without the added cancer risk.
British meat producer organizations have responded by stating that some producers have already decreased their use of nitrites by as much as sixty percent compared to previous levels.
In addition, nitrite-free products are currently available in select British supermarkets.
In response to the Anses revelation, the French processed meat manufacturer association FICT stated that it has already decreased nitrite usage significantly.
Bernard Vallat, chairman of the FICT, stated, “If we induced microbiological mishaps due to a lack of nitrites, it would be considerably worse than the hypothetical risk mentioned.”
Approximately 43,000 new cases of colon cancer are diagnosed annually in the United Kingdom, making it the fourth most prevalent disease in the country.
Cancer Research UK estimates that around 13% of these cases (almost 6,000) were caused by the consumption of processed beef.
Each year, over 140,000 Americans are diagnosed with cancer.
Colorectal cancer symptoms include a chronic change in bowel habits, such as looser, runnier poop, blood in stool, and abdominal pain after eating.
Even though most people with these symptoms do not have colon cancer, those who experience symptoms for more than three weeks should consult a physician.
