The study of the patterns, causes, and effects of health and disease in defined populations by IARC showed that that moderate increase in the consumption of red and processed meat upped the risk of cancer.
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Dr. Kurt Straif, a member of the IARC, said a person is more at risk of cancer if he or she frequently eats processed meat products. “The World Health Organization was focused on cancer hazards, and these are identifying things that under a few circumstances might cause cancer, and they’ve said that for processed red meat”. Another recent IARC report, which classified the herbicide glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen, has prompted a few law firms to seek out cancer sufferers who were exposed to the chemical, to file suit on their behalf.
By now, you’ve probably heard several news accounts about the World Health Organization report that associates the eating of processed meat with a higher risk of cancer.
Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades president Simon Wong Ka-wo said the report would affect the industry as processed meat is “big business”.
The group cited “sufficient evidence” linking processed meat-such as bacon and sausage-to colorectal cancer.
The IARC does not compare the level of risk associated with different substances in a given category, so does not suggest eating meat is as risky as smoking.
They found that each 50 gram portion of processed meat eaten daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18 percent. It does not mean that consuming red meat will give you cancer.
The Centre for Food Safety said the government has been closely monitoring the research into processed meat and will take follow- up actions accordingly. The risk, however, is tied down to the processed meat consumption of the consumer.
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The IARC invited a working team of 22 scientists, and the scientists reviewed around 800 epidemiological studies in which they examined the global habits of red- and processed-meat consumption. In other words, the research team looked at cold cuts, sausages, hot dogs, beef jerky, bacon and canned meat.
