{"id":47354,"date":"2024-03-13T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-13T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foodrevolution.org\/?p=47354"},"modified":"2026-09-15T00:44:46","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T07:44:46","slug":"processed-meat-and-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foodrevolution.org\/blog\/processed-meat-and-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"Processed Meat and Colorectal Cancer: What the Research Says"},"content":{"rendered":"

I imagine that our ancient ancestors celebrated when they discovered that cooking, drying, and salting meat made it last longer, taste better, and reduce the probability that it could poison them. Win-win-win, right? The question of whether this processed meat could cause cancer later in life wouldn\u2019t have occurred to people whose main food problem was not getting enough, and whose life expectancy<\/a> was often only around 30 years.<\/p>\n

These days, however, the risk-benefit profile of processed meat is different, especially for people in the industrialized world. Statistically, you\u2019re likely to be alive well into your 70s (or if you\u2019re already in or past your 70s, into your 80s or 90s). And your biggest challenge isn\u2019t getting enough calories but refraining from consuming too many<\/a> \u2014 and the wrong kind.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot of research<\/a> showing that what you eat is a huge determinant of your health. Some types of foods promote health, while others tend to lead to disease.<\/strong> One of the latter that\u2019s garnered a lot of attention \u2014 from scientists, public health advocates, and foodies alike \u2014 is processed meat.<\/p>\n

Many international health organizations have issued guidelines recommending that you limit or even eliminate processed meat from your diet, citing evidence<\/a> that it can cause cancers, particularly those of the colon or rectum.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, others have asserted<\/a> that processed meat poses little or no risk.<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s the truth about processed meat and cancer? Should you be concerned? And what about plant-based alternatives to hot dogs, bacon, and cold cuts? Are they any better for you?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s find out.<\/p>\n

What Is Processed Meat?<\/h2>\n
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What are we talking about when we refer to processed meat? There\u2019s no universal definition; after all, killing an animal, cutting it up, and cooking it is technically a form of processing. To help us out, the World Health Organization (WHO) has defined<\/a> processed meat as meat that has undergone \u201csalting, curing, fermentation, smoking or other processes to enhance flavour or improve preservation.\u201d<\/strong> (Yes, spellcheck, that really is how to spell \u201cflavor\u201d in British English!)<\/p>\n

Examples of processed meats include sausages and hot dogs, jerky, canned meats, deli meats and cold cuts, bacon, smoked fish, and other meat. For our purposes, we can also include in that category ultra-processed foods<\/a> that contain meat, such as fast food, many frozen meals, and meat-based sauces.<\/p>\n

Do Processed Meats Cause Cancer?<\/h2>\n

Over the past couple of decades, a number of population studies suggested a causal relationship between red and processed meat and cancer.<\/strong> Based on this evidence, in 2014 the WHO\u2019s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) prioritized<\/a> the evaluation of these types of meat as part of its Monographs Programme. (A monograph is a long article or short book on a topic, as opposed to a monogram, which is someone\u2019s embroidered initials. But I digress.)<\/p>\n

After the IARC researchers thoroughly reviewed the scientific literature on possible links between meat and cancer (over 800 studies), they reported that red meat was a Group 2A carcinogen, while processed meat was a Group 1 carcinogen.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What does this mean? Well, the IARC has four food classes<\/a> based on the probability of it causing cancer:<\/p>\n