Leading scientists are urging the UK government to introduce cigarette-style cancer warnings on packets of bacon and ham, citing strong evidence that chemicals used in processed meats cause bowel cancer.
Their appeal comes a decade after the World Health Organization (WHO) classified processed meats as carcinogenic to humans, placing them in the same risk category as tobacco and asbestos. Despite this, experts say successive UK governments have done “virtually nothing” to curb the use of nitrites — chemicals added to meat to preserve colour and flavour.
According to the Coalition Against Nitrites, government inaction since 2015 has led to 54,000 preventable bowel cancer cases, costing the NHS around £3 billion. The group has written to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, calling for mandatory warning labels and a gradual phase-out of nitrite use in processed meat.
“Consumers deserve clear information,” said Prof Denis Corpet of Toulouse University, one of the scientists behind the original WHO warning. “Most people don’t realise that nitrite-cured meats are in the same carcinogenic category as tobacco.”
The World Cancer Research Fund confirmed there is “clear evidence” linking processed meat consumption to colorectal cancer, though it stopped short of supporting graphic warning labels. Instead, it urged stronger dietary guidance and reduced processed meat availability in schools and public institutions.
Prof Chris Elliott, a food safety expert and signatory of the letter, criticised the government for its inaction: “Every year of delay means more preventable cancers and greater strain on the NHS.”
In response, the Department of Health and Social Care said the Food Standards Agency considers the evidence on nitrites and cancer to be “inconclusive.”
