Bacon: Do you know what you're Eating?

By Chris Randall

Processed meat is a big part of Canadian culture and an even bigger part of the economy of south east Manitoba. You just can’t get away from it, bacon, ham, salami and hot dogs are a constant feature of Canadian cuisine and are eaten at breakfast, lunch and supper. We are constantly reminded that the Manitoba Hog Industry is a great success story but, in the journey from pig to plate the meat industry turns healthy pork into a poisonous substance that is killing its customers.

A recent article by journalist Bee Wilson in The Guardian laid out the problem very clearly from a British perspective, but her article will likely have passed most Canadians by. The problem lies with the two chemicals used to create these processed meats. A mixture of sodium nitrite and in some cases potassium nitrate are added to create the distinctive taste and look of modern charcuterie. Potassium nitrate, more commonly known as saltpetre, has been used for centuries to cure meat. As well as doing a good job of preventing the growth of harmful bacteria it also helps to create the pink colour. But recently we have begun to understand the harm that even “natural” chemicals can cause and diseases like colorectal cancer have been recognized.

Nitrites and nitrates are common chemicals. They are found in vegetables and even saliva but it seems that when they are added to red meat they are converted to a number of toxic compounds including nitrosamine that are known to cause a variety of cancers. Nor surprisingly most of these cancers are along the intestinal tract though Ms. Wilson, in her article, also references a new study showing bacon consumption is linked with an increased likelihood of breast cancer in women.

None of this is really news. Over fifty years ago studies were pointing to disease risks associated with processed meat and in 2015 the World Health Organisation advised that processed meat, specifically charcuterie should be viewed as a class 1 carcinogen*. The WHO found that much evidence confirming the links to cancer.

What is new, is how hard the meat industry has pushed to continue using the nitrate/nitrite cocktail to process meat. Using techniques similar to the tobacco industry when faced with evidence of a link to cancer, the meat industry's tactics have ranged from outright lies, to confusion and diversion. One of the biggest has been the claim that unless we use these chemicals as a preservative many more people would die of botulism than are currently dying from cancer. In doing so they completely ignore the preserving process that has made Parma ham the gold standard of cured meats; pure salt. Could it be that instead of caring about consumer well-being they are motivated by the increased profits from nitrite curing meat. Unlike much slower salt curing, using nitrates allows for a much quicker production. For products that will be inevitably be refrigerated there is no reason to add these chemicals at all other than to achieve some nostalgic notion of taste.

If you are a wealthy foodie living in the city it is not difficult to avoid nitrite contaminated meat through careful shopping choices. Even organic bacon, however, is allowed to be cured with nitrates. Chances are, fortunately, that your diet will also include a variety of leafy green vegetables that help to counteract the harmful cancer-causing agents. These choices, unfortunately, do not exist for many low and middle income families. This is an example of how markets are unable to protect health. It is also another example of how powerful lobby groups have been able to exert undue influence, delaying or limiting regulation. So often we see that what is deemed to be of “national” interest might not be the same as the public’s interest.

* Here is what the WHO says:

8. Processed meat was classified as Group 1, carcinogenic to humans. What does this mean?

This category is used when there is sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans. In other words, there is convincing evidence that the agent causes cancer. The evaluation is usually based on epidemiological studies showing the development of cancer in exposed humans.

In the case of processed meat, this classification is based on sufficient evidence from epidemiological studies that eating processed meat causes colorectal cancer.

9. Processed meat was classified as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1). Tobacco smoking and asbestos are also both classified as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1). Does it mean that consumption of processed meat is as carcinogenic as tobacco smoking and asbestos?

No, processed meat has been classified in the same category as causes of cancer such as tobacco smoking and asbestos (IARC Group 1, carcinogenic to humans), but this does NOT mean that they are all equally dangerous. The IARC classifications describe the strength of the scientific evidence about an agent being a cause of cancer, rather than assessing the level of risk.