Bacon and other Processed Meats Probably Cause Cancer, WHO Experts Say

IARC classified processed meat as “carcinogenic to humans” on its group one list along with tobacco and asbestos, for which there is “sufficient evidence” of cancer links.


Each 50-gram (1.8-ounce) portion of processed meat eaten daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18 percent, the agency estimated.

Red meat was classified as probably carcinogenic in IARC’s group 2A list, joining glyphosate, the active ingredient in many weedkillers. People who do not eat red meat have much less of a chance of developing heart disease and bowel cancers than the average American.
Eating less red and processed meats has two benefits: a reduced risk for certain forms of cancer, and a reduced effect on climate change.


The DGAC deemed eating less red meat to be exceptionally beneficial to the environment as well as to human health. The IARC report strengthens the health component of the recommendation. The secretaries of USDA and Health and Human Services, however, have refused to allow environmental concerns to be considered in the 2015 dietary guidelines.