Overview
- The determination covers products such as ham, bacon, sausages, hot dogs, salami and other ready-to-eat cured meats.
- Evidence reviewed by IARC links industrial curing and smoking, along with high-temperature cooking, to DNA-damaging compounds.
- Nitrites and nitrates used in preservation can form nitrosamines, and grilling or frying can produce heterocyclic amines associated with cancer risk.
- Epidemiological analyses report a dose–response pattern, with a moderate increase in colorectal cancer risk per 50 grams of processed meat consumed daily, with some reports citing about an 18–20% rise.
- Health experts advise cutting frequent intake, choosing alternatives like fish, legumes and plant-based foods, and note that occasional consumption carries far lower risk within an overall healthy lifestyle.