Processed meats declared too dangerous for human consumption

Check out this article from national review online:

The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) has just completed a detailed review of more than 7,000 clinical studies covering links between diet and cancer. Its conclusion is rocking the health world with startling bluntness: Processed meats are too dangerous for human consumption. Consumers should stop buying and eating all processed meat products for the rest of their lives. Processed meats include bacon, sausage, hot dogs, sandwich meat, packaged ham, pepperoni, salami and virtually all red meat used in frozen prepared meals. They are usually manufactured with a carcinogenic ingredient known as sodium nitrite. This is used as a color fixer by meat companies to turn packaged meats a bright red color so they look fresh. Unfortunately, sodium nitrite also results in the formation of cancer-causing nitrosamines in the human body. And this leads to a sharp increase in cancer risk for those who eat them. A 2005 University of Hawaii study found that processed meats increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by 67 percent. Another study revealed that every 50 grams of processed meat consumed daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 50 percent. These are alarming numbers. Note that these cancer risks do not come from eating fresh, non-processed meats. They only appear in people who regularly consume processed meat products containing sodium nitrite.


"They can take my bacon from my cold, dead hand. Which, is exactly what they say will happen."— Greg Pollowitz

..........this isn't new information.  Unfortunately, it is just now getting out to the general public.  How these practices continue to be swept under the rug by the FDA is maddening.  Do you think we will see this inedible garbage removed from store shelves?  Doubtful.  Cancer causing acrylamide is also known to be in processed foods, such as fast food fries.  We have known this for years, and nothing has been done to address it.  Here is a list of common foods and their acrylamide levels:

Food Serving                                           Acrylamide (mcg)


McDonalds French Fries, large 6.2 oz.                          82

Burger King French Fries, large 5.7 oz.                         59

KFC Potato Wedges, Jumbo 6.2 oz.                            52

Wendy’s French Fries, Biggie 5.6 oz.                            39

Ore Ida French Fries (baked) 3 oz.                               28

Pringles Potato Crisps 1 oz.                                           25

Fritos Corn Chips 1 oz.                                                 11

Cheerios 1 oz.                                                                7

Honey Nut Cheerios 1 oz.                                              6

Boiled Potatoes 4 oz.                                        less than 3

Water 8 oz.                                               0.12 (EPA limit)


Saddest part of all of this is that this has been all over the news, and most people are still completely unaware of it.  As a nutritionist this not only saddens me, it is sometimes overwhelming.  When it is my job to help people, and educate them on these things, and I don't even know where to begin!  I want to help people to learn to take care of themselves, but at the same time I don't want to promote fear and anxiety over everything they put in their mouths.  Sometimes by receiving this information, people who don't cook and subsist on these convenience foods withdraw and figure its a lost cause.  The lack of knowledge is evident every time I drive past McDonald's and the drive through line is wrapped around the building.