蜜芽传媒

Processed meat - like ham, bacon and sausages, has just been put on a list of substances which can cause cancer in humans. The list also includes alcohol, asbestos and cigarettes. The World Health Organisation says that just 50 grammes of processed meat a day - less than two slices of bacon - increases the chance of developing bowel cancer by 18%. The report also says red meats like beef and lamb are "probably carcinogenic" but that there is limited evidence. Dr Kurt Straif from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which compiled the report, denies it is alarmist. But the findings could have huge repercussions for the meat industry. It will be mindful that sugar sales fell last year after the same organisation issued a warning on over-consumption of sweet stuff. So will this make consumers think twice about eating meat? We talk to Shaylein Mcneil from the US's National Cattlemen's Beef Association, and food writer and advocate of meat-free days, Sue Quinn.

(Picture: Bacon sandwich. Picture credit: Thinkstock.)