Scientists demand a ban on supermarket bacon after chemical used linked to 50,000 cancer cases

Warning: This article contains discussion of cancer which some readers may find distressing.

Top health experts are calling for a ban on most supermarket bacon after a chemical used in production is being linked to 54,000 bowel cancer cases.

Bowel cancer, also known as colon cancer, is one of the biggest causes of cancer deaths in the UK, behind lung cancer.

According to Cancer Research UK, there are said to be 16,800 bowel cancer deaths in the UK every year.

The charity also estimates that 'around 13 out of 100 bowel cancers (around 5,400) in the UK are linked to eating processed meats'.

Processed meat refers to meat that has been altered to extend its shelf life or enhance its flavour, typically through methods such as smoking, curing, or salting, and by adding chemical preservatives like nitrates.

Examples of processed meats include bacon, ham, corned beef, and certain sausages such as salami, chorizo, and hot dogs.

And so in a letter to UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting, scientists from the Coalition Against Nitrates has urged the government to phase out nitrates entirely and mandate clear front-of-pack cancer warnings.

Around 90 percent to 95 percent of packets of bacon and ham sold in the UK contain the dangerous chemical.

Bacon is preserved using dangerous chemicals such as nitrites, scientists say (Getty Stock Images)

“Consumers deserve clear information. Most people don’t realise that the WHO classifies nitrite-cured meats like bacon and ham in the same carcinogenic category as tobacco and asbestos,” Denis Corpet, an emeritus professor of food safety and nutrition at Toulouse University and one of the four scientists, told The Guardian.

“Ministers have a responsibility to protect public health and reduce the risk of bowel cancer linked to these products and so should introduce mandatory warning labels on product packaging similar to ‘smoking kills’ on cigarettes.”

“There is clear evidence that consuming processed meat increases the risk of colorectal cancer,” added Kate Oldridge-Turner, the head of policy and public affairs of the World Cancer Research Fund.

“This is through a complex set of reactions occurring in the body when processed meat is eaten, including the nitrites added during processing forming carcinogenic chemicals.”

Colon cancer is one of the biggest causes of cancer deaths in the UK (Getty Stock Images)

Professor Chris Elliott, who is one of the letter’s signatories, criticised the UK government for not acting on the World Health Organisation’s warning about the cancer risks of nitrites used in processed meats.

He warned that by the government not taking action is costing lives, as continued exposure to these chemicals leads to more preventable cases of cancer.

“Each year of inaction results in more preventable cancer cases, more families suffering, and increased pressure on the NHS,” the expert added.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “The Food Standards Agency have made clear that the link between nitrates and nitrites and cancer remains inconclusive.”

According to the NHS, symptoms of bowel cancer may include:

· Changes in your pooing habits

· Bleeding from your bottom

· Feeling like you need to poo even if you've just been to the toilet

· Tummy pain

· A lump in your tummy

· Bloating

· Losing weight without trying

· Feeling very tired for no reason

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.