Ham sold in UK found to contain carcinogens 10 years after WHO warning | Health

The ham and bacon sold by supermarkets, including Tesco, and Marks and Spencer still contain carcinogenic chemicals almost 10 years after the World Health Organization warned the dangers of their use in transformed meats.

HAM Wiltshire is the product with the highest concentrations of nitrites, according to the analysis which compared it to cooked ham and unmoved bacon.

Every 21 products tested in a laboratory contain nitrites, which are used to preserve meat, despite WHO in October 2015, declaring them dangerous.

Tesco’s Wiltshire ham contained the most nitrites – nearly 33 milligrams per kilogram. It was 11 times the 2.88 mg / kg in his cooked ham and almost four times 8.64 mg / kg in his unmoved bacon. And it was also almost 18 times the 1.84 mg / kg found in the bacon of Morrisons.

Other Wiltshire HAM products, including those sold by M&S (28.6 mg / kg), Sainsbury’s (21.1 mg / kg) and Morrisons (19.2 mg / kg) also contain relatively high levels, although the ASDA version has only 8 mg / kg.

Food activists, who want prohibited nitrites, said that the conclusions were “alarming”.

Cancer’s charitable organizations have said that the general use of nitrites has shown that people should eat as little transformed meat as possible, such as ham, bacon and sausages, as consumption increases the risk of intestine cancer. Cancer Research UK estimates that 13% of 44,100 cases of disease diagnosed each year in Britain are linked to processed meat.

The analysis was commissioned by the Against Nitrites and company Coalition by Food Science Fusion, an independent company, and experts in the Rajectionch laboratory. However, he found that nitritis levels in the 21 products were much lower than the legal limit of 150 mg / kg.

A spokesperson for the Against Nitrite coalition, who includes food security experts, specialist doctors and politicians from most of the main parties in the United Kingdom, said: “It is almost a full decade since WHO has classified the meats transformed into nitrite into nitrite as a group of disappointing and alarming nitrites that we continue to see products nitrites. “

They added: “Consumers are increasingly aware of the dangers of nitrites in transformed meats, but they continue to be exposed to their own risk.”

Ham Wiltshire contains such high levels of nitrites because during the production process, pork is injected with nitrates, as also occurs with cooked ham. However, the Wiltshire ham is then soaked in a bath of brine and nitrites, to give it its red color and protect it from fatal bacteria. At this stage, a chemical reaction occurs, which transforms nitrates into nitrites.

Professor Chris Elliott, the food security expert who led the government’s investigation into the 2013 horse meat scandal, said that research confirmed that nitrites remained “unnecessarily raised in certain British meat products”.

He added: “Given the growing scientific evidence of their risk of cancer, we must prioritize safer alternatives and take urgent measures to eliminate these dangerous chemicals from our diet.”

Several food companies, including Finnebrug and Waitrose, responded to growing concerns about nitrites by producing bacon that is free.

Dr. Rachel Orritt, director of information on cancer health Research UK, said: “Transformed meat consumption increases the risk of intestine cancer. Nitrites … can cause cellular damage, which is one of the ways in which the transformed meat is linked to intestine cancer. The least processed meat you eat, the more your risk of intestinal cancer. ”

Dr. Giota Mitro, director of research and policies at the World Cancer Research Fund, said that he recommended “eating as little or no transformed meat as possible”.

A Tesco spokesperson said: “We follow all the requirements of the United Kingdom and the EU, in parallel with the advice of the UK Food Standards Agency, to ensure the right balance between improving the shelf life and the safety of our products with a limited use of additives.

“Nitritis levels in all our products, including our best Wiltshire ham, the most beautiful Wiltshire, fall considerably below the legal limits in the United Kingdom and the EU.

“Nitrates and nitrites are an important part of the hardening process for certain meats and they are used to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria which cause serious food poisoning.”

Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability of the British Retail Consortium, which represents supermarkets, said: “Food security is essential for our members and they implement strict policies with their suppliers to ensure that all products comply with British food legislation.”