Top health experts and scientists have written to Wes Streeting, the UK health secretary, urging that bacon and other processed meat products that contain nitrates carry warnings similar to those on cigarettes \u2014 or be phased out entirely. The letter comes ten years after the World Health Organization<\/a> declared that processed meat was a carcinogen.<\/p>\n Getty<\/p>\n Stock image of bacon on a plate.<\/p>\n \u201cNitrates in cured meats promote the formation of nitrosomes, compounds with clear carcinogenic potential,\u201d the letter, as released by the Coalition Against Nitrates<\/a>, says.<\/p>\n The team urges \u201ca long-term plan to phase out nitrite use in processed meats\u201d \u2014 and in the meantime, \u201cMandate clear front-of-pack warnings on nitrite-cured products that communicate cancer risk to consumers and parents.\u201d<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for\u00a0PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a>\u00a0to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n Nitrates give cured meats \u201ctheir pink color and savory flavor,\u201d the National Institute of Health<\/a> says \u2014\u00a0but \u201cingesting too much nitrite can induce methemoglobinemia [a blood disorder] in children and raise the risk of developing colorectal cancer in adults.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cConsumers deserve clear information. Most people don\u2019t realise that the WHO classifies nitrite-cured meats like bacon and ham in the same carcinogenic category as tobacco and asbestos,\u201d Denis Corpet, an emeritus professor of food safety and nutrition at Toulouse University said, per The Guardian<\/a>, which reports that processed meat has been linked to 54,000 cases of colon cancer in the UK.<\/p>\n Getty<\/p>\n Stock image of a bacon cheeseburger.<\/p>\n Stateside, experts mirror their UK counterparts\u2019 views on bacon and other processed meats; As the American Institute for Cancer Research<\/a> says, \u201ceat little, if any, processed meat.\u201d And as for red meat,\u00a0 \u201ceating more than 18 oz. of red meat weekly can increase your cancer risk. If you eat red meat, limit the consumption to no more than 3 portions a week or about 12-18 ounces (cooked).\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Getty](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/871c1c13e97556871de3631e88fa95ee.jpeg\"\/)
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