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A group of leading scientists has called for cancer warning labels on bacon and ham sold in the UK, arguing that chemicals used to preserve these meats pose a serious risk to public health. The demand comes a decade after the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified processed meat as carcinogenic to humans, placing it in the same risk category as tobacco and asbestos. The scientists accuse successive UK governments of “doing virtually nothing” since that 2015 declaration to protect consumers from nitrites—the preservatives responsible for giving bacon and ham their pink colour and long shelf life.
According to experts from the Coalition Against Nitrites, this lack of action has contributed to around 54,000 cases of bowel cancer in Britain over the past decade, costing the NHS an estimated £3 billion. In an open letter to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, the group urged the government to introduce cigarette-style warnings on bacon and ham packets and to phase out nitrite use in food production. Emeritus Professor Denis Corpet of Toulouse University, one of the signatories, stressed that most consumers are unaware these meats are classified as carcinogenic, and said ministers have a duty to make this information clear.
The IARC’s 2015 report found that eating just 50 grams of processed meat daily—roughly two slices of bacon—increases bowel cancer risk by 18%. The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) supports the evidence linking processed meat to colorectal cancer but stopped short of endorsing warning labels, instead recommending reduced consumption and better access to healthy food alternatives, particularly in schools.
However, the UK Department of Health and Social Care maintains that evidence connecting nitrates and nitrites to cancer remains “inconclusive,” echoing the stance of the Food Standards Agency. Critics, including food safety expert Professor Chris Elliott, argue that this inaction is unacceptable, warning that each year of delay leads to more preventable cancers and greater strain on the healthcare system.
