Coalition Urges to Ban Nitrites from UK’s Processed Meat
Professor Chris Elliott suggests that the United Kingdom should follow France’s example and prohibit the use of nitrates, which have been linked to cancer and may perhaps not be necessary in any case, in meats such as bacon.
In early July 2022, a huge and powerful coalition called for a ban on nitrites in processed meats in the UK.
The initiative, which includes prominent members from all four major political parties, a former World Health Organization lecturer, and academics, is calling for the United Kingdom to adopt the same policy as France by outlawing hazardous chemicals in much of the processed meats we consume.
Emmanuel Macron’s ruling party is pushing to ban chemical additives in industrial bacon in France.
This year, the French Parliament passed a bill that seeks to further restrict nitrites in cured meats like bacon and ham.
This is a major turning point in history, and I hope it will inspire not only a UK ban, but also action worldwide.
Nitrites have been used to preserve bacon and ham for many years. This may have been done to prevent botulism, but this is no longer the case. It’s all about giving consumers what they want: a pink colour in their meats.
There is, however, a significant amount of scientific research indicating that nitrites cause cancer-causing nitrosamines in the stomach when cooked bacon is consumed.
According to data from the Global Burden of Disease Project, meat-based diets high in processed meat are linked to roughly 34 000 cancer fatalities each year across the world.
This is a situation that we must no longer ignore.
News Credits: A Coalition Call to Ban Nitrites from our Meat – New Food
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