The World Health Organization issued a news released to clarify the International Agency for Research on Cancer position regarding processed meats last week. The released said WHO has received several inquires, expressions of concern and requests for clarification on the conclusion that declared processed meats as a known carcinogen. WHO pointed out that the IARC’s review confirms the recommendation in the World Health Organization’s 2002 Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases Report, which advised people to moderate consumption of preserved meat to reduce the risk of cancer. The latest IARC review, according to the World Health Organization, does not ask people to stop eating processed meats but indicates that reducing consumption of these products can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.
The WHO says early next year they will meet to begin looking at the public health implications of the latest science and the place of processed meat and red meat within the context of an overall healthy diet.