WKSU News: World health Organization announces findings of study linking processed meat to cancer

Monday, October 26, 2015 World health Organization announces findings of study linking processed meat to cancer Opponents stay study needs more context to be conclusive by WKSU's LAUREN BLUE	Reporter Lauren Blue

According to the report, grilling or smoking can produce carcinogenic compounds in the meat.

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The World Health Organization has announced findings that high consumption of processed meat, like bacon and sausage, increases the risk for colorectal cancer. The study was conducted by a panel of 22 scientists. According to the report, grilling or smoking produce carcinogenic compounds in the meat. Janet Riley is the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at the North American Meat Institute. She says the public shouldn’t draw conclusions from just one study.

LISTEN: Riley and the reaction of the North American Meat institute to the WHO report

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“And a cancer hazard is different than a risk. It’s asking could something ever pose a hazard at some level over some circumstance. That means if you ate lots and lots of it or were exposed to it on some continuous level. It’s not calculating your actual risk of making meat products part of a balanced diet," Riley says.

Riley says the World Health Organization needs to give more context to the findings in this study. She adds one of the USDA panelists was part of a previous study that found inadequate evidence to link meat to cancer.