Red meat and processed meat: what the WHO really said in 2015

The assessment by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), why salami was placed in the same group as tobacco and why that does not mean they are equally dangerous

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Translated from the Albanian original by the editors. Shqip

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Illustration: a scroll, a symbol of the IARC report on meat
Original illustration by the lexoshpejt editors. Not a historical photograph or object.
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In October 2015 a group of 22 experts from 10 countries met in Lyon, France, under the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the WHO. They reviewed hundreds of studies on the link between meat and cancer. The conclusions were summarised by Véronique Bouvard and colleagues in The Lancet Oncology.

Two groups

  • Processed meat, such as salami, ham, sausages and smoked or cured meat, was placed in group 1: "carcinogenic to humans". The strongest evidence concerned colorectal cancer.
  • Red meat, such as unprocessed beef, lamb and pork, was placed in group 2A: "probably carcinogenic". The evidence was more limited.

Why not "like tobacco"

The IARC groups show how strong the evidence is that something can cause cancer, not how large the risk is. Tobacco and processed meat are in the same group because both have strong evidence. But tobacco raises the risk of lung cancer many times over, while the effect of processed meat is much smaller.

According to the assessment, each 50 grams of processed meat a day, about two slices of ham or one sausage, was linked with an increase of about 18 per cent in the relative risk of colorectal cancer. For an individual the absolute risk remains low, but for whole populations with high consumption it matters.

"Strong evidence" and "big risk" are not the same thing. Many misunderstandings in health news arise from confusing the two.

The debate

Some researchers have argued that the evidence on red meat is weak and that people need not change their habits. Others stress that, cancer aside, diets high in processed meat are linked with heart disease and diabetes. The broadest agreement is that processed meat should be eaten rarely, and red meat in moderation.

Practical advice

  1. Make processed meat the exception, not a daily part of breakfast or sandwiches.
  2. A few times a week, replace meat with beans, lentils, fish, eggs or poultry.
  3. Take care with cooking at very high temperatures and with charred parts of meat.
  4. Add vegetables and fibre. They are linked with a lower risk of bowel cancer.

Sources and further reading

  1. Bouvard, V., Loomis, D., Guyton, K. Z. et al. (2015). Carcinogenicity of consumption of red and processed meat. The Lancet Oncology, 16(16), 1599–1600. PubMed
  2. World Health Organization (2015). Cancer: Carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat – Q&A. who.int

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