November 11, 2015

 

Red, processed meats defended

 

 

Late last month the World Health Organisation's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) released its findings on its evaluation of the carcinogenicity of red meat and processed meat.

 

IARC had convened 22 experts from 10 countries, who reviewed accumulated scientific literature and concluded that, based on limited evidence, consumption of red meat causes cancer (mainly colorectal cancer;associations were also seen for pancreatic and prostate cancer). The experts classified red meat as probably carcinogenic.

 

Moreover, the IARC team said consumption of processed meat such as hot dogs, ham, sausages and corned beef causes colorectal cancer, based on sufficient evidence. It classified processed meat as carcinogenic.

 

Read-meat and processed-meat producers in different countries reacted to the IARC warnings in varying degrees.

 

The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) did not directly dispute the IARC findings but did issue a statement against a petition of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) to remove processed meats from school lunches.

 

"The pro-vegan animal rights Physicians committee for Responsible Medicine is predictably seizing upon news about an International Agency for Research on Cancer report as another tool to force meat off the plates of schoolchildren", it lamented.

 

Noting that IARC's other hazard assessments have found sun and outdoor air to be Class I carcinogens, NAMI argued, "Based upon PCRM's logic, we presume that in addition to their efforts to take away nutrient dense foods that kids enjoy and actually eat, they would like to see recess cancelled to protect the children".

 

'Meat benefits growing children'

 

NAMI stressed that the WHO itself had stated that "the latest IARC review does not ask people to stop eating processed meats". Thus, it stood by its position that meat--both fresh and processed--provide nutrition benefits to growing children.

 

It cited some evidence from peer-reviewed studies showing that:

 

-- meat is one of the best sources of the most absorbable form of iron, of whose deficiency in children can lead to significant health issues like anemia.

 

-- animal products are the only natural sources of B12 and, thus, vegetarians and vegans must supplement with B12 due to their absence of B12 in their diets.

 

-- meat is nutrient-dense and contributes a wide array of nutrients like zinc, the B vitamins and complete protein with all the amino acids needed for health.  

 

-- nutrient-dense foods like meat in balanced diets improve school performance, too.

 

"If PCRM members don't want their children to eat fresh and processed meat at school, then their children can enjoy the vegetarian options that are always available, but don't take away a food option that even WHO says can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet" the NAMI statement said.

 

'Blown out of proportion'

 

Federated Farmers of New Zealand Board Member Rick Powdrell said in an article posted on the Federated Farmers website: "The key to sensible eating is a balanced diet which ensures that foods are consumed in moderate quantities while at the same time providing the necessary nutrients required".

 

He said that while the perceived risks of eating meat "are blown out of proportion", there is research that supports that "meat consumed insensible quantities is beneficial to our balanced diet".

 

"If you look at Scandinavian countries their diets are heavy on cured meats but the people in those countries have some of the highest life expectancy rates in the OECD.

 

"So while I welcome research and studies which informs us of better eating habits and lifestyle factors, I believe there needs to be a balance and the media have a responsibility to report sensibly, instead of blowing it out of proportion for the sake of attracting more readers", Powdrell said.

 

'Risk small'

 

AHDB Beef and Lamb, a division of UK's Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, said in a statement the IARC "isn't saying eating red and processed meat as part of a balanced diet causes cancer: no single food causes cancer", adding "IARC itself has said that the risk from processed meat remains small".

 

The AHDB statement, written by its nutrition manager, Maureen Strong, claimed that the UK government "looked at the same evidence in 2010 and recommended people eat no more than 70g of red and processed meat a day: and that's exactly what the vast majority of us are eating".

 

"IARC's findings suggest that eating 50g of processed meat brings a small increase in risk.  However, average consumption in the UK is just 17g per day. People would need to eat three times their current levels to increase their risk", it said.

 

AHDB also said the "vast majority of British sausages and burgers are not considered as processed meat".

 

It defined processed meat as meat that has been preserved by smoking, curing, salting or adding preservatives.

 

The WHO said most processed meats contain pork or beef, but that they may also contain other red meats, poultry, offal, or meat by-products such as blood.

 

Examples of processed meat, it added, include hot dogs (frankfurters), ham, sausages, corned beef, and biltong or beef jerky, as well as canned meat and meat-based preparations and sauces. --Rick Alberto