Swiss union rejects meat warnings

Switzerland's meat producers’ union on Monday described a World Health Organisation (WHO) study linking the consumption of processed meat to an increased chance of developing cancer, as “old wine in new casks.” The WHO study, published earlier in the day, said eating 50 grams of processed meat, such as bacon, sausages or ham, increased the incidence of colorectal cancer by 18%. It added that red meats were “probably carcinogenic,” but that detailed evidence was still lacking. Ruedi Hadorn, director of the Swiss Meat Industry Association (SFF), said he did not expect Swiss meat consumption, including cervelat and bratwurst sausages to fall, adding that meat was part of a balanced diet. “Since many years ago, the discussion was launched within the Federal Commission for Nutrition,” Hadorn said. “There are studies that prove the opposite conclusions to those of the WHO.” Kurt Straif, an official with the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which ...