There are claims more than 50,000 Britons have suffered bowel cancer because governments have failed to act on health warnings about the dangers of using nitrites to preserve processed meats View 3 Images Nitrate-cured bacon causes cancer (stock images) (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Boffins claim that over 50,000 Britons have developed bowel cancer due to successive governments ignoring health alerts about the risks of nitrites used to preserve processed meats like ham and bacon. ‌

The expense of treating these patients since the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) raised concerns a decade ago is calculated to be at least £3billion. Ministers are under pressure to introduce health warnings on meat packaging to emphasise the cancer threat. ‌

Health

See Full Page