A new report from the WHO says processed meat causes cancer. Processed meat includes bacon, hot dogs, ham, sausages, canned meat and meat-based sauces. The report was made by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. It said the world should know about the danger of processed meat because many people eat it and get cancer. The report says that eating 50g of processed meat a day can increase the chance of developing cancer by 18 per cent. Fifty grams is just two slices of bacon or one sausage. The WHO also said eating red meat carried a risk.

The WHO warned people about eating too much processed and red meat, but also said meat had health benefits. It has many important vitamins and minerals. The WHO said people should eat less processed meat and more food that contains fibre, such as fruit and vegetables. People need a balanced diet. The meat industry is not happy with the report. It does not like the fact that processed meat is in the same group as tobacco and alcohol. Processed meat is not as harmful as alcohol or tobacco. The North American Meat Institute said the report would unfairly scare people.