Ham and bacon products from supermarkets like Tesco and Marks and Spencer contain cancer-causing nitrites, despite a 2015 WHO warning. Wiltshire ham ranks highest in nitrite levels, with Tesco's version at 33 mg/kg, significantly higher than other products tested. Although all samples remained below the 150 mg/kg legal limit, food campaigners are alarmed. Cancer charities stress that processed meats elevate bowel cancer risks, linking them to 13% of annual UK diagnoses. The Coalition Against Nitrites expressed disappointment regarding the ongoing presence of nitrites nearly a decade after their carcinogenic classification by the WHO.
Tesco's Wiltshire ham contained the most nitrites, almost 33 milligrams per kilogram, which is 11 times the nitrite level found in its cooked ham.
A spokesperson for the Coalition Against Nitrites stated that it has been nearly a decade since the WHO classified nitrite-cured processed meats as a group one carcinogen, expressing disappointment at the continued high levels.
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