5 things to know about the WHO's meat report

Employees prepare plates of hot dogs for a Hot Dog Eating Competition in New York on July 4, 2007. (AP / Seth Wenig)

Bacon lovers, it may be time to reconsider your priorities.

A new study by the World Health Organization’s cancer agency has classified processed meats such as hot dogs, ham, sausages and beef jerky as “carcinogenic to humans.”

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has ruled that the meats are a Group 1 carcinogen, lumping them in the same category as tobacco, asbestos and diesel fumes.

The same research found that red meat is a “probable” carcinogen, and that it was similarly linked to colorectal cancer as well as prostate and pancreatic cancer.

For those pondering vegetarianism, consider the following.

The research is thorough

The daily news cycle can contain plenty of stories on things that are bad for your health – too much screen time, not enough sleep, even drinking too much water. Sometimes these studies draw on small research samples, meaning the science can be susceptible to flaws and should be taken with a grain of salt.

The new IARC study was not small. More than 800 studies probing meat consumption across the globe were considered. A team of 22 experts from 10 countries worked together to evaluate the past research, considering dozens of types of cancer and factoring in cultural differences in diet.

In the end, the 22 scientists came to the consensus there is "sufficient evidence" that processed meats are linked to cancer.

The authors also found that large-scale studies from the last 20 years provided the most “influential evidence” for the IARC finding.

The more processed meat you eat, the higher the risk

It’s unclear how much is too much, but scientists say that eating processed meat in small quantities offers a low risk of developing cancer.

If a person eats 50 grams of processed meat each day – about two slices of deli meat or one hotdog – they increase their chances of developing colorectal cancer by 18 per cent, the IARC said.

The cancer agency has not called on people to stop eating processed meat altogether, but has instead suggested that international bodies and governments address the science and consider setting health standards for consumers.

In the words of Dr. Kurt Straif from the IARC: "This risk increases with the amount of meat consumed."

No, it’s not as bad as smoking

Much hullaballoo has been made over processed meats being classified as a Group 1 carcinogen -- the same category as smoking and asbestos. However, the groupings simply measure the strength of evidence scientists have gathered that something causes cancer, not its potency.

The IARC made sure to note that just because processed meats are now in the same category as asbestos and smoking does not mean they is equally dangerous.

How much red meat is OK?

Authors from the IARC did not say with certainty how much red meat is too much, but reiterated the point made on processed meat: the more you eat, the higher the risk.

However, the Canadian Cancer Society suggests that red meat consumption should be limited to three servings per week, with each serving measuring 85 grams, or 3 ounces, slightly smaller than a deck of cards.

But red meat also provides considerable health benefits, said IARC director Dr. Christopher Wild, who added that regulatory agencies and governments to set consumption standards to help consumers set their diets.

The Canadian Cattlemen's Association responded to the study, saying that as long as people follow Canada’s Food Guide and don’t eat bacon with every meal, they shouldn’t readjust their meat consumption.

'Natural' bacon is no better

Several brands of bacon and sandwich meats are advertised in supermarkets as “natural” for their use of preservatives such as salt and vinegar.

This designation does not exempt them from being processed meats; they still contain nitrates and nitrites, contributing elements to the formation of nitrosamines and nitrosamides, which the Canadian Cancer Society has identified as possible carcinogens