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The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a working group within the World Health Organization (WHO) recently determined that each 50 gram portion of processed meat eaten daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%.
Public health authorities and environmental activists have advised reduction of meat consumption since the mid-1990’s. However, such a clear connection between red meats and processed meats has ever been drawn before.
Melanie Doerksen is Program Coordinator of Artisanal Culinary Arts at Fanshawe College. She hopes that this recent announcement will have a greater effect than the countless other warnings about over consumption of processed meats.
“Only two, two and a half weeks beforehand [WHO] were talking about how bad industrial farming is for the environment. And so I am wondering if this is just you know, if people aren’t going to listen to us on this level, let’s do a little fear mongering and let’s see if that kind of helps to reduce the amount of meat that people eat.”
Reducing your meat intake can reduce your carbon foot print, the water used in meat production, and help reduce fossil fuel dependency.
