French health authorities said they had confirmed a link between nitrates added to processed meat and colon cancer, dealing a blow to the country’s sausage and sausage industry.
Ansys, the national food safety authority, said its study of published data on the subject supported similar findings from the global 2015 health Organization (WHO).
Ansys “recommends reducing the consumption of nitrates and nitrites by limiting dietary exposure,” she said in a statement.
Nitrates are added to various foods to improve their shelf life and taste, and to help give pork products their pink color.
France is one of the world’s largest producers of cold cuts, known as charcuterie, which are often eaten as snacks or with early evening drinks.
The government immediately announced that it would start implementing an action plan to reduce the use of additives later this year.
“It is a matter of limiting its use to what is absolutely necessary,” the health and agriculture ministers said in a joint statement. “The reduction must be done in a balanced way that ensures the food security of the consumer.”
WHO warning 2015 It made headlines around the world after the United Nations International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded that processed meat should be classified as a Group 1 carcinogen.
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The warning covered all processed meats, from bacon, which is eaten in large quantities in the US and Britain, to Italian salami, Spanish chorizo, German sausages and French charcuterie.
Ansys said in a statement that reducing nitrates would increase the risk of developing serious illnesses such as food poisoning, listeria or salmonella. She added that these risks can be managed by shortening lead times before consumption and changing production processes.
“The scientific facts call for action from the political class,” said campaign group Foodwatch, League Against. cancer Health monitoring app Yucca said in a joint statement.
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