Press Release - Government should not rush to judgement on report linking red meat with bowel cancer

Government should not rush to judgement on report linking red meat with bowel cancer.

The National Beef Association urges the Coalition Government not to rush to judgement on the place of red meat in the diet if it is presented with yet another, hesitant and confused report, linking meat with a cancer.

Its plea comes after yesterday’s media leaks claiming that government was poised to warn the British people that a more cautious approach to the weight of both fresh red meat, and processed meat, in their diet must be taken – otherwise they faced an increased risk of bowel cancer.

“The red meat industry, which embraces farmers, processors, retailers, will despair if it becomes the target of yet another in a long line of alarmist reports – which later undergo deep reconsideration, and substantial modification, after initial conclusions of been found to be too simplistic,” explained the NBA’s director, Kim Haywood.

The Association fears that another, unnecessary, embarrassment to both government, and the specialists on its Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, is inevitable unless the expected public statement on cancer and red meat consumption properly acknowledges the complexity of the subject and the contradictory nature of the evidence.

“The National Beef Association is confident that moderate, regular, daily intake of fresh red meat is an important constituent of a healthy diet and plays a mainstream role in maintaining the health of the nation,” insisted Ms Haywood.

“We have yet to see the full report, but we have read media observations on its leaked contents, and are hoping that its authors have been aware that an abundance of research already completed in the UK and the USA has clearly concluded there is no significant link between eating fresh red meat and bowel cancer.”

“We will also be looking to see if government, and its selected scientists, are satisfied that the subjects of its study included sufficient fibre in their diet, were physically active and not overweight, and are aware of genetic disposition to bowel cancer too.”

“Acknowledgement, or otherwise, of the role other, quite different, products like nitrates or trans-fatty acids might play in the development of cancer will also signal the integrity of the forthcoming report - and we know other scientists will scrutinise it carefully to make sure conclusions have not been skewed by the unqualified linking, without recognition of their quite different nutritional impacts, of fresh meat and processed meat and meat products.”

“Both the public and government should be aware that the Argentine population consumes a massive 70 kilo per head of red meat each year, while the UK average is 17 kilos, and enjoys a much lower level of bowel cancer.”

“And it will also be interesting to see if the report’s authors are aware of conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, which is a natural trans-fatty acid found in beef, which studies in Canada has shown to be an anti-cancer agent,” Ms Haywood added.

For more information contact:

Kim Haywood, NBA director.  Tel: 0131 336 1754/07967 698936 or
Oisin Murnion, NBA chairman: Tel: 07739 632048