The study published in the journal nature, done on rats: the group fed processed meat containing the chemicals developed 75% more cancerous tumors than the group fed pork without the nitrites. What’s more, the mice that ate the nitrite-treated pork also developed 82 percent more tumors in their intestines than the other group.

“The results clearly show that not all processed meats carry the same cancer risk, and that consumption of processed foods that contain nitrites exacerbates the development of carcinoid tumors,” said Brian Green, one of the study’s authors.

to me WatchmanAbout 90% of bacon is sold in Canada Great Britain Contains nitrite. The substance is also used in sausages. Previous studies have linked the chemical to the development of bowel, breast and prostate cancer.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has already identified nitrites as responsible for 32,000 cases of bowel cancer each year.

In the UK, scientists and some politicians want to ban its use in food. Researcher Chris Elliott, who was involved in the study, called on the government to change its stance on nitrites in processed meat. “Daily consumption of bacon and pork containing nitrites poses a very real risk to public health,” he said.

The European Food Safety Authority recently published an opinion stating that nitrite levels in food can indicate a health problem. The French government has already committed to stopping its use in food production wherever possible.